More than a quarter of all online transactions were carried out using mobile devices in Q4 2014, a 37 per cent increase year-on-year and the first time the figure has passed 25 per cent.

December showed the highest proportion of mobile payments, with 26.6 per cent of all transactions carried out via mobile, while November was close behind with 26.1 per cent. The end-of-the-year spike suggests that retail consumers are more likely to make purchases on mobile, as the global peak shopping period drives people to purchasing via mobile.

The figures come from payments tech company Adyens latest Mobile Payments Index, which also showed that Apple held a considerable lead when it came to mobile transactions, with iPads responsible for 34 per cent of payments, iPhones at 32.3 per cent and Android at just 25.3 per cent. These figures still show growth for Android however, which was responsible for only 20 per cent at year earlier.

“Across all industries including retail, gaming, ticketing, and of course digital goods, we see the emergence of successful businesses offering a mobile-only experience,” said Roelant Prins, CCO for Adyen. “For many companies, mobile is now the primary sales channel, rather than simply a key sales channel, aided by the accelerated growth of mobile payments globally in the last quarter of 2014. A mobile-first strategy is becoming a reality for more businesses as we move into Q1 2015.”