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Alipay+ QR code transactions in Korea increase 18% in 2025
Alipay+, a digital wallet gateway operated by Singapore-based Ant International, has reported increased usage in Korea as tourist numbers and spending rise.
The company said QR code transactions in Korea rose 18% in 2025, with total payment volume up 16% year-on-year.
Most transactions came from tourists using Alipay+ partner wallets, including visitors from China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Japan, Macao, and the Philippines.
Spending was concentrated in Seoul, Incheon, Busan, and Jeju Island, with public transportation seeing a 120% rise in transactions and a 23% rise in payment volume.
Beauty clinics ranked second for Alipay+ usage, with a 90% rise in transactions and a 123% jump in payment volume, followed by food and beverage outlets.
Alipay+ also works with local platforms like Kakao Pay, Naver Pay, and Toss Pay, allowing Korean consumers to use their payment apps in 100 countries.
Recent partnerships with Shinsegae Group and fintech firm i-Aurora have expanded Alipay+ acceptance in Korean retail and services.
🔗 Source: The Korea Times
🧠 Food for thought
Implications, context, and why it matters.
Alipay+ growth tracks Korea tourism, scale still unknown
- Alipay+ says transactions rose 18% and payment value grew 16% in Korea, yet it shared no TPV, merchant reach, or share figures 123. That gap blocks any read on card displacement, since credit cards still hold 54% of POS payments 3. The lift may track a 39.2% jump in Japanese arrivals and a rebound in Chinese visitors to 4.7 million through October 2025 123.
- Big gains sit in beauty clinics, up 90% by transactions and 123% by value, plus transport 4. This skews to tourist spend, not everyday domestic rails 4. Wallets hold only 20% of POS in Korea, while cards sit at 54%, so Alipay+ has a hard path to primary status beyond tourism 3.
PSPs can tap Korean outbound spend via local wallets overseas
- Koreans flock to Japan, Bali, plus Da Nang for holidays 536. Payment service providers (PSPs) and merchants there can win extra sales by turning on Kakao Pay, Naver Pay, plus Toss Pay where supported 536. Outbound departures from Korea jumped 254%, which puts near-haul Asia-Pacific at the front of the integration queue for acquiring banks (merchant payment processors) and POS vendors (terminal providers) 6.
- Mobile drives 75% of online buys in the country, so merchants should promote QR code payment 3. 91% of Koreans have used QR codes at home 3. Duty-free shops plus beauty sellers in Southeast Asia can gain from Korean wallet acceptance, as mobile shopping in South Korea hit USD 11.8 billion in 2024 3.
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