[Survey on Payment Status of Beverage Vending Machine Users in Tokyo 2026] Cashless Usage Rate at Beverage Vending Machines is About 70%; "Post-Cash" Users Concentrate on "Transit IC and QR"

May 28, 2026

Key facts

[Survey on Payment Status of Beverage Vending Machine Users in Tokyo 2026] Cashless Usage Rate at Beverage Vending Machines is About 70%; "Post-Cash" Users Concentrate on "Transit IC and QR"
M.P. Solution Co., Ltd. conducted a survey on the payment status of beverage vending machines among 600 residents in Tokyo aged 15 to 69 from March to April 2026. The results showed that the cashless usage rate reached about 70%, and about 70% of those who transitioned from cash since the COVID-19 pandemic chose transit IC cards or QR code payments. Furthermore, over half of the respondents experienced giving up a purchase due to a lack of cashless support, making it essential for businesses to accommodate diverse payment methods to secure sales.
Source: PR Times
Date: May 28, 2026

Direct answer

M.P. Solution Co., Ltd. conducted a survey on the payment status of beverage vending machines among 600 residents in Tokyo aged 15 to 69 from March to April 2026. The results showed that the cashless usage rate reached about 70%, and about 70% of those who transitioned from cash since the COVID-19 pandemic chose transit IC cards or QR code payments. Furthermore, over half of the respondents experienced giving up a purchase due to a lack of cashless support, making it essential for businesses to accommodate diverse payment methods to secure sales.

Citation: [Survey on Payment Status of Beverage Vending Machine Users in Tokyo 2026] Cashless Usage Rate at Beverage Vending Machines is About 70%; "Post-Cash" Users Concentrate on "Transit IC and QR" (May 28, 2026), PR Times
Source: PR Times
Date: May 28, 2026

M.P. Solution Co., Ltd. conducted a survey on the payment status of beverage vending machines among 600 residents in Tokyo aged 15 to 69 from March to April 2026. The results showed that the cashless usage rate reached about 70%, and about 70% of those who transitioned from cash since the COVID-19 pandemic chose transit IC cards or QR code payments. Furthermore, over half of the respondents experienced giving up a purchase due to a lack of cashless support, making it essential for businesses to accommodate diverse payment methods to secure sales.

businessNQ 48/100出典：PR Times

📋 Article Processing Timeline

📰 Published: May 28, 2026 at 14:00
🔍 Collected: June 1, 2026 at 02:00 (84h 0m after Published)
🤖 AI Analyzed: June 2, 2026 at 07:03 (29h 2m after Collected)

M.P. Solution Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Eiji Sato), which creates new value through cashless payments by staying close to "thoughts," conducted a questionnaire survey on the "payment usage status at beverage vending machines" following last year, targeting 600 men and women aged 15 to 69 residing in Tokyo who have used a beverage vending machine within the past year.

- Cashless payment is the "standard for vending machines" The cashless usage rate at beverage vending machines is about 70%, maintaining the same level as the previous survey. Cashless payment has taken root as the "standard for vending machines." - Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the trend of digital shift is prominent across all generations In particular, the cashless ratio among those in their 40s to 60s has doubled compared to before the pandemic. - About 70% of the "post-cash group" choose "Transit IC" or "QR Code Payment" The payment methods of those who transitioned from cash to cashless since the COVID-19 pandemic are concentrated on "Transit IC cards" and "QR code payments" regardless of generation. It has become clear that these are becoming the mainstream alternatives to cash for vending machine payments. - Payment styles change flexibly among younger generations, but become "fixed" as age increases The percentage of people continuing to use the same payment method since the COVID-19 pandemic is about 30-40% among those in their 20s and 30s. On the other hand, about 70% of those in their 60s continue to use the same method. - "Loss of sales opportunities" due to lack of cashless support remains serious Among those who use cashless payments when using beverage vending machines, 55.4% have experienced giving up a purchase because cashless payment was not supported. Following the previous survey (56.2%), the result shows that more than one in two people have given up a purchase. M.P. Solution: Survey on Payment Status of Beverage Vending Machine Users in Tokyo (2025) https://mp-solution.com/news/2025/article-108-3/ ■ What is the payment method you use most often when using a beverage vending machine? The cashless payment usage rate maintains a high level of about 70% The most used payment method at beverage vending machines was cashless payment at 69.2%, maintaining a high level of about 70% following the previous survey (70.2%). Looking at the breakdown of payment methods, transit IC cards (including mobile) accounted for 35.0%, and QR code payments for 18.8%, showing that payment methods used daily in other scenes are chosen. On the other hand, electronic money, credit cards, and vending machine-specific apps are also used at a certain rate, indicating that users' payment methods remain widely dispersed, similar to the previous survey. Over 60% for teenagers too. "Cashless" becomes mainstream for vending machine payments By generation, teenagers recorded 63.0%, an increase of about 10 points from 53.6% in the previous survey, showing the most significant digital shift over the past year. In addition, over 70% of those in their 20s to 40s mainly use cashless payments, revealing that cashless usage at beverage vending machines has taken root, especially among the working generations. ■ What was the payment method you used most often when using a beverage vending machine before and after the COVID-19 pandemic? Cashless payment usage rate nearly doubled We asked the survey respondents about their payment methods when using beverage vending machines in three periods: before the COVID-19 pandemic (before 2019), one year ago (Spring 2024 to Spring 2025), and currently. Before the pandemic, 60.8% of people used cash, but this halved to 34.8% one year ago. Furthermore, it has now dropped to 29.2%, demonstrating a growing preference for cashless payments. These results show that cashless payments became established in consumers' lives during the pandemic and have continued to increase since then. Rapid increase in QR code users. Transit IC cards remain at the top regardless of the period. By type of cashless payment, the number of QR code payment users has significantly increased from 29 before the pandemic to 113 currently. On the other hand, the most used cashless payment tool in any period is the "Transit IC card," revealing that it has gained support regardless of the period. Also, when analyzing the drop-off segment for "electronic money," which was the only one to turn to a decrease from a year ago, it was found that 64.3% of them transitioned to "Transit IC cards (physical cards/mobile)." The superiority of these transit IC cards is thought to be influenced by regional characteristics. In last year's survey in the Tokyo and Kyushu areas*, it was shown that the usage rate of transit IC cards in Tokyo is outstandingly high, and the current results support this trend. *M.P. Solution: Survey on Payment Status of Beverage Vending Machine Users in the Tokyo and Kyushu Areas (2025) https://mp-solution.com/news/2025/article-108-3-2-2/ Cashless usage rate increased by more than 10 points across all generations By generation, it was found that the cashless payment usage rate increased by more than 1.5 times across all generations. In particular, for those in their 40s to 60s, it rapidly doubled, indicating that the shift to the cashless group has progressed across all generations since the pandemic. *Since this question aims to compare changes in payment methods before and after the pandemic by generation, current teenagers (15-19 years old), who were likely elementary school students or younger before the pandemic (before 2019), are excluded from the analysis. About 70% of the "post-cash group" choose "Transit IC cards" or "QR Code Payments" When analyzing the changes in payment methods for each respondent chronologically, the specific transition destinations of the segment that used "cash" before the pandemic but has now transitioned to "cashless payments" were revealed. The most frequently chosen transition destination was "Transit IC cards" at 38.3%, followed by "QR Code Payments" at 32.7%, resulting in about 70% of those who transitioned from cash to cashless payments concentrating on these two. This trend is common across all generations and is becoming the mainstream alternative to cash at vending machines. *The segment that used "cash" most often at beverage vending machines before the pandemic (before 2019) but currently uses "cashless payments" most often. Generational differences in the "retention rate" of payment methods. Younger generations update more flexibly Similarly, a detailed analysis of the transition of payment methods from before the pandemic to the present for each respondent revealed that while younger generations flexibly switch payment methods, there is a tendency to continue using a specific method as age increases. About 30% of those in their 20s continue to use the same payment method since the pandemic, showing that they flexibly update their payment methods, while about 70% of those in their 60s continue to use the same method. A generational difference has emerged, showing that while the transition to cashless is progressing, there is a strong tendency to continue with a once-decided payment style as age increases. *Since this question aims to compare changes in payment methods before and after the pandemic by generation, current teenagers (15-19 years old), who were likely elementary school students or younger before the pandemic (before 2019), are excluded from the analysis. ■ Have you ever given up a purchase because a beverage vending machine did not support cashless payments? More than one in two people have experienced giving up a purchase Among those who use cashless payments at beverage vending machines, 55.4% have experienced "giving up a purchase due to non-support," exceeding half following the previous survey (56.2%). The introduction of cashless payments can be said to be an effective means of preventing opportunity loss, rather than just improving convenience. Through this survey, it became clear that the cashless group accounts for about 70% of payments at beverage vending machines, and cashless payments have firmly established themselves as the main payment method. Looking at the transition since the COVID-19 pandemic, about 70% of the "post-cash group" who transitioned from cash to cashless chose "Transit IC cards" or "QR Code Payments," revealing the reality that these two types have become the mainstream alternatives to cash at vending machines regardless of generation. Furthermore, an analysis of the "retention rate" of payment methods revealed a generational difference: younger generations flexibly update their payment methods, while older generations continue with the same method. On the other hand, the cashless payment methods chosen by users gathered a certain percentage of responses for transit ICs (cards/mobile), QR code payments, as well as electronic money (prepaid/postpaid), credit cards, and vending machine-specific apps. There was no major change from the previous survey regarding this "diversity of payment methods." In addition, the reality that more than half of the cashless payment user segment "has experienced giving up a purchase because cashless payment was not supported" was also similar to the previous survey. As the "move away from cash" progresses across all generations, preparing an environment that can broadly accommodate all payment needs is considered effective for businesses to secure potential sales. - Survey Name: Survey on Payment Status of Beverage Vending Machine Users in Tokyo - Survey Target: 600 men and women aged 15 to 69 residing in Tokyo who have used a beverage vending machine within the past year - Survey Method: Internet survey - Survey Period: March 27, 2026 - April 4, 2026 ■ Request regarding reproduction and quotation When using the contents of this survey for reproduction or quotation, please take the following actions. - Clearly state that the source of reproduction/quotation is "M.P. Solution Co., Ltd." - Set a link to the corporate site or the relevant page (https://mp-solution.com/) ―――――――――――――――――――――――――― * "QR Code" is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED. * Prepaid electronic money refers to Rakuten Edy, nanaco, WAON, etc. * Postpaid electronic money refers to iD, QUICPay, etc. * Transit IC cards are a collective term for "Kitaca", "Suica", "PASMO", "TOICA", "manaca", "ICOCA", "SUGOCA", "nimoca", and "Hayakaken". (* "Kitaca" is a registered trademark of Hokkaido Railway Company. * "Suica" is a registered trademark of East Japan Railway Company. * "PASMO" is a registered trademark of PASMO Co., Ltd. * "TOICA" is a registered trademark of Central Japan Railway Company. * "manaca" is a registered trademark of Nagoya Transportation Development Organization Co., Ltd. and MIC Co., Ltd. * "ICOCA" is a registered trademark of West Japan Railway Company. * "SUGOCA" is a registered trademark of Kyushu Railway Company. * "nimoca" is a registered trademark of Nishi-Nippon Railroad Co., Ltd. * "Hayakaken" is a registered trademark of Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau.) * "Rakuten Edy" is a prepaid electronic money service of the Rakuten Group. * "nanaco" is a registered trademark of Seven Card Service Co., Ltd. * "WAON" is a registered trademark of AEON Co., Ltd. * "iD" is a registered trademark of NTT DOCOMO, INC. * "QUICPay" is a registered trademark of JCB Co., Ltd. ■ About M.P. Solution Co., Ltd. M.P. Solution provides solutions including payment infrastructure introduction support and payment agency operations, centering on the cashless payment service for unmanned machines "JMMS" and the face-to-face cashless payment service "KAZAPi" provided in cooperation with the NEC Group and various electronic money and credit card companies. Also, since January 2024, it has been providing the marketing service "JihaToku®" utilizing vending machines. We will continue to contribute to the realization of a safe and convenient universal society through initiatives centered on cashless payment services. * "JihaToku®" is a registered trademark of TOPPAN Holdings Inc. ■ Inquiries regarding service introduction Inquiry form: https://mp-solution.com/contact/

FAQ

What is the cashless usage rate for vending machines in Tokyo?

It maintains a high level of about 70%.

What is the most used payment method for vending machines in Tokyo?

Transit IC cards (including mobile) are the most used at 35.0%.

What are the key facts in this article?

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