How do konbini payments work?
The shopper picks convenience store payment at checkout and receives a number or barcode. They pay in cash at Seven-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson or another chain, and the merchant is notified once the payment is made. Japan had 56,208 convenience stores in September 2026.
In detail
Konbini payment turns Japan's convenience stores into payment points for online orders. It suits shoppers who prefer cash or do not have, or do not want to use, a credit card.
Step by step
- The shopper chooses convenience store payment at checkout.
- They receive a payment number or barcode, by email or on screen.
- They pay in cash at the counter or the multimedia kiosk of a store such as Seven-Eleven, FamilyMart or Lawson.
- The store chain confirms the payment, and the merchant is notified and ships the order.
Why it works in Japan
Japan had 56,208 convenience stores in September 2026, so a payment point is almost always within walking distance. Payment collection (shuno daiko) is one of the chains' core services, used for e-commerce, utility bills and tickets. Japan's cashless ratio reached 58.0% in 2025, but cash still matters for part of the population.
What it means for payment operators
For operators, konbini payment is an asynchronous method: the order is created first and paid later, sometimes days later. Merchants need payment references with an expiry date, notifications when payment arrives, and reconciliation that matches each store payment to the right order. Connecting a local provider that covers the main chains handles this once for all merchants.