Market guide · Asia-Pacific
Selling in South Korea
Korean shoppers mostly use locally issued cards and super-app wallets such as Kakao Pay and Naver Pay. Many domestic cards are not enabled for overseas purchases, which shapes cross-border acceptance.
| Currency | South Korean won (KRW) |
|---|---|
| Languages | Korean |
| Region | Asia-Pacific |
| Local acquiring | Cross-border for now |
| Settlement | T+3 |
| Payout rail | KFTC transfers · Seconds |
| Import consumption tax | VAT · 10% |
Popular payment methods
Share of online payments by method. Illustrative figures.
| Visa, Mastercard, Amex | 58% (58% of online payments) |
|---|---|
| Kakao Pay | 25% (25% of online payments) |
| Apple Pay | 4% (4% of online payments) |
How to launch in South Korea
- 1Open a sandbox accountTest every flow for South Korea with test cards and methods before you sign anything.
- 2Turn on local methodsStart with Kakao Pay, Apple Pay.
- 3Process cross-borderWe process South Korea cross-border today. Smart routing still retries soft declines.
- 4Settle in your home currencyPayments convert at a published margin before settlement.
- 5Show duty-inclusive pricesQuote VAT and duties at checkout so nothing is due on delivery.
- 6Go liveVerify your business, switch your keys and watch the first orders arrive.
Duties and import tax
VAT at 10% applies to most imported goods.
Thresholds: USD 150 duty-free allowance on most goods; USD 200 from the US
Regulatory notes
- Personal customs clearance codes are required for most imports by individuals.
- Foreign sellers of digital services must register for Korean VAT.
Placeholder notes for the prototype, not legal advice.
Customer story nearby
Lumen Games
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Aiko Tanaka, Payments Lead Read the story: Lumen Games
Other markets in Asia-Pacific
Launch in South Korea
Try the South Korea flow in the sandbox, or talk to us about your rollout.