Gen Z Doesn't Need Cash or Wallets!? Z-SOZOKEN (Gen Z Creativity Research Institute) Reveals Different Reasons for Support: PayPay (43%) Ranks 1st, Rakuten Card (19%) 2nd in 8th Insight Summary.

Fiom LLC (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Employee: Yohei Takeshita), a creative company for Gen Z, operates "Z-SOZOKEN (Gen Z Creativity Research Institute)," a think tank where Gen Z individuals analyze their own realities and values. Z-SOZOKEN has independently released its eighth insight summary, deeply examining trends in the financial industry sector from its latest survey report on "Gen Z's Most Image-Boosting Brand Ranking," which covered 300 Gen Z individuals (18-24 years old) nationwide across 19 categories including food, cosmetics, apparel, and entertainment. In recent years, with the spread of cashless payments and the launch of new NISA, the values of young people regarding money have changed significantly. Financial industry marketers are constantly struggling with "how to make Gen Z choose their financial services and payment platforms as their 'first choice'." However, traditional promotions that merely advertise "high point還元率 (point return rates)" through temporary campaigns or talk about "convenience" from a system perspective often fail to resonate with Gen Z, who prioritize "Taipa (time performance)" that can be completed with just a smartphone. This often does not lead to the establishment of these services as their daily main payment method. Against this backdrop, Z-SOZOKEN, a research institution specializing in Gen Z, has highlighted the "financial industry," which is indispensable as a life infrastructure for Gen Z, from the comprehensive ranking results across all 19 categories. This analysis reveals that modern Gen Z, who have completely moved away from cash-based systems, are clearly polarizing and evolving their demands for financial brands into two distinct areas: "remittance functions that facilitate communication with friends" and "strong point economic zones integrated into daily consumption." Z-SOZOKEN presents the underlying psychology behind these trends from a novel and unique perspective. Download the full survey report here.

Unraveling Unique Insights into "Gen Z's Financial Brand Evaluation"

From the financial industry section of this survey, it became clear that Gen Z finds completely different values in each brand: "infrastructure for real human relationships" and "self-contained point-earning activities." **・PayPay, the undisputed king of cashless infrastructure, proudly takes 1st place (Image improved: 43%)** PayPay was the brand with the most improved image. Beyond being a mere payment method in stores, it has firmly established itself as a communication infrastructure, almost like an SNS, for smoothly handling "splitting bills" and "temporary payments" among friends. **・Rakuten Card, the gateway to first credit cards and economic zones, follows in 2nd place (Image improved: 19%)** Rakuten Card ranked 2nd. In addition to its low barrier to entry, making it a popular choice as "the first credit card in one's life," the overwhelming value of the "Rakuten Ecosystem," where points accumulate rapidly through daily shopping, has garnered strong support from pragmatic Gen Z individuals. **・Rakuten Pay, accelerating the synergy of the economic zone, ranks 3rd (Image improved: 10%)** Rakuten Pay followed in 3rd place. Rakuten Card...