From app to abs: Brits spending over an estimated £15 billion a year booking wellness services through mobile platforms and apps, with fitness a key driver

London, 23 June 2026– Brits are spending more than an estimated £15 billion a year booking wellness services such as hair appointments, beauty treatments and massages, through marketplace platforms and apps, with fitness emerging as one of the biggest drivers, new research from Worldpay®, now Global Payments®, reveals. Younger consumers are fuelling the surge, while expectations around payments, refunds and ease of booking are a critical factor in the consumer experience.

The popularity of these platforms is being driven overwhelmingly by younger consumers. Gen Z and Millennials together account for half – around £7.5 billion – of that total spend figure, with 55% and 50% respectively saying they use platforms more than they did two years ago.

Fitness is one of the clearest examples of how that behaviour is playing out:

Booking platforms are also becoming an important discovery tool for personal services businesses. One in eight (13%) polled use platforms to help them find and support independent businesses, suggesting a clear opportunity for SMBs to reach new customers.

But convenience alone is not enough. Almost half (42%) actively choose platforms that offer simple, secure payments, while nearly three quarters (71%) say poor payment processes would cause them to abandon a booking altogether. Expectations don’t end at checkout - 84% expect a refund within 48 hours if a service, such as a fitness class, is cancelled.This comes at a time when our survey of merchants revealed that a third of independent personal services businesses in the UK (36%) have said they need their software to have a greater ability to better manage their payments².

As part of the research, Worldpay, now Global Payments, has worked with TV fitness personality Sheli McCoy – Scottish CrossFit athlete, coach, founder and owner of SweatBox Dundee - to illustrate just how important back-end technology offerings like this have been in helping to scale her fitness business.

For platform providers, integrating a strong payments functionality is crucial to continue tapping into increasing customer spend. For businesses – particularly SMBs – working with partners that offer easy, end-to-end booking and payments can help them grow by capitalising on the sharp uptake in consumers using booking platforms.

Grant Evans, head of sales, Integrated and Platforms at Global Payments, comments: “We are living in the app economy, and fitness is one of its biggest winners – from padel to pilates. This presents a huge opportunity for platforms, but only if they have the right technology in place. Crucially, this must include payments, which are often the make-or-break moment in a transaction. Platforms must find the right software partner to deliver on this need if they are going to attract new business – it is how they can win the trust of businesses looking to grow and help their SMB clients turn first-time bookings into repeat business.”

To find out more, read our Merchant Insider report: 2026 Merchant Insider Report

The consumer research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 4,002 UK and US consumers who have used a platform to book personal services in the last 12 months. The data was collected between 07.04.2026-10.04.2026. Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the British Polling Council (BPC), and a signatory of the Global Data Quality Pledge. We adhere to the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR principles.

The merchant survey includes 1,542 senior finance and technology decision-makers from businesses across Australia, the UK and the US that use business management software. The findings from this survey are detailed in our 2026 Merchant Insider Report.

Global Payments (NYSE: GPN), is a leading payment technology and software company that powers commerce for businesses of all sizes worldwide. We help businesses grow with confidence by delivering innovative solutions that enable seamless payment acceptance, smarter operations and exceptional client experiences – online, in store and everywhere in between. With its global reach, local expertise and scale, Global Payments manages trillions in payments volume and billions of transactions across more than 175 countries. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Global Payments is a Fortune 500® company and a member of the S&P 500. Learn more at company.globalpayments.com.