LINE Pay
“Can a messenger-native wallet become the default regulated payments and banking layer across Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand?”
Founded2014
HQTokyo, Japan (with regional entities in Taiwan and Thailand)
IndustryFintech / Consumer banking
The story
Launched 2014 as an in-app payments feature for LINE messenger's then-500M users; the 2015 WebPay acquisition gave it Stripe-like merchant acquiring rails. The product has since fragmented into regional regulated entities — LINE Pay EPI / 連加電子支付 in Taiwan (now publicly listed), LINE BK in Thailand (a Kasikornbank JV offering nano-finance credit lines), and the original Japanese LINE Pay business — each with its own license and product set. The strategic question is now whether LINE Pay can be a regional super-app wallet competing with TrueMoney, GrabPay and Rakuten Pay across Japan/Taiwan/Thailand/SEA.
Product timeline
2014
LINE Pay launched as in-app payments for LINE messenger users· banking
2015
Acquired Japanese Stripe-like startup WebPay to power merchant payments· acquisition
2020
Launched LINE BK in Thailand via JV with Kasikornbank (Kasikorn Line Co., Ltd.)· banking
2024
LINE Pay Taiwan listed on Taipei Exchange (TWSE: 7722)· ipo
Regulated entities
Electronic Payment Institution
Taiwan
LINE Pay EPI Taiwan Limited / 連加電子支付
Operating subsidiary
Taiwan
LINE Pay Taiwan Limited (TWSE: 7722)
The stack
Payments / PSP
Banking / BaaS
LINE Pay EPI Taiwan Limited / 連加電子支付 (in-house, TW); LINE BK / Kasikorn Line (JV partner, TH)
Card issuing
Lending
LINE BK / Kasikorn Line Co., Ltd. (in-house JV, Thailand)LINE BK Cash Revolving (credit line via LINE app)LINE BK Cash Installment (up to 60 months)LINE BK Nano Finance Loan for LINE MAN Wongnai Merchant PartnersLoans marketplace on LINE Pay TW (referrals to 元大, 玉山, 中國信託, 台北富邦, 台新, 王道, 星展, 聯邦, 永豐, LINE Bank TW, 凱基, 渣打, 將來銀行, 遠東商銀)
Sponsor bank
Accounting gap: minor