Apple Pay has become the top choice of services among US consumers planning on using mobile payments in the next 90 days, with a total of 45% intending to use it compared to the 28% who plan on using PayPal and the 13% who plan on using Google Wallet, a survey conducted by 451 Research has found — and consumers increasingly think mobile payments are more secure than credit cards.

The research, based on the responses of 4,168 consumers primarily from North America, reveals a 4% increase in interest in the use of Apple Pay since December 2014 and a 4% decrease in interest in the use of PayPal over the same period. 66% of those who have already used mobile payment apps say they are very satisfied with Apple Pay, compared to PayPal with 45% and Google Wallet with 33%.

A total of 8% are also very or somewhat likely to use Samsung Pay; this jumps to 25% among Samsung smartphone owners and surges to 46% among those planning to buy a Samsung smartphone in the next 90 days.

Overall, 25% of the smartphone owners surveyed say they are likely to use mobile payment apps over the next 90 days, with 11% being very likely to do so and 14% being somewhat likely, representing a six percentage point increase on a year ago.

MOBILE PAYMENT SECURITY: Believers are on the rise as doubters gradually fall away

One in four respondents (24%) believe mobile payments are more secure than traditional credit cards, with 6% believing they are significantly more secure and 18% believing they are somewhat more secure. 27% think they’re less secure, down from 43% a year ago.

“The introduction of Apple Pay has catalyzed a wave of strategic moves across the mobile payments ecosystem,” says Jordan McKee, senior mobile payments analyst at 451 Research. “In the wake of Apple’s entrance, Google and PayPal have made significant acquisitions, while players such as Facebook and Samsung are rolling out payment products to remain competitive.

“Moving forward, the pace of activity will only accelerate as vendors look to capitalize on the growing contactless payments infrastructure and secure a foothold in this rapidly evolving sector.”

Respondents interested in buying Apple Watch are also twice as likely (54%) as all other smartphone owners to say they’ll use mobile payment apps, with 29% saying they are very likely to do so and 25% saying they are somewhat likely to do so.

“Our latest survey shows planned use of Apple Pay has been on an upward trajectory since it became available six months ago — with the service helping to spark consumer demand for mobile payment technologies,” adds Andy Golub, research director for 451 Research. “Although consumer perceptions of security remain an issue, the results point to marked improvements in this area.”