How to accept Kakao Pay for merchants

With over 24 million monthly active users by the end of 2024 and a total transaction volume exceeding KRW43.1 trillion, Kakao Pay is one of the most dominant digital payment services in South Korea. Embedded deeply within the Kakao ecosystem, it connects seamlessly to KakaoTalk, South Korea's most-used messaging app, enabling users to manage payments, transfers, and financial services directly from their mobile device.

For merchants looking to serve Koreans at home or abroad, accepting Kakao Pay offers access to a widely trusted and actively used payment method.

Why Kakao Pay is important for businesses

Kakao Pay is tightly integrated into the digital lives of users in South Korea, from bill payments in KakaoTalk to booking rides via Kakao T and making in-game purchases in Kakao Games. This ecosystem integration increases the likelihood of customers completing a purchase without friction.

International acceptance is expanding through Alipay+ partnerships. Merchants outside of South Korea can now accept Kakao Pay payments without dealing with currency conversions. For customers, it’s familiar. For merchants, it’s efficient.

If you're expanding into Asia, South Korea's position as a top-tier digital economy makes Kakao Pay hard to ignore. It’s one of the most widely used payment methods in the region. Adding it to your checkout is not just smart but strategic.

Kakao Pay features

Kakao ecosystem integration

Users receive payment prompts, manage bills, send money, and shop—all within KakaoTalk. The service extends across Kakao’s wider app portfolio, including ride-hailing, games, and social platforms. It delivers a unified customer experience.

Flexible payment methods

Kakao Pay supports a variety of payment methods, offering flexibility and ease of use for customers. Here's how they compare:

Each payment method is built with biometric and multi-factor security, supporting seamless transactions online and in-store.

Local and cross-border capabilities

Users can now make QR code payments abroad without changing currency. Alipay+ support lets international customers pay with their local e-wallets in South Korea. From 2023 to 2024, transactions by foreign tourists using Kakao Pay increased fourteenfold.

Financial tools and loyalty incentives

Kakao Pay goes beyond basic payment functionality. Customers benefit from point-based cashback programmes, budget tracking, and storage of electronic documents like receipts and insurance forms. Kakao Pay cards also include perks tailored to spending behaviour.

Built-in financial services

From mobile phone insurance to investment services, Kakao Pay covers provides savings and protection products within the app, meeting the growing demand for financial self-service tools.

Advanced security and encryption

Security is a baseline requirement, not a value-add. Kakao Pay meets that need with layered protection, including biometric ID, real-time fraud detection, and secure account linking.

Why merchants should accept Kakao Pay

Popularity and user engagement

KakaoTalk’s dominance means Kakao Pay enjoys high brand recognition. Customers using both the app and KakaoTalk Pay generate 2.4x the revenue of those using only the Kakao Pay app.

A preferred payment method

Offline usage of Kakao Pay surged 33% in 2024, with total payment volume climbing 125%. Merchants across retail, gaming, and transport sectors are responding to customer demand by integrating Kakao Pay at checkout.

A broad demographic

Whether targeting teens with the Kakao Pay Money Card or seniors using large-font interfaces, Kakao Pay covers a broad base. Features are tailored to different life stages and preferences.

How Kakao Pay works for merchants

From checkout to settlement

Merchants initiate payment requests via checkout pages or POS systems. Customers authenticate the payment using their app, and Kakao Pay processes the transaction in real time. Merchants then receive confirmation and settlement.

Cross-border payments

Businesses outside of South Korea can accept Kakao Pay payments by integrating the app into their online stores. For cross-border payments, settlement occurs in Korean won. This removes the complexity of managing multi-currency conversion on the merchant side.

How to integrate Kakao Pay with your platform

Merchant onboarding and tools

To begin accepting Kakao Pay, you’ll need an Antom merchant account. Using the Antom Dashboard, you can test your integration in sandbox mode, simulate transactions, and prepare for live deployment. Testing your checkout integration helps ensure every payment method works as expected.

Flexible integration paths

Antom offers SDK and API integration options for Kakao Pay. Merchants can choose their preferred technical route, whether full API control or rapid deployment using SDKs. Regardless of choice, integration is designed to be straightforward and reliable.

Interchange and fees

So, how much does Kakao Pay charge? As with many local payment methods, interchange and processing fees depend on transaction type and volume. Through Antom, you benefit from transparent pricing and support for optimised routing.

Benefits of using Kakao Pay with Antom

Local trust with global reach

Kakao Pay is well-established in South Korea. Antom makes it available to merchants worldwide, without adding complexity to your existing stack.

One integration, many payment methods

By integrating with Antom, you can accept Kakao Pay and over 300 other payment methods. That includes popular e-wallets and local apps across Asia and beyond.

Test, launch, and scale faster

Use Antom’s tools to test, launch, and refine your Kakao Pay payment flows. Our integration tools and test environments help you go live with confidence.