E-commerce in Ecuador is still in an early growth stage, and payment infrastructure remains heavily cash-dependent relative to how fast online usage is growing. True to its name, Farmacias Economicas is a pharmacy chain built around 'economical' pricing, making it a collection point with strong reach among price-sensitive, cash-oriented customers who want to handle bill payment alongside buying daily necessities. Because the currency is USD, no exchange rate comes between the amount the consumer pays and the amount the merchant receives, which also keeps this cash-payment method simple to operate.

This ranks as a high priority to consider if you target low- to mid-priced daily goods, cosmetics, or health-related products with a low average order value and frequent repeat purchases, and a market with a large share of customers who find it hard to get a card issued. Farmacias 911, which emphasizes accessibility, and Farmacias Medicity, which carries a healthcare-service image, differ in the nature of their customer touchpoints, so you can vary the combination depending on your target trade area.

When the consumer chooses this collection channel at the ordering stage, a reference code for payment is issued. As if going grocery shopping, the consumer visits a nearby Farmacias Economicas store, presents the code at the counter, and pays in dollar cash. The order is finalized once the collection result is relayed to the merchant via Hecto Financial, so order management needs to account for the time gap until that notification.

A Korean merchant can review whether this pharmacy collection channel is available through Hecto Financial, without needing a separate local partnership contract. However, the range of locations where the collection partnership is actually valid, and the fee terms, need to be reconfirmed at the time of contracting.

• Business registration country

  Confirm whether a contract is available under a Korean business registration

• Sales channels

  The integration method and priorities differ depending on your online sales channel mix, such as an owned storefront, open marketplaces, or a mobile app

• Product categories

  Check in advance whether your products fall under a restricted category under Farmacias Economicas's merchant policies

• Local regulatory compliance

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

The flow of funds for this channel can be summed up in three steps: the consumer pays USD cash, Hecto Financial receives the USD, and the merchant is settled in the selected currency. The settlement currency is set by contract as one of USD, KRW, or JPY; with USD settlement, the amount received becomes the settlement base amount as-is, while KRW or JPY settlement adds a currency-conversion step. Because refunds for cash payment transactions can proceed through a separate path, such as a return to the consumer's account, rather than a card-style cancellation of the original transaction, it is best to agree on the handling method and deadline in advance.

• Central Bank of Ecuador (BCE)Official information on Ecuador's payment systems and related regulations. If this page's content differs from actual regulations, the official source takes precedence.