Hyundai Card Reports Explosive Growth in EMV Contactless Payments Driven by Apple Pay in Korea
Hyundai Card announced Tuesday a remarkable surge in EMV contactless payments by its customers, experiencing an approximate 30-fold increase since the introduction of Apple Pay in South Korea in 2023. This significant growth underscores Apple Pay’s pivotal role in accelerating the nation’s transition towards global tap-to-pay standards.
The Apple Pay Effect: Transforming Korea’s Payment Landscape
The card issuer revealed that the volume of EMV-type contactless transactions soared to approximately 160 million in 2025, a dramatic leap from around 5 million in 2022, prior to Apple Pay’s local debut. EMV payments now constitute a share of Hyundai Card’s total transactions that is five times larger than what was observed in March 2023, the month Apple Pay was first launched in Korea.
Given that Apple Pay operates exclusively through EMV-based near-field communication (NFC) technology, the expansion of compatible payment terminals has been fundamental to its widespread adoption. Hyundai Card strategically prepared for this shift well in advance of Apple Pay’s arrival, proactively issuing EMV-compatible cards since 2017. Today, nearly all Hyundai cards issued since 2022 are fully equipped to support the EMV system.
Accelerating Consumer Adoption and Awareness of Contactless Technology
Consumer adoption of contactless payments has also seen an impressive acceleration across South Korea. According to recent data from Visa, 45 percent of consumers aged 20-59 residing in major Korean cities utilized contactless payment methods in 2025. This marks a sharp increase from just 7.9 percent recorded a year prior. Over the same period, public awareness of this modern payment technology also rose significantly, climbing from 59.8 percent to 80.5 percent.
Expanding Reach: Public Transportation and Dedicated Payment Products
The embrace of EMV technology is also extending into the public infrastructure sector. Seoul’s metropolitan government plans to progressively integrate an EMV-based open-loop payment system across its public transportation network by 2030. This new system will complement the existing, non-EMV compatible tap-to-pay system, further solidifying Korea’s move towards global payment standards.
To further support this momentum, Hyundai Card recently launched two innovative Apple Pay-focused products in April: Hyundai Card Check and Hyundai Card Hybrid. These cards are notable as they are the first in Korea specifically designed to offer tailored rewards and benefits linked to Apple Pay usage, enhancing the value proposition for digital payment users.
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