Konbini

 

Konbini, the Japanese word for convenience store, refers to a cash-based payment method that allows consumers to order goods and services online and pay for them in person at any of Japan’s 55,000 convenience stores, including 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson, Ministop, and Seicomart. At checkout, the customer selects Konbini, receives a confirmation code or barcode, visits any participating store within a set window, typically seven days, and completes the payment in cash at the register. The merchant receives payment confirmation once the cash transaction is finalised.

Konbini is the third most used online payment method in Japan, accounting for approximately 10% of e-commerce purchases, and Japanese consumers make nearly ¥4 trillion in Konbini payments annually. Despite Japan’s ongoing shift toward cashless payments, which reached 40% of transactions in 2025, cash remains the preference for 60% of Japanese consumers, driven by deeply held cultural values around financial control and security. For any merchant entering the Japanese e-commerce market, excluding Konbini means being inaccessible to a significant segment of the consumer base, particularly those without credit cards or those who prefer not to share payment credentials online.

From a merchant operations perspective, Konbini introduces the same pending order management challenge as other voucher-based methods: customers who generate a payment code do not always complete the transaction within the validity window. Order management workflows need to account for expiry handling, inventory holds, and the settlement delay between order placement and payment confirmation.

On cost, merchant fees per Konbini transaction are typically a fixed amount per transaction, with ongoing per-transaction fees in the range of ¥100 to ¥300 depending on the PSP, plus any gateway setup costs. Consumers also pay a convenience store handling fee of approximately ¥190, which is standard across the market.

For non-Japanese merchants, accessing Konbini requires a PSP with Japan coverage. Stripe supports Konbini across the four leading chains with a unified integration. Adyen also offers Konbini access, as does KOMOJU, a specialist Japanese payments provider. Note that some PSPs require a local Japanese business address or entity for merchant registration, which is worth confirming during the onboarding process.

Relevant markets: Japan