Japan's cashless ratio has reached roughly 40%, which, seen the other way around, means more than half of retail payments are still made in cash. Convenience store payment lets shoppers place an order online, receive a payment slip number, and pay in cash at any of Japan's roughly 55,000 convenience stores nationwide — including 7-Eleven, Lawson, and FamilyMart — and has long served as a gateway that brings Japanese consumers without cards, or who are reluctant to enter card details online, into e-commerce.

It suits merchants who want to reach teens and consumers in their early twenties, who tend to have lower credit card penetration, as well as more cautious consumers who avoid entering card details online for security reasons. Merchants in Korea selling products with strong demand from young fan communities in Japan — anime and game goods, idol-related merchandise, and similar categories — should consider adding this alongside card and QR payments.

When a shopper selects convenience store payment at checkout, a payment slip number (voucher) is issued, and the payment is confirmed once they pay in cash at a nearby 7-Eleven, Lawson, FamilyMart, or similar store before the deadline. Hecto Financial receives the collected funds in JPY, converts the currency, and settles with the merchant in Korea in the contracted currency — USD, KRW, or JPY. Because there is a delay before payment is confirmed, this needs to be factored into inventory and shipping logic design.

Convenience store payment is offered by bundling the collection networks of several convenience store chains, letting a company in Korea consider adding it through Hecto Financial without a local collection agency contract in Japan. Collection fees and settlement terms vary by transaction volume and business type, so they need to be confirmed before signing a contract.

• Business registration country

  Confirm contract eligibility for businesses registered in Korea

• Sales channel

  The integration approach differs depending on whether sales are online only or also include offline stores in Japan

• Product categories handled

  Check in advance whether your products fall under categories restricted by the Japanese convenience stores operators' merchant policies

• Compliance with local regulations

  Confirm compliance with Japan's payment and foreign exchange regulations (see official sources below)

Cash collected at convenience stores passes through the collection network and is received by Hecto Financial in JPY, then converted and settled with the merchant in Korea in the currency selected under contract — USD, KRW, or JPY. The settlement cycle and fee rate follow the contract terms. Because this is cash collection, there is no card-style "payment cancellation" concept, so refunds are handled through a separate process, and the handling method and deadline are set by Hecto Financial's operating policy, so be sure to confirm these before signing a contract.

• Bank of JapanProvides official information on Japan's payments and payment systems.
• Japan Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) cashless policyOfficial data on the Japanese government's payment policy, including the cashless payment ratio. If the content of this page differs from actual regulations, the official source takes precedence.