Contactless payments are shaping up to be a major part of Taiwan’s spending future

With Taiwan having the highest smartphone penetration in the Asia Pacific[1] , it has a significant potential for mobile payments.  Starting in 2018, Visa plans to accelerate the scale and usage of contactless payments, as well as to increase the number of contactless terminals in Taiwan. And with the QR Code payments gradually become a new form of digital payment, Visa aims to ensure interoperability and to provide a consistently safe and convenient payment experience to Taiwan consumers.

Taiwanese government has set a target of 90% mobile payment usage by 2025[2], targeting basic infrastructure and application scenarios as focal points of development. “As a leading payment technology company, Visa helps to bolster the Taiwanese government’s initiative. We are committed in advancing payment infrastructure and expanding mobile payment usage by actively promoting contactless payments and supporting a global, standardized, QR Code that enables multiple applications to mobile payments,” says Marco Ma, Country Manager of Visa Taiwan.  “QR Code payment provides a low-cost, secure digital payment to millions of consumers and merchants across the market and help drive Taiwan towards a cashless society.”

Contactless technology, including the use of smartphones and wearables, advances the future of digital payments. With over 15 million Visa payment cards issued embedded with contactless payment function and nearly half of the point-of-sales accepting contactless payments[3], Taiwan has full potential in enabling new ways to pay with its payment infrastructure.

Moreover, according to Visa’s “Contactless Awareness & Usage” survey[4] , consumers in Taiwan are familiar with contactless payments. As many as 61 percent of respondents expressed to have all their cards to carry contactless features, while 74 percent of consumers wish more retailers could accept contactless payments. The demand for consumers going digital is up and raising. We have seen all new merchants’ terminals coming with contactless readers and we will continue to assist all F2F (face to face) merchants in accepting contactless or mobile payments.

Additionally, Visa cardholders in Taiwan are able to use mobile payments through 15 million Visa debit cards. According to Visa statistics available through September 2017,[5] the total  payment volume of Visa debit cards in Taiwan has reached NT$100 billion (around US$3.34 billion). As Visa debit cards being available for mobile payment, it is expected that which will further progress mobile usage.

Visa will propel the adoption of mobile payments from online and offline merchants and payment players, leading initiatives to accommodate consumers’ needs of frictionless payment experience across different types of businesses as well. As mobile payment users in Taiwan are engaged in a variety of contactless methods, it is Visa’s commitment to ensure security and interoperability across borders. QR Code is a convenient, cost-effective, and viable payment solution, and will bring more opportunities to the mobile payment expansion in Taiwan.

Using QR Code for payments allow micro merchants and sole traders for more business opportunities without compromising on security and convenience. Most importantly, it provides for wider application scenarios, including F2F (face to face), non-F2F, and O2O (online to off-line) in Taiwan and other markets.

Visa is in support of the adoption of EMV® specifications in Taiwan market. EMVCo is collectively owned by international payment networks, and its QR Code specification enables merchants to accept QR Code payment solutions from various providers in a standardized manner. Visa believes that such standard will foster greater adoption and efficiency of future payments for Taiwan to accelerate the digital transformation.

As payment technology is rapidly evolving and commerce is moving towards a faster, securer, frictionless payment experiences, Visa is bringing global consistency and interoperability for consumers, merchants, issuers, and acquirers. Meanwhile, Visa is committed to supporting the government’s objective of expanding the mobile payment development. Our goal is to continue innovating digital payments and to provide consumers with greater choice, convenience and security in how they pay.

[1] Source: https://www.emarketer.com/Article/Mobile-Taiwan-Look-Highly-Mobile-Market/1014877

[2] Source: https://goo.gl/nAa7vS

[3] Source: The numbers of Visa payment cards and contactless POS terminals are based on Visa Taiwan Issuers & Acquirers Monthly Client Report as of September 2017, and therefore may be subject to change.

[4] Source: “Visa Contactless Awareness & Usage Survey” was an online survey conducted in August 2017 by Socratic Forum on behalf of Visa in an effort to track awareness, adoption and attitudes toward mobile payments. The survey interviewed 302 respondents, aged between 18 to 49. Data from an additional 195 users of Pay services were collected for additional analysis.

[5] Source: The numbers of Visa debit cards and payment volume are based on Visa Taiwan Issuers & Acquirers Monthly Client Report as of September 2017, and therefore may be subject to change.