Cashless Payment

Cashless payment encompasses all payment methods that do not use physical cash: credit cards, debit cards, electronic money (Suica, Oyster), and QR code payments (PayPay, Alipay, Google Pay). Japan's cashless ratio reached approximately 39% in 2023, while China exceeds 80% and South Korea surpasses 90%.

QR code payments grew rapidly in the cashless market due to minimal setup costs. Credit card and electronic money terminals cost tens of thousands of yen, but QR code payment can start with just a printed QR code on the counter (store-scan method). This brought cashless capability to small shops, food stalls, and flea markets that previously could not afford terminals.

Two scanning patterns exist. In user-scan, the customer scans the store's QR code and enters the amount. In store-scan, the store scans the customer's phone-displayed QR code. User-scan requires virtually zero store investment but risks manual amount entry errors. Store-scan enables accurate POS-integrated processing but requires a scanning terminal.