Merpay

In recent years, to attract the growing number of inbound tourists, many Japanese merchants have begun introducing overseas digital wallets, such as Alipay. For consumers, these digital wallets offer enhanced payment flexibility by allowing direct linkage to bank accounts or credit cards, or by functioning as prepaid tools. According to Statista forecasts, the total transaction value of the Japanese digital payment market is expected to reach JPY 106.98 trillion by 2025, highlighting the immense potential in this sector.

Against this backdrop, Japanese digital payment services are also evolving rapidly. Merpay is a digital wallet launched in 2019 by Mercari, Japan's largest secondhand marketplace platform, originally created to meet the platform's need to provide users with cashless payment services. Merpay remains committed to building a society where users can more easily pursue the careers and interests they love through its products. In 2024, Merpay further strengthened its information security capabilities by obtaining certification under the international standard ISO/IEC 27001:2022 as well as the Japanese Industrial Standard JIS Q 27001:2023.

Currently, Merpay is not only integrated within the Mercari app but is also widely accepted at 1.7 million merchants across Japan, covering restaurants, convenience stores, and online shops. Sellers on Mercari can transfer their sales proceeds directly into their Merpay wallet balance, while consumers can flexibly choose to pay using wallet balance, reward points, or a combination of both. According to Merpay's 2025 consumer interest survey, approximately 60% of non-typical otaku or enthusiast consumers still demonstrate strong purchasing power in areas related to their interests.

Leveraging Mercari's massive user base—with over 22 million monthly active users, Merpay has seen consistent growth since its launch. To date, the number of Merpay digital wallet users has exceeded 15 million, with nearly 90% of users having completed real-name authentication, demonstrating a high level of trust in its services.

Properties

The following table lists the product properties supported by Merpay:

User experience

Note: The following payment flows on different terminals are for reference only. For supported merchants' terminal types, consult Antom Technical Support.

The following screenshots show the journey of paying with Merpay:

Web

1. The buyer selects Merpay to pay.

2. The buyer is redirected to Merpay's web page.

3. The buyer opens the Mercari app to access Merpay and scan the QR code.

4. The buyer views the prefilled payment information and clicks the Proceed to confirmation page button to continue the payment.

5. The buyer clicks the Pay button to complete the payment.

6. The buyer reviews the payment result.

7. The buyer is redirected to the merchant's result page.

App

1. The buyer selects Merpay to pay.

2. The buyer is redirected to Merpay's mobile browser payment page (H5) and taps the Continue button to launch the Mercari app.

3. The buyer taps the Proceed to confirmation page button to continue the payment.

4. The buyer taps the Pay button to complete the payment.

5. The buyer reviews the payment result.

6. The buyer is redirected to the merchant's result page.

FAQ

1. How do users pay with Merpay?

l Funds earned from selling goods on Mercari can be automatically converted into a Merpay balance. This balance, together with platform-issued points, can be used for payments at merchants that accept Merpay.

l Users who do not sell products on Mercari can also top up their Merpay balance by linking a bank account or through other methods, and complete payments at merchants that accept Merpay.

2. How widely recognised is Merpay in Japan's payment market?

As a payment tool under Mercari, a leading secondhand marketplace in Japan, Merpay benefits from Mercari's strong market presence and extensive consumer reach. It has built broad recognition and a substantial user base in Japan, making it one of the mainstream payment options for everyday consumer spending. For merchants, integrating Merpay not only adds a widely used local payment method, but also provides access to Mercari's highly engaged consumer ecosystem. This helps businesses better align with Japanese consumers’ payment preferences and strengthen their localisation strategy when expanding into the Japanese market.

3. What are the benefits of Merpay for users?

a. Convenient and cashless payments. Merpay supports barcode payments, allowing users to complete transactions simply by presenting the barcode within the Merpay app. It is accepted at a wide range of offline merchants across Japan, including convenience stores such as 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, and Lawson, as well as drugstores, McDonald's, and Starbucks.

b. Attractive points incentives. Merpay offers generous points reward programmes, enabling users to accumulate Mercari points from their spending. These points can later be used to offset future purchases made via Merpay, improving overall value for money.

c. Deep integration with the Mercari ecosystem.

l Direct use of Mercari balance: Funds earned from selling goods on Mercari can be directly converted into a Merpay balance and used at Merpay merchants without withdrawal, reducing handling fees.

l Convenient resale: Certain products purchased via Merpay can be quickly relisted on Mercari using the Easy Relisting feature, promoting resource circulation.

4. What key customer segments can merchants reach by integrating Merpay?

Integrating Merpay enables merchants to reach two major consumer segments in Japan. The first is Mercari's large user base: Mercari has tens of millions of monthly active users, many of whom demonstrate strong purchase intent and high familiarity with Merpay. The second is Japan's domestic high-frequency consumer groups because Merpay is widely used across everyday spending scenarios such as convenience stores, drugstores, dining, and lifestyle consumption. With Mercari holding over 70% market share in Japan's secondhand trading market, Merpay has strong brand recognition locally and is well positioned to drive additional traffic to merchants.