Consumer Finance

Store cards have a negligible presence in Vietnam with there being little interest or awareness of these card products. Furthermore, the government strictly controls the supply of credit in Vietnam which makes it a complicated and lengthy process to…

At the beginning of 2023, the Thai government launched the Shop Dee Mee Khuen (Shop and Pay tax deductions program) allowing a personal income tax deduction of up to THB40,000. This programme covers a variety of goods and services such as fuel, food…

Store cards are not available in Taiwan. Hypermarket chain Carrefour was the last retailer to offer such cards and it ceased its operations in 2005. A trend towards alternative payment options such as digital wallets and the widespread popularity of…

Store cards in South Korea is experiencing a trend of stagnant growth. Despite the enduring appeal of store cards and their unique set of benefits, the growth rates in both 2022 and 2023 feature stabilisation rather than substantial expansion.…

Store cards are often referred to as “Gaisho cards” in Japan. Gaisho is a department most often found in department stores, positioned somewhat like direct selling. Gaisho are elite staff members with high levels of skill and experience, and these…

Store cards remains a negligible category in the country. The majority of establishments in India tend to offer loyalty cards (these can be used to add and store reward points as credit currency, a simpler solution without the threat of debt…

The performance of pre-paid cards is supported by the growth of e-commerce – notably since the era of the pandemic. In fact, prior to 2020, transaction numbers in pre-paid cards were showing a negative performance, in sharp contrast to what is seen…

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic led to a series of government aid initiatives distributed through pre-paid cards. This contributed to rising awareness among consumers about these financial products and their convenience, especially for…

Pre-paid cards are largely used for commuting and travelling in Thailand, with a considerable amount of closed loop pre-paid card usage accounted for by electronic ticketing on the Thai capital’s public transportation systems BTS and MRT. During the…

Despite the rise of digital wallets, physical credit cards and pre-paid cards still play a significant role in payments. Notably, digital wallets often cannot link to popular pre-paid cards like EasyCard, the largest transportation card in Taiwan,…

In 2022, South Korea witnessed growth in both the issuance and usage of pre-paid cards in line with greater mobility outside of the home. Shinhan Card, in particular, played a role in driving this growth, reporting a remarkable increase in the retail…

EZ-link, the leading open-looped pre-paid card in Singapore, has significantly benefited from the resumption of regional travel. Not only has EZ-link gained traction among tourists visiting Singapore, who find it a convenient payment solution for…

Despite increased competition from other payment methods, pre-paid cards retains the potential for growth as Malaysia continues to shift towards a cashless society. With the use of cash in long-term decline, a trend accelerated by the Coronavirus…

In the review period, pre-paid cards showed progression to online (mobile, smart watch, etc...) payment, especially within transportation pre-paid cards such as Suica and PASMO cards. More people opted to use smartphone app versions of pre-paid cards…

The pre-paid cards category has continued its strong performance in 2023, with the category seeing positive growth in terms of both volume and value transactions, as in the previous year. Pre-paid cards has been particularly impacted by the revival…

Pre-paid card transactions witnessed healthy double-digit growth in transaction volumes over 2021-2022. However, in 2023, the category witnessed a decline in volume of transactions as consumers became increasingly inclined to choose alternative…

Octopus has established itself as the most widely used and popular open loop pre-paid card in Hong Kong, offering a myriad of convenient features and services. Recognising the growing interest among local residents to explore the mainland during…

As of July 2023, 10 pre-paid card issuers had had their payment clearing license revoked, according to PBOC (People’s Bank of China). In fact, the majority of these issuers voluntarily cancelled their licenses, affected by stringent government…

2023 is witnessing a substantial increase in both the volume and value of financial cards overall, primarily driven by government initiatives aimed at encouraging cashless payments. Debit cards, credit cards, and pre-paid cards are all seeing healthy…

While the initial surge in spending and reopening of the economy, with the easing of the threat of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and lifting of related restrictions, has started to stabilise, the Philippines continues to experience robust growth in both…