Mercari, a major e-commerce platform in Japan, is set to revolutionize its payment system by introducing Bitcoin (BTC) as a payment option starting June. This move allows customers to both pay for products and engage in buying and selling Bitcoin using the proceeds from their sales on the platform.
The online marketplace, known for its vast user base in Japan, will maintain product prices in yen but will offer Bitcoin as an alternative payment method. As per a report by Nikkei, Mercari’s subsidiary, Melcoin, will handle all Bitcoin transactions. This integration means that while customers can pay in BTC, the vendors will receive their earnings in yen.
This shift towards Bitcoin payments follows Mercari’s successful foray into the BTC trading service, launched almost a year prior. The service quickly gained traction, reaching 1 million users within a few months. Significantly, around 80% of these crypto users were new to cryptocurrency trading, highlighting Mercari’s appeal to a broader audience.
Mercari’s introduction of BTC trading and payment options has garnered positive responses from Japanese users, surpassing its competitor Rakuten in popularity. According to a study by Mobile Marketing Data Labo, 24.7% of respondents who started using cryptocurrency in 2023 expressed a preference for Mercari’s service over Rakuten’s 24.2%