7 Critical Questions on Payment Market Changes: 2025 Unattended and Non-face-to-face Payment Trends Q&A

We've entered an era where cash is disappearing and payments are possible without card terminals. Self-checkout counters are increasing in convenience stores, NFC payments have become standard in taxis, and online shopping demands various payment methods beyond bank transfers. Within these changes, business owners and marketers frequently ask the same questions: How much is the payment market really growing? What payment methods should we adopt for our business? How much are the fees? And is unattended and non-face-to-face payment really the mainstream trend? This article provides intuitive, data-based answers to these 7 questions. We've organized the overall principles of the payment market, market size, and growth rates in Part 1's comprehensive guide, so this article provides deep, practical Q&A discussions on matters directly needed for business operations.

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A: Yes, the card terminal payment market is continuing to expand with an annual growth rate of 7-9%. In particular, PG (Payment Gateway) transaction volumes are surging as card acceptance expands in offline retail, food service, and transportation sectors. The increase in non-face-to-face payment demand from online transactions and the mandatory credit card payment policies of major distribution channels like convenience stores and supermarkets are key growth drivers. Notably, card terminal ownership has become essential for small business owners, which is rapidly expanding the payment market's foundation. Therefore, introducing card terminals has become a necessity rather than an option when starting a new business or adding payment methods to an existing one.

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A: Unattended and non-face-to-face payment is already mainstream and being standardized across major distribution channels like convenience stores, cafes, and fast-food restaurants. Face-to-face contact is being minimized through expanding adoption of self-checkout counters and mobile payments, and especially post-COVID, preference for non-face-to-face transactions has increased. Payment terminals are also evolving into smart devices, transitioning from simple card readers to integrated payment solutions supporting NFC, QR, and biometric recognition. The rapid growth of food delivery services and the spread of O2O (online-to-offline) businesses are also accelerating unattended and non-face-to-face payment growth, and this trend is expected to continue into 2025.

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A: Priorities differ by industry and customer demographics, but the general order is credit/debit cards → mobile payments → QR codes. Retail distribution like cafes and convenience stores require credit cards and mobile payments (Samsung Pay, Apple Pay, etc.) as basics, while delivery and e-commerce-focused businesses need to establish QR payments and simple payment methods (Kakao Pay, Naver Pay) first. During economic downturns or in industries with older customer bases, credit card proportions remain high, but for industries targeting the 20-30s demographic, it's more efficient to build an environment centered on mobile payments. The key is to analyze payment fees, settlement cycles, and actual customer usage patterns before deciding.

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A: Credit cards range from 1.0-2.5% by industry, debit cards from 0.5-1.5%, and mobile payments around 1.5-2.5%. PG services commonly used by small business owners may add additional fees of 0.5-1.5%, making actual payment fees potentially higher than expected. Since negotiation is possible by card company and merchant size, it's worth pursuing fee reduction discussions if transaction volume is sufficient. Additionally, there may be hidden fixed costs such as settlement fees, terminal rental fees, and technical support charges, so contracts must be reviewed carefully. In particular, new merchants can receive fee reduction benefits for the initial 3-6 months, so utilizing this strategy to reduce total payment costs is necessary.

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A: Yes, settlement cycles are improving from the traditional 3-4 days to 1-2 days, and even same-day settlement is becoming possible. This is due to intensifying competition in the PG industry and industry efforts to solve small business owners' cash flow difficulties. Particularly, delivery apps and e-commerce platforms have standardized same-day and next-day settlement, and major card companies are also offering faster settlement for high-performing merchants. However, to receive faster settlement, some require advance payments or additional fees, so you must calculate the cash flow improvement effect relative to total costs. For industries with fast cash turnover (cafes, convenience stores), settlement cycle shortening has little significance, but for B2B businesses with high credit balances, settlement cycles are an important negotiation point.

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A: Payment method diversification can lead to actual sales increases, but the effect varies depending on the degree of customer accessibility improvement. When a merchant accepting only credit cards adds mobile payment options, 3-7% transaction increases are possible. This is because it reduces cases where customers abandon transactions due to unavailability of their preferred payment method. As the proportion of customers not carrying cash increases, lack of payment methods directly translates to sales loss. However, implementing many methods at once increases maintenance costs and operational complexity, so it's wiser to select the top 3-4 methods first based on customer data.

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A: Rather than initial implementation costs, you must first verify long-term operating costs, customer data security, and technical support systems. Many small business owners are attracted by low terminal rental rates, only to face difficulties from hidden fees and insufficient technical support. Additionally, since customer credit card information is being processed, verification of security standards (PCI-DSS certification) is essential. When selecting a PG provider, you should comprehensively evaluate not just fees but also technical support, A/S response speed, and dispute resolution processes, and if possible, get actual user feedback from other business owners in your industry.

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| Category | Details | Considerations |
|----------|---------|-----------------|
| Card Terminals | Foundation of credit/debit card payments, stable transactions | Low initial implementation cost, 1-2.5% fees |
| Mobile Payments | Samsung Pay, Apple Pay, Kakao Pay, etc., increased customer convenience | Preferred by younger customers, 1.5-2.5% fees |
| QR Payments | Focused on convenience stores, cafes, delivery services, fast settlement | Minimal initial implementation cost, separate technical support needed |

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Payment market changes are no longer optional but a necessary adaptation. The spread of unattended and non-face-to-face payments, settlement cycle shortening, and the emergence of diverse payment methods all enhance customer convenience while increasing operational complexity. Through the answers to these 7 questions above, we can understand the following: First, the card terminal payment market is definitely growing. Second, unattended and non-face-to-face payment has already become mainstream. Third, settlement cycles are faster and diverse methods are now possible.

The remaining task now is to establish an optimal payment strategy for your business. By comprehensively analyzing industry type, customer demographics, transaction volume, and cash flow patterns, you must build a payment environment that reduces unnecessary fees, increases customer accessibility, and minimizes security risks. To maintain a strong position in negotiations with card companies and PG providers, it's important to accurately understand market trends and compare multiple solutions.

If understanding payment market trends and establishing strategy is difficult, we recommend consulting with Shim Jae-woo, CEO of The KL Link, who has been active in backlink services and SEO link building in Jung-gu, Seoul. The KL Link has years of experience in accurately analyzing digital business environment changes and establishing corporate online strategies, and also provides payment-related market information. For inquiries about payment system implementation and market trend consultation, contact 010-2397-5734 or jaiwshim@gmail.com.

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Q: Will cash payments really disappear?
A: Cash won't completely disappear, but the inevitable trend is a continued reduction in proportion. Particularly among the 20-30s demographic, cash usage has dropped below 10%, and large distribution and food service industries are reducing cash acceptance points. However, cash will likely remain important among elderly populations, rural areas, and specific industries requiring cash flow management, so it's not expected to be completely eliminated from payment methods.

Q: Do small shops need to have all payment methods?
A: Having just the top 3-4 methods used by over 90% of customers is sufficient. For example, credit cards, mobile payments, and QR code payments alone can handle most transactions. Analyzing customer data and prioritizing methods with high actual usage rates, then adding more based on future demand, is more cost-effective.

Q: Can payment fees be negotiated?
A: Absolutely. Especially when monthly transaction volume exceeds 10 million won or you promise long-term contracts, card companies and PG providers have room to reduce fees. Getting quotes from multiple companies and comparing them, then negotiating by presenting your current transaction scale and future growth plans, can actually achieve 0.3-0.5% fee reductions.

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