Generative AI users in Europe and North America prefer emotional value and have a stronger willingness to pay
The European and North American markets operate on a dual track of professional tools and emotional value applications. By relying on a high-retention subscription model and a payment ecosystem dominated by debit and credit cards, this region has formed the most mature commercial paradigm for generative AI globally.
Generative AI in Latin America has built a low-barrier market ecosystem with lightweight tools and local payments
The Latin American market is centred on low-barrier, practical tools. By relying on a freemium model and a localised payment ecosystem dominated by PIX, it has built a lightweight, inclusive AI path that is tailored to regional characteristics.
Generative AI in the Middle East is driven by deep localisation and innovative business models
The key to success in the Middle Eastern AI market is deep localisation, which includes offline functionality, and cultural and linguistic adaptation. Winning in this market requires a seamless blend of technology with local culture and flexible innovation in business models.
Key considerations in the AI wave: the coexistence of technological breakthroughs and ethical challenges
Generative AI is reshaping the world at an unprecedented pace, but its development is accompanied by a number of critical issues. From technical frontiers like multimodal capabilities and intelligent agents, to societal and ethical challenges such as content authenticity, data privacy, and environmental costs. To understand and navigate the AI era, it is necessary to balance its immense potential with its far-reaching impact.
In the first part of this report, we observed that current Chinese generative AI tools, led by DeepSeek, are becoming highly popular among overseas users. We introduced the main monetisation methods for companies going overseas, the pain points they face, and strategic suggestions for expanding into the overseas market. In this second part, we select three noteworthy regions for market entry—Europe and North America, Latin America, and the Middle East—focusing on exploring user profiles in each region. What are the differences in product preferences for generative AI tools across these regions? How do payment preferences and habits vary? What are the current hot topics in each market? This report will focus on answering these questions.
The European and North American regions represent one of the most mature markets for generative AI tools. Users have high demands for both specialised functionality and emotional value. Professionals such as designers, writers, and marketers tend to use tools that support complex creative needs, such as tools for scriptwriting, designing brand visuals, and generating music. These tools help users improve creative efficiency and work quality, becoming powerful assistants in specialised fields.
At the same time, as the demand for emotional companionship and psychological support increases among users in these regions, tools that provide emotional value are also becoming mainstream. These tools typically help users with emotional expression, stress relief, or provide personalised companionship, such as smart writing assistants for emotional expression or AI chatbots that offer emotional support. This reflects that while European and North American users pursue efficiency and specialised functionality, they also value the role of AI tools in personal well-being and emotional satisfaction.
Classification of top 15 best-selling generative AI tools in the European & North America market (April-June 2025)
Source: APPMAGIC
The European and North American generative AI tool markets demonstrate strong user payment habits and highly mature payment ecosystems. Subscription models are currently the most mainstream payment method, with both monthly and annual subscriptions providing users with predictable costs, continuous stable service, and feature updates. Additionally, pay-as-you-go and limited-use payment models also play significant roles. Pay-as-you-go is common in cases like API calls and large-volume content generation, where users pay based on actual usage. Limited use is often used in freemium models, where users need to pay to unlock more usage rights after a certain number of free trials or access to basic features. These two models provide flexible choices for users with different needs.
Antom offers subscription payment and auto debit services for overseas vendors, enabling them to build online automatic recurring debits and accept recurring automatic payments. Companies only need to integrate once to enjoy multiple payment methods, such as digital wallets and bank transfers, while users only need to authorise once to enjoy continuous subscription services.
Antom subscription payment: initiate subscription binding on the checkout page to convert a one-time payment into a long-term transaction
Source: Antom
Antom direct debit service: with a one-time authorisation and binding, the customer’s payment token remains valid for the long term and updates automatically.
Source: Antom
In terms of payment methods, thanks to their popularity, convenience, and security, debit and credit cards such as Visa and Mastercard remain the primary methods for online payments in the European and North American markets. Notably, with the increasing popularity of mobile payments and growing user demand for greater convenience, e-wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay are gradually becoming important payment options due to their speed and security.
US online payment methods survey (April 2024 - March 2025)
Source: Statista
Note: 11,946 survey participants; age distribution 18-64.
UK online payment methods survey (April 2024 - March 2025)
Source: Statista
Note: 4,750 survey participants; age distribution 18-64.
Germany online payment methods survey (April 2024 - March 2025)
Source: Statista
Note: 7,060 survey participants; age distribution 18–64.