• Credit Card Shopping Market in FY2013 Attained 42 Trillion Yen, 108.7% on Y-o-Y Basis

Size of the credit card shopping market in FY2013 (based on credit card shopping billings) attained 42 trillion yen, 108.7% of that of the previous fiscal year. In addition to the efforts by card issuers to raise credit card availability, less hesitation of using credit cards by consumers, more opportunities to use the cards at various stores, and improved availability of credit cards within the EC market have contributed to the market growth.

• Smartphone-Payment Solution Business On the Rise

As more smartphones and tablets are used among consumers, expansion is seen for smartphone- (or tablet-) payment solution business which offers cheaper and simpler credit-card payment method than other terminals. Consumers are only to connect the hardware (skin-jacket type or dongle type) to the smartphone or tablet. The solutions are likely to be introduced by small or mid-size companies and sole proprietors, due to increasing demands from sales persons of life or non-life insurance, delivery service businesses, restaurant chains that settle the payment at each of customers table, and more.

• Increasing Member Stores and Cashless Trends Likely to Raise Credit Card Shopping Market to Attain 63 Trillion Yen by FY2018

With number of member stores increasing towards the Olympic Games to be held in 2020 and with the recent cashless trends, and on top of more people beginning to use credit cards for payment of public utility charges, education expenses, and donations, the credit card shopping market is expected to be steadily on the rise. The market for FY2018 is likely to attain 63 trillion yen, based on credit card shopping billings.