台灣電子支付(E-Payment)為何金額偏低？其實我們早就習慣無現金交易，只是主力是信用卡
- 前半段為文章的英文版本 (The first half is the English version)
- 後半段為中文版本 (The second half is the Mandarin version)
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Surprising Truth: Are Taiwanese People Still Not Used to E-Payments?
According to an FTNN report on August 12, 2025, Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) released June data on credit card and e-payment transactions, revealing that Taiwanese consumers still rely heavily on credit cards, while e-payment transaction value has actually declined.
The data shows:
- Credit Cards
- Circulating cards: around 59.87 million (population ~23 million)
- Monthly transaction value: NT$393.7 billion (+NT$21.9 billion MoM)
- Share of total transaction value: 55.19%
- E-Payments
- Users: 33.13 million (+500,000 MoM)
- Monthly transaction value: NT$20.43 billion (-NT$800 million MoM)
- Share of total transaction value: 5.54%
On the surface, e-payment account penetration is extremely high—almost every Taiwanese person has an account—but its share of transaction value remains small. This leads to the misconception that Taiwanese people are “not used to cashless transactions.”
In reality, Taiwan has long been highly cashless—it’s just that the primary payment method is credit cards, not e-payment.
Taiwan’s Cashless Ecosystem: Credit Cards Lead, E-Payment Plays a Supporting Role
Credit cards have been entrenched in Taiwan for over 30 years, covering almost every daily spending scenario—from department stores, dining, transportation, and e-commerce to bill payments.
In addition to convenience, credit cards offer strong incentives such as cashback, air miles, interest-free installments, and consumer protection. Even in the mobile payment era, most consumers still prefer to use credit cards for large transactions.
E-payment, on the other hand, is mostly positioned for small, high-frequency purchases—convenience stores, beverage shops, and transit cards. Despite the huge number of accounts, the small average transaction size, combined with stored-value caps and weaker incentives, keeps overall e-payment value far below that of credit cards.
International Comparison: Taiwan and Its Neighbors
| Country / Region | Credit Card Penetration | E-Payment Penetration | Main Tool | Key Traits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taiwan | High (~80% of adults have cards, circulating cards ≈ 2.5× population) | High (accounts ≈ 1.4× population) but mainly small-value | Credit Cards | Strong incentives and protection; full coverage of spending scenarios; e-payments mostly replace petty cash |
| China | Low–Medium (<0.5 cards per capita) | Very High (>90% of adults use WeChat Pay/Alipay) | E-Payments | Skipped the credit card era; mobile payments cover all scenarios—transport, healthcare, bill payments |
| Japan | Medium (credit cards common but heavy cash use) | Medium (growing but behind Korea, Singapore) | Mixed, cash still strong | Deep cash culture; recent push for QR code and transit card payments |
| South Korea | Very High (global leader) | High (KakaoPay, NaverPay, etc.) | Credit Cards + E-Payments | Attractive card rewards; e-payments often linked to cards; rapid growth |
| Singapore | High (widespread card use) | High (GrabPay, PayNow, etc.) | E-Payments + Cards | Government-led interbank transfer systems (PayNow); strong acceptance in dining and retail |
Why Does Taiwan Have “High Account Penetration but Low Transaction Value” for E-Payments?
1. A Strong Credit Card Foundation
- Card circulation, incentives, and protection far exceed e-payment.
- Many mobile payments (Apple Pay, JKoPay linked to cards) are counted as credit card transactions, not e-payment stats.
2. Regulatory and Limit Constraints
- E-payments require real-name registration and have stored-value caps (NT$50,000–100,000), limiting large transactions.
- Large recurring payments like utilities, medical bills, and taxes are already dominated by credit cards or bank transfers.
3. Segmented Usage Scenarios
- Large purchases: credit cards
- Small daily spends: e-payments (low total value)
4. Incentive Gap
- Credit cards offer higher cashback, air miles, and installment perks.
- E-payment subsidies faded after 2016–2020, reducing incentives for large transactions.
5. Statistical Definitions
- Mobile payments linked to cards are counted in credit card totals, lowering recorded e-payment values.
Conclusion
Taiwan’s payment market is not unfamiliar with cashless transactions—it’s already fully cashless in practice. However, credit cards remain the dominant force. E-payment in Taiwan still mainly serve as a “digital petty cash” tool rather than a full-spectrum payment hub like in China.
For e-payment transaction value to grow meaningfully, Taiwan will need to expand use cases, enhance consumer incentives, and reconsider regulatory limits—while finding better integration with the credit card ecosystem to make it a viable option for larger transactions.
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References
- Taipei Metro Gate Upgrade: The Global Adoption and Diverse Applications of NFC Technology
- Surprising Truth: Are Taiwanese People Still Not Used to E-Payments? – FTNN
- Financial Supervisory Commission, R.O.C. – E-Payment and Credit Card Statistics
- BIS – Payment Systems Statistics
- Bank of Japan – Payment and Settlement Systems
- Bank of Korea – Payment and Settlement Systems Report
- Monetary Authority of Singapore – Payment Systems in Singapore
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真相驚人！台灣人還不習慣電子支付嗎？
根據《FTNN》2025 年 8 月 12 日的報導，金管會公布 2025 年 6 月的信用卡與電子支付業務數據，顯示台灣民眾仍然大量依賴信用卡，而電子支付的交易金額不增反減。
數據顯示：
- 信用卡
- 流通卡數：約 5,987 萬張（人口約 2,300 萬）
- 當月簽帳金額：約 3,937 億元（較上月 +219 億元）
- 交易金額市佔率：55.19%
- 電子支付
- 使用者人數：3,313 萬（較上月 +50 萬）
- 當月交易金額：204.3 億元（較上月 -8 億元）
- 交易金額市佔率：5.54%
表面看起來，台灣的電子支付雖然帳戶普及率高（幾乎人手一帳號），但金額占比卻很低。這讓很多人誤以為台灣人「還不習慣無現金交易」。
事實上，台灣人早就高度習慣無現金支付，只不過主要的支付主力是「信用卡」，而不是電子支付。
台灣的無現金交易生態：信用卡主場，電子支付輔助
台灣信用卡發展超過 30 年，簽帳金額覆蓋日常生活幾乎所有場景，包括百貨、餐飲、交通、電商、帳單繳費等。
信用卡除了方便，也提供高額回饋、哩程累積、分期零利率、消費保障等附加價值，讓消費者即便在行動支付時代，仍選擇用卡完成大額交易。
電子支付則多被定位為小額高頻交易工具——便利商店、飲料店、交通票證等。即便帳戶數量龐大，單筆金額偏小，加上法規儲值上限與市場誘因不足，導致總金額無法與信用卡相比。
國際比較：台灣與周邊市場支付習慣差異
| 國家 / 地區 | 信用卡滲透率 | 電子支付滲透率 | 主力工具 | 特點與背景 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 台灣 | 高（~80%成年人有卡，流通卡數 ≈ 人口 2.5 倍） | 高（帳戶數 ≈ 人口 1.4 倍）但小額為主 | 信用卡 | 信用卡優惠與保障強，消費場景完整；電子支付多用於小額零錢替代 |
| 中國大陸 | 低–中（信用卡人均不到 0.5 張） | 極高（>90%成年人使用微信支付/支付寶） | 電子支付 | 直接跳過信用卡時代，手機支付全場景滲透；交通、醫療、繳費全包 |
| 日本 | 中（信用卡普及但現金依賴仍強） | 中（電子支付普及中，落後韓國、新加坡） | 混合型，但現金仍多 | 現金文化深厚，近年推動 QR Code 與交通卡支付 |
| 韓國 | 極高（全球前列） | 高（KakaoPay、NaverPay 等） | 信用卡 + 電子支付並存 | 信用卡回饋誘人，電子支付綁定卡片，成長快 |
| 新加坡 | 高（信用卡使用率高） | 高（GrabPay、PayNow 等） | 電子支付+卡片混合 | 政府推動跨行轉帳電子化（PayNow），餐飲與零售多支持電子支付 |
為什麼台灣會出現「帳戶普及但金額偏低」的現象？
1. 信用卡基礎過於強大
- 流通數、優惠力度、消費保障皆遠超電子支付。
- 很多行動支付（如 Apple Pay、街口支付綁卡）交易金額，最後被統計進信用卡，而非電子支付。
2. 法規與上限限制
- 電子支付需實名制，且有儲值上限（5–10 萬元），不利於大額交易。
- 水電瓦斯、醫療繳費等高額場景早已被信用卡與轉帳佔領。
3. 使用情境分層
- 大額消費：信用卡
- 小額日常：電子支付（但金額有限）
4. 獎勵機制差距
- 信用卡回饋率、哩程、分期誘因強。
- 電子支付補貼退場後，缺乏驅動大額使用的誘因。
5. 統計口徑差異
- 綁卡支付的交易金額算進信用卡統計，使電子支付數據被低估。
結語
台灣的支付市場不是不習慣無現金，而是早已全面無現金化，只是支付的主力軍是信用卡。電子支付在台灣的角色，仍以「現金零錢的數位替代」為主，而非像中國一樣成為跨場景的支付中樞。
未來若要讓電子支付金額顯著成長，除了提升使用場景與消費誘因外，也需要重新思考法規限制與與信用卡的整合方式，才能讓它真正成為大額交易的選擇之一。
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