Most popular payment methods in Japan 2021
Credit cards
In Japan, cash payments are still the preferred payment method for many. This is reflected by a comparatively low share of cashless payments in the country. Broken down by payment method, credit cards have accounted for the major share of cashless payments in past years, followed by electronic money, debit cards, and QR code payments.Since their introduction in the 1960s, credit cards have become a popular means of payment in Japan, and more than 290 million cards had been issued by 2020. Credit card ownership was particularly high among older age groups, and leading areas of credit card usage included retail stores, online shopping, and regular payments, such as phone bills.