"LINE's Financial Empire Crosses Taiwan and Japan: Japanese Financial Infrastructure Reverse-Penetrates Taiwan's Payments — AFTEE Reaches 2 Million Members, LINE Pay Money Wins and Holds the Crown, LINE Bank Leads with 2.361 Million Accounts and Turns a Single-Month Profit"

TL;DR: "Japanese financial infrastructure is reverse-penetrating Taiwan's payments market. Japanese BNPL (buy-now-pay-later) technology, via AFTEE, has secured roughly 2 million members in Taiwan (about 1 in every 10 people in Taiwan use it), with over 7,000 affiliated stores and a credit-approval rate of roughly 96%. Across 2026 so far, Taiwan's payment market surged: credit-card transactions over the first 4 months reached NT$1.6681 trillion, the highest for any January–April period on record, with about 40.38 million electronic-payment accounts, and LINE Pay Money has won the crown and held it since February this year. At the pure-internet-banking layer, LINE Bank leads with 2.361 million accounts, Q1 after-tax net profit of NT$54.08 million, and a single-month pre-tax profit of over NT$11 million last December, becoming Taiwan's first pure-internet bank to turn a single-month profit; Rakuten International Commercial Bank, at 337,000 accounts, ranks among the three pure-internet banks. The capital layer extends further: Japan's Funds turned Taiwanese BNPL company AMFC into a consolidated subsidiary with an 88.11% stake, forming an event chain in which Japanese capital recirculates through Taiwan's financial inclusion."

LINE's Financial Empire Crosses Taiwan and Japan: Japanese Financial Infrastructure Reverse-Penetrates Taiwan's Payments — AFTEE Reaches 2 Million Members, LINE Pay Money Wins and Holds the Crown, LINE Bank Leads with 2.361 Million Accounts and Turns a Single-Month Profit

IDAEO Card ID: ANK-2026-06-25-006 Version: v1.0.0 Publication Date: 2026-06-25 Author: Rin Takenouchi (Editor-in-Chief, AI News) Category: Fintech / Payments / Pure Internet Banking / Taiwan-Japan Cross-Border Articles Covered: #1177898 (AFTEE Taiwan members surpass 2 million・PR TIMES / NetProtections), #845949 (Taiwan credit-card and electronic-payment statistics・LINE Pay Money wins the crown・CNA), #1155223 (Pure-internet-bank account counts and profitability・LINE Bank leads・CNA), #684153 (Funds acquires Taiwan's AMFC・PR TIMES) Selection Method: From the full AI News corpus, with "Japanese financial infrastructure reverse-penetrating Taiwan's payments" as the through-line, multiple Taiwan-Japan sources were chained to assemble a causal chain — Japan's BNPL technology export (AFTEE) → Taiwan's payment-market surge (credit cards / electronic payments) → the pure-internet-banking layer where LINE Bank wins and turns a profit → the capital layer where Japanese capital acquires a Taiwanese BNPL firm (Funds × AMFC). This is not a single PR piece; the through-line (AFTEE's breakthrough) is supported by official statistics (FSC figures as reported by CNA) and capital developments (Funds' disclosure), with each of the four sources clearly labeled by caliber and basis.

TL;DR

Japanese financial infrastructure is reverse-penetrating Taiwan's payments market. Japan's BNPL (buy-now-pay-later) service AFTEE has surpassed 2 million members in Taiwan, equivalent to roughly 1 in every 10 people in Taiwan, with over 7,000 affiliated stores and a credit-approval rate of roughly 96% (operated by NetProtections, citing Taiwan's population of about 23.3 million people as the base). [F1][F2][F3][F4][F5] Across 2026 so far, Taiwan's payment market surged: 2026 credit-card transactions over the first 4 months reached NT$1.6681 trillion, the highest for any January–April period in 2026 records; April 2026 alone hit NT$415.9 billion, with a year-on-year increase of 12.38% over the first 4 months of 2026; electronic-payment accounts numbered about 40.38 million people, and LINE Pay Money has won the crown since February 2026 and held it through March and April 2026 (ranking 5th by number of users at 3.9 million people). [F6][F7][F8][F9][F10][F11] At the pure-internet-banking layer, LINE Bank leads with 2.361 million accounts and Q1 after-tax net profit of NT$54.08 million, and with a single-month pre-tax profit of over NT$11 million last December became Taiwan's first pure-internet bank to turn a single-month profit; total pure-internet-bank accounts numbered about 3.286 million accounts, with Rakuten International Commercial Bank's 337,000 accounts ranking, alongside NEXT Bank (NEXT Commercial Bank), among Taiwan's three pure-internet banks. [F12][F13][F14][F15][F16] The capital layer extends further: Japan's Funds turned Taiwanese BNPL company AMFC into a consolidated subsidiary with an 88.11% stake (AMFC's operating revenue for the December 2024 fiscal term was NT$233 million). [F17][F18]

Main Text

1. Technology Layer: Japan's BNPL "AFTEE" Reaches 2 Million Members in Taiwan, Used by 1 in Every 10 People

Japan's BNPL (buy-now-pay-later) service AFTEE has surpassed 2 million members in Taiwan (PRTIMES #1177898). [F1] According to the release, this is equivalent to roughly 1 in every 10 people in Taiwan using AFTEE (PRTIMES #1177898), with the cited Taiwan population base of about 23.3 million people (sourced from Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association data). [F2][F5]

In terms of service scale, as of 2026, AFTEE's number of affiliated stores in Taiwan has exceeded 7,000 stores (PRTIMES #1177898), and it has achieved a high credit-approval rate of roughly 96% (PRTIMES #1177898). [F3][F4] AFTEE is operated by Japanese BNPL infrastructure provider NetProtections Inc. and is a representative case of exporting Japan's mature "deferred payment" credit technology to Taiwan and embedding it into local retail and lifestyle scenarios (including bundling with convenience stores and mobility services) — this forms the technological starting point of the event chain of "Japanese financial infrastructure reverse-penetrating Taiwan." (Caliber note: the above member count, store count, credit-approval rate, and population ratio are all values published in NetProtections' PR release, classified as official_statement, not regulator statistics.)

2. Market Layer: Taiwan's Payment Market Surges, LINE Pay Money Wins and Holds the Crown

The reason Japanese financial infrastructure can establish a foothold in Taiwan is that Taiwan's payment market itself is surging. According to FSC statistics (as reported by CNA), Taiwan's 2026 credit-card transactions over the first 4 months reached NT$1.6681 trillion, the highest for any January–April period in 2026 records (CNA #845949). [F6] Credit-card transactions in April 2026 alone were NT$415.9 billion (CNA #845949) [F7], and transactions over the first 4 months of 2026 rose 12.38% year-on-year (CNA #845949, alongside another indicator's 11.41% year-on-year increase). [F8]

On the electronic-payment side, the total number of users of electronic-payment accounts in Taiwan in 2026 was about 40.38 million people (CNA #845949). [F9] Within this market, Japanese-backed LINE Pay Money won the crown for the first time in February 2026 and continued to hold the crown through March and April 2026 (CNA #845949) [F10]; by number of users, LINE Pay Money ranked 5th at 3.9 million people (CNA #845949). [F11] (Caliber note: "winning/holding the crown" and "5th by number of users" are different ranking indicators — the former is a single-month win on a specific metric, the latter a cumulative ranking by number of users, and the two must not be conflated as the same rank.)

3. Pure-Internet-Banking Layer: LINE Bank Leads with 2.361 Million Accounts and Becomes Taiwan's First Pure-Internet Bank to Turn a Single-Month Profit

The penetration reaches further up to the banking layer. According to FSC statistics (as reported by CNA), pure-internet bank LINE Bank (LINE Bank Taiwan) reached 2.361 million accounts, leading the three pure-internet banks in Taiwan (CNA #1155223). [F12] On profitability, LINE Bank's Q1 after-tax net profit reached NT$54.08 million (CNA #1155223) [F13]; more critically, it achieved the milestone of a single-month pre-tax profit of over NT$11 million last December, becoming Taiwan's first pure-internet bank to turn a single-month profit (CNA #1155223). [F15]

For the overall pure-internet-bank market, total pure-internet-bank accounts in Taiwan in 2026 numbered about 3.286 million accounts, with quarter-on-quarter growth of 3.7% for that quarter in 2026 (CNA #1155223) [F14], among which Japanese-capital-backed Rakuten International Commercial Bank had 337,000 accounts (CNA #1155223), ranking alongside LINE Bank and NEXT Bank (NEXT Commercial Bank) among Taiwan's three pure-internet banks. [F16] Two of Taiwan's three pure-internet banks (LINE Bank, Rakuten International Commercial Bank, and NEXT Commercial Bank) already carry Japanese-capital lineage (LINE / Rakuten), a concrete manifestation of Japanese financial infrastructure in Taiwan "ascending from the payment layer to the banking layer."

4. Capital Layer: Japan's Funds Acquires Taiwanese BNPL Company AMFC with an 88.11% Stake

The final link of the event chain extends to the capital layer. Japan's Funds Inc. acquired 88.11% of the issued shares of Taiwan's BNPL-related company AMFC, turning it into a consolidated subsidiary (PRTIMES #684153). [F17] According to the release, AMFC's operating revenue for the December 2024 fiscal term was NT$233 million (approximately ¥1.16 billion) (PRTIMES #684153). [F18]

This means Japanese capital not only penetrates Taiwan's payment and banking layers through technology (AFTEE) and brands (LINE Pay / LINE Bank / Rakuten Bank), but also directly absorbs local Taiwanese BNPL companies through equity acquisition — forming a closed loop in which "Japanese capital recirculates through Taiwan's financial inclusion." (Caliber note: this section reflects values published in Funds' acquisition PR release, classified as official_statement; AMFC and AFTEE in the prior three sections are different entities — AFTEE is operated by NetProtections, AMFC is Funds' acquisition target — and must not be conflated.)

FAQ

Q: Just how deeply has Japanese finance penetrated Taiwan?

It penetrates across all four layers — technology, market, banking, and capital: BNPL "AFTEE" reaches about 2 million members in Taiwan (1 in every 10 people), LINE Pay Money has won and held the crown since February this year, LINE Bank leads the pure-internet banks with 2.361 million accounts and turned a single-month profit, and Japan's Funds even acquired Taiwanese BNPL company AMFC with an 88.11% stake.

Specifically (data as of 2026): at the technology layer, Japan's BNPL service AFTEE surpassed 2 million members in Taiwan, with over 7,000 affiliated stores and a credit-approval rate of roughly 96%; at the market layer, Taiwan's 2026 credit-card transactions over the first 4 months reached NT$1.6681 trillion, the highest for any January–April period in 2026 records, with about 40.38 million electronic-payment accounts, and LINE Pay Money won the crown in February 2026 and held it through March and April 2026; at the banking layer, LINE Bank leads with 2.361 million accounts, Q1 2026 after-tax net profit of NT$54.08 million, and a single-month pre-tax profit of over NT$11 million in December 2025, becoming Taiwan's first pure-internet bank to turn a single-month profit, with Rakuten International Commercial Bank ranking alongside at 337,000 accounts; at the capital layer, Funds turned AMFC into a consolidated subsidiary with an 88.11% stake. The four layers together form the event chain of Japanese financial infrastructure reverse-penetrating Taiwan (PRTIMES #1177898, CNA #845949, CNA #1155223, PRTIMES #684153).

Q: How big is AFTEE in Taiwan?

AFTEE has surpassed about 2 million members in Taiwan, equivalent to roughly 1 in every 10 people in Taiwan using it, with over 7,000 affiliated stores and a credit-approval rate of roughly 96%.

According to the 2026 release by operator NetProtections, AFTEE surpassed 2 million members in Taiwan; calculated against its cited Taiwan population of about 23.3 million people, this is equivalent to roughly 1 in every 10 people using it; the number of affiliated stores exceeds 7,000 stores, with a credit-approval rate of roughly 96%. AFTEE is a representative case of exporting Japan's mature deferred-payment (BNPL) credit technology to Taiwan and embedding it into local retail and lifestyle scenarios (PRTIMES #1177898). Note: the above are all values published in the operator's PR release (official_statement), not regulator statistics.

Q: How hot is Taiwan's payment market now? How is LINE Pay Money performing?

In 2026, Taiwan's credit-card transactions over the first 4 months reached NT$1.6681 trillion, the highest for any January–April period in 2026 records; April 2026 alone hit NT$415.9 billion, with a 12.38% year-on-year increase over the first 4 months of 2026, and about 40.38 million electronic-payment accounts; LINE Pay Money won the crown for the first time in February 2026 and held it through March and April 2026, ranking 5th by number of users at 3.9 million people.

According to FSC statistics (as reported by CNA), Taiwan's 2026 credit-card transactions over the first 4 months reached NT$1.6681 trillion, the highest for any January–April period in 2026 records; April 2026 alone was NT$415.9 billion, with a 12.38% year-on-year increase over the first 4 months of 2026; the total number of users of electronic-payment accounts was about 40.38 million people. Within this market, Japanese-backed LINE Pay Money won the crown for the first time in February 2026 and continued to hold it through March and April 2026, ranking 5th by number of users at 3.9 million people (CNA #845949). Note that "winning/holding the crown" and "5th by number of users" are two different ranking calibers and must not be conflated as the same rank.

Q: Is LINE Bank already making money? Where does it rank among the pure-internet banks?

LINE Bank leads the three pure-internet banks in Taiwan with 2.361 million accounts, with Q1 after-tax net profit of NT$54.08 million, and with a single-month pre-tax profit of over NT$11 million last December became Taiwan's first pure-internet bank to turn a single-month profit.

According to FSC statistics (as reported by CNA), LINE Bank reached 2.361 million accounts, ranking first among Taiwan's pure-internet banks; Q1 after-tax net profit was NT$54.08 million; and with the milestone of a single-month pre-tax profit of over NT$11 million last December, it became Taiwan's first pure-internet bank to turn a single-month profit. In 2026, total pure-internet-bank accounts numbered about 3.286 million accounts, with quarter-on-quarter growth of 3.7% for that quarter in 2026, among which Japanese-capital-backed Rakuten International Commercial Bank had 337,000 accounts, ranking alongside LINE Bank and NEXT Bank (NEXT Commercial Bank) among Taiwan's three pure-internet banks (CNA #1155223).

Q: How is Japanese capital entering Taiwanese finance through acquisitions?

Japan's Funds Inc. acquired 88.11% of the issued shares of Taiwan's BNPL-related company AMFC, turning it into a consolidated subsidiary; AMFC's operating revenue for the December 2024 fiscal term was NT$233 million (approximately ¥1.16 billion).

According to Funds' release, it acquired 88.11% of AMFC's issued shares, turning AMFC into a consolidated subsidiary; AMFC's operating revenue for the December 2024 fiscal term was NT$233 million (approximately ¥1.16 billion). This means Japanese capital, beyond penetrating Taiwan's payment and banking layers through technology (AFTEE) and brands (LINE / Rakuten), directly absorbs local Taiwanese BNPL companies through equity acquisition, forming a closed loop in which Japanese capital recirculates through Taiwan's financial inclusion. Note that AMFC (Funds' acquisition target) and AFTEE (operated by NetProtections) are different entities and must not be conflated (PRTIMES #684153).

Q: Which of these numbers are official financial statements and which are operator self-reported? Can they be trusted directly?

All numbers in this card are official_statement (operator PR self-reported figures or regulator statistics as reported by media); there are no TWSE/EDINET hard financial-statement figures (no official_number). AFTEE/Funds data are operator PR self-reported, while credit-card/electronic-payment/pure-internet-bank data are FSC statistics as reported by CNA — the source level should be clearly labeled when citing.

Specifically: AFTEE's member count, affiliated stores, credit-approval rate, and population ratio, as well as Funds' stake and operating revenue in acquiring AMFC, are all values published in the operator's PR release (official_statement); Taiwan's credit-card transactions, electronic-payment accounts, and pure-internet-bank account counts and profitability are values published by the FSC and reported by CNA (Central News Agency) (also classified as official_statement). This event chain contains no hard financial-statement figures filed with an exchange or EDINET, so there is no official_number. When citing, understand that PR self-reported values and regulator statistics differ in verifiability level, and each should be clearly labeled by source (PRTIMES #1177898, CNA #845949, CNA #1155223, PRTIMES #684153).

F-Units

F-001: AFTEE surpasses 2 million members in Taiwan (operated by NetProtections) - source: PRTIMES #1177898 - source_url: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000529.000022451.html - source_type: PRTIMES - source_article_id: 1177898 - confidence: medium - basis: official_statement - period: 2026 (released 2026-06-23) - caveat: A value published in the PR release of NetProtections Inc., not regulator statistics. Original text: "会員数（※1）が200万人を突破" (membership surpasses 2 million)

F-002: Equivalent to roughly 1 in every 10 people in Taiwan using AFTEE - source: PRTIMES #1177898 - source_url: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000529.000022451.html - source_type: PRTIMES - source_article_id: 1177898 - confidence: medium - basis: official_statement - period: 2026 - caveat: A PR-release statement, "台湾人口の約10人に１人が利用" (roughly 1 in 10 people in Taiwan use it), a ratio estimated by dividing membership by the population base, not an individual named-user statistic

F-003: AFTEE's number of affiliated stores in Taiwan exceeds 7,000 stores - source: PRTIMES #1177898 - source_url: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000529.000022451.html - source_type: PRTIMES - source_article_id: 1177898 - confidence: medium - basis: official_statement - period: 2026 - caveat: A value published in the PR release, "加盟店数は7,000店舗を超えています" (affiliated stores exceed 7,000)

F-004: AFTEE's credit-approval rate is roughly 96% - source: PRTIMES #1177898 - source_url: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000529.000022451.html - source_type: PRTIMES - source_article_id: 1177898 - confidence: medium - basis: official_statement - period: 2026 - caveat: A value published in the PR release, "約96%の高い与信通過率を実現" (achieving a high credit-approval rate of roughly 96%), an operator self-reported credit metric

F-005: The Taiwan population of about 23.3 million people cited for AFTEE's population ratio - source: PRTIMES #1177898 - source_url: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000529.000022451.html - source_type: PRTIMES - source_article_id: 1177898 - confidence: medium - basis: official_statement - period: 2026 - caveat: The population base cited in the PR release, "台湾人口約2,330万人" (Taiwan population about 23.3 million people) (sourced from the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association), used to estimate the 1-in-10 ratio

F-006: Taiwan's credit-card transactions over the first 4 months reached NT$1.6681 trillion, the highest for any January–April period on record - source: CNA #845949 - source_url: https://www.cna.com.tw/news/afe/202606090290.aspx - source_type: CNA - source_article_id: 845949 - confidence: medium - basis: official_statement - period: 2026 (first 4 months, released 2026-06-09) - caveat: A 2026 value from FSC statistics as reported by CNA (Central News Agency). Original text "前4月簽帳金額1兆6681億元…皆創歷年來同一期間最高" (transactions over the first 4 months of NT$1.6681 trillion … the highest for any January–April period on record); here "first 4 months" refers to January–April 2026, and "record high" is on a same-period-in-2026 caliber, not an absolute all-time high

F-007: Taiwan's April single-month credit-card transactions of NT$415.9 billion - source: CNA #845949 - source_url: https://www.cna.com.tw/news/afe/202606090290.aspx - source_type: CNA - source_article_id: 845949 - confidence: medium - basis: official_statement - period: April 2026 - caveat: FSC statistics as reported by CNA. Original text "4月信用卡簽帳金額為新台幣4159億元" (April credit-card transactions of NT$415.9 billion)

F-008: Taiwan's credit-card transactions over the first 4 months rose 12.38% year-on-year - source: CNA #845949 - source_url: https://www.cna.com.tw/news/afe/202606090290.aspx - source_type: CNA - source_article_id: 845949 - confidence: medium - basis: official_statement - period: First 4 months of 2026 - caveat: Original text "分別年增11.41%與12.38%" (year-on-year increases of 11.41% and 12.38% respectively); 12.38% is the year-on-year rate of one of the indicators, alongside another at 11.41%

F-009: Total number of users of electronic-payment accounts in Taiwan is about 40.38 million people - source: CNA #845949 - source_url: https://www.cna.com.tw/news/afe/202606090290.aspx - source_type: CNA - source_article_id: 845949 - confidence: medium - basis: official_statement - period: 2026 - caveat: FSC statistics as reported by CNA. Original text "電子支付帳戶總使用者人數約4038萬人" (total electronic-payment account users of about 40.38 million people)

F-010: LINE Pay Money won the crown for the first time in February this year and held it through March and April - source: CNA #845949 - source_url: https://www.cna.com.tw/news/afe/202606090290.aspx - source_type: CNA - source_article_id: 845949 - confidence: medium - basis: official_statement - period: February–April 2026 - caveat: Original text "今年2月首度奪冠，3月、4月持續蟬聯冠軍寶座" (won the crown for the first time in February this year, continuing to hold it in March and April). This "winning the crown" and F-011's "5th by number of users" are different ranking calibers

F-011: LINE Pay Money ranks 5th by number of users at 3.9 million people - source: CNA #845949 - source_url: https://www.cna.com.tw/news/afe/202606090290.aspx - source_type: CNA - source_article_id: 845949 - confidence: medium - basis: official_statement - period: 2026 - caveat: Original text "LINE Pay Money以390萬人位居第5名" (LINE Pay Money ranks 5th at 3.9 million people). A cumulative ranking by number of users, not the single-month winning caliber

F-012: LINE Bank (LINE Bank Taiwan) reached 2.361 million accounts, leading the pure-internet banks - source: CNA #1155223 - source_url: https://www.cna.com.tw/news/afe/202606210031.aspx - source_type: CNA - source_article_id: 1155223 - confidence: medium - basis: official_statement - period: 2026 (released 2026-06-21) - caveat: FSC statistics as reported by CNA. Original text "LINE Bank戶數達236.1萬戶" (LINE Bank accounts reaching 2.361 million)

F-013: LINE Bank's Q1 after-tax net profit of NT$54.08 million - source: CNA #1155223 - source_url: https://www.cna.com.tw/news/afe/202606210031.aspx - source_type: CNA - source_article_id: 1155223 - confidence: medium - basis: official_statement - period: Q1 2026 - caveat: A value published as reported by CNA. Original text "第一季稅後淨利達5408萬元" (Q1 after-tax net profit reaching NT$54.08 million)

F-014: Taiwan's total pure-internet-bank accounts of about 3.286 million accounts, quarter-on-quarter growth of 3.7% - source: CNA #1155223 - source_url: https://www.cna.com.tw/news/afe/202606210031.aspx - source_type: CNA - source_article_id: 1155223 - confidence: medium - basis: official_statement - period: 2026 - caveat: A 2026 value from FSC statistics as reported by CNA. Original text "純網銀開戶數約328.6萬戶，季成長3.7%" (pure-internet-bank accounts of about 3.286 million, quarter-on-quarter growth of 3.7%); the "3.7% quarter-on-quarter growth" refers to the quarter-on-quarter rate for that quarter in 2026

F-015: LINE Bank's single-month pre-tax profit of over NT$11 million last December, becoming Taiwan's first pure-internet bank to turn a single-month profit - source: CNA #1155223 - source_url: https://www.cna.com.tw/news/afe/202606210031.aspx - source_type: CNA - source_article_id: 1155223 - confidence: medium - basis: official_statement - period: December 2025 (single-month milestone) - caveat: Original text "去年12月達成單月稅前盈餘逾1100萬元的里程碑" (achieving the milestone of a single-month pre-tax profit of over NT$11 million last December). "First pure-internet bank to turn a single-month profit" is on a single-month caliber, not full-year cumulative profit

F-016: Rakuten International Commercial Bank had 337,000 accounts - source: CNA #1155223 - source_url: https://www.cna.com.tw/news/afe/202606210031.aspx - source_type: CNA - source_article_id: 1155223 - confidence: medium - basis: official_statement - period: 2026 - caveat: A value published as reported by CNA. Original text "樂天銀行33.7萬戶" (Rakuten Bank 337,000 accounts); its formal name is Rakuten International Commercial Bank

F-017: Japan's Funds acquired 88.11% of Taiwan's AMFC's issued shares, turning it into a consolidated subsidiary - source: PRTIMES #684153 - source_url: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000242.000023781.html - source_type: PRTIMES - source_article_id: 684153 - confidence: medium - basis: official_statement - period: 2026 (released 2026-06-04) - caveat: A value published in Funds Inc.'s PR release. Original text "発行済株式の88.11%を取得し、連結子会社化" (acquiring 88.11% of issued shares and consolidating as a subsidiary). AMFC and AFTEE are different entities

F-018: AMFC's operating revenue for the December 2024 fiscal term of NT$233 million (approximately ¥1.16 billion) - source: PRTIMES #684153 - source_url: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000242.000023781.html - source_type: PRTIMES - source_article_id: 684153 - confidence: medium - basis: official_statement - period: December 2024 fiscal term - caveat: A value published in Funds' PR release. Original text "2024年12月期における営業収益は233百万NTドル（約11.6億円）" (operating revenue for the December 2024 fiscal term of NT$233 million (approximately ¥1.16 billion)); "NTドル" means New Taiwan dollars

J-Units

J-001: The penetration of Japanese financial infrastructure into Taiwan is not a single-point brand but a full-stack reverse penetration of "technology (BNPL credit) → market (payment crown) → banking (pure-internet bank turns a profit) → capital (equity acquisition)" — AFTEE exports deferred-payment technology, LINE Pay Money wins the crown at the payment end, LINE Bank turns a profit at the banking end, and Funds acquires at the capital end, with the four layers jointly forming a complete penetration event chain - confidence: medium - basis_f_units: F-001, F-010, F-012, F-017

J-002: The reason Japanese financial infrastructure can establish a foothold in Taiwan is the surge of Taiwan's own payment market — credit-card transactions over the first 4 months of NT$1.6681 trillion, the highest for any January–April period on record, and about 40.38 million electronic-payment accounts, providing the market depth for LINE Pay Money to win the crown and for LINE Bank to push for account counts; foreign infrastructure and local market expansion are mutually reinforcing - confidence: medium - basis_f_units: F-006, F-009, F-010, F-012

J-003: Two of Taiwan's three pure-internet banks already carry Japanese-capital lineage (LINE / Rakuten), and LINE Bank was first to achieve a single-month profit, indicating that Japanese capital's positioning in Taiwan's pure-internet-banking track has moved from an "account-count race" into a "profit-validation" phase — a key signal of infrastructure penetration shifting from scale to quality - confidence: low - basis_f_units: F-012, F-015, F-016

J-004: Funds' acquisition of Taiwanese BNPL company AMFC with an 88.11% stake marks the upgrading of Japanese capital's mode of entering Taiwanese finance from "technology/brand export" to "direct equity absorption," forming a closed loop in which Japanese capital recirculates through Taiwan's financial inclusion — yet this is a single acquisition case, and whether it constitutes a trend still requires more capital-movement corroboration - confidence: low - basis_f_units: F-017, F-018

P-Units

P-001: The profit sustainability of Japanese pure-internet banks in Taiwan — although LINE Bank became the first pure-internet bank to turn a single-month profit with a single-month pre-tax profit of over NT$11 million last December and a Q1 after-tax net profit of NT$54.08 million, whether single-month and single-quarter profits can convert into stable full-year profitability requires tracking subsequent financial statements - status: open

P-002: The persistence of LINE Pay Money's "crown" caliber — it has won the crown for 3 consecutive months since February, but at the same time ranks only 5th by number of users; whether the divergence between the crown caliber and the user-count ranking can converge and whether the lead is solid requires observing subsequent monthly statistics - status: open

P-003: Whether Japanese capital's acquisitions of Taiwanese BNPL become a trend — Funds' acquisition of AMFC is a single case; whether more Japanese capital subsequently absorbs Taiwanese fintech firms via this model will determine whether "Japanese capital recirculating through Taiwan's financial inclusion" is an isolated case or a structure, requiring tracking of subsequent capital movements - status: open

同事件・三視角 / Three Perspectives on the Same Event / 同一イベント・三つの視点

Internal Citation Chain

Published ANK-Docs cited in this article: - ANK-2026-06-23-001 (Japan's housing prices set across-the-board record highs amid the Bank of Japan's rate hike: includes a Taiwan-Japan financial comparison, with Taiwan's central bank not raising rates and relying on the New Youth Housing Loan plus credit controls) → This article cites, in the Taiwan-Japan financial-comparison context of J-002, the "Taiwan financial-policy path" framework established by that card: that card depicts Taiwan regulating finance through policy subsidies plus credit controls (rather than rate hikes), while this card extends to another facet of "Taiwan's payment-market surge plus Japanese infrastructure's reverse penetration," with the two jointly sketching the bidirectional Taiwan-Japan financial interaction of 2026.

Sources

1. [PRTIMES #1177898] PR TIMES (NetProtections Inc.), "AFTEE Taiwan members surpass 2 million", 2026-06-23. https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000529.000022451.html 2. [CNA #845949] CNA (Central News Agency), report on Taiwan credit-card record-high transactions and electronic payments・LINE Pay Money wins the crown, 2026-06-09. https://www.cna.com.tw/news/afe/202606090290.aspx 3. [CNA #1155223] CNA (Central News Agency), report on pure-internet-bank account counts and profitability・LINE Bank leads and turns a single-month profit, 2026-06-21. https://www.cna.com.tw/news/afe/202606210031.aspx 4. [PRTIMES #684153] PR TIMES (Funds Inc.), "Funds consolidates Taiwan's AMFC as a subsidiary", 2026-06-04. https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000242.000023781.html 5. [ANK-2026-06-23-001] Rin Takenouchi, "Japan's housing prices set across-the-board record highs amid the Bank of Japan's rate hike (includes Taiwan-Japan financial-policy comparison)", 2026-06-23. https://ainews.washinmura.jp/ainews/zh/ank/ANK-2026-06-23-001

📊 引用級事實單元（F-Units）

AFTEE surpasses 2 million members in Taiwan (operated by NetProtections)
F-001 · Confidence: medium · Basis: official_statement PRTIMES #1177898 2026 (released 2026-06-23)
Equivalent to roughly 1 in every 10 people in Taiwan using AFTEE
F-002 · Confidence: medium · Basis: official_statement PRTIMES #1177898 2026
AFTEE's number of affiliated stores in Taiwan exceeds 7,000 stores
F-003 · Confidence: medium · Basis: official_statement PRTIMES #1177898 2026
AFTEE's credit-approval rate is roughly 96%
F-004 · Confidence: medium · Basis: official_statement PRTIMES #1177898 2026
The Taiwan population of about 23.3 million people cited for AFTEE's population ratio
F-005 · Confidence: medium · Basis: official_statement PRTIMES #1177898 2026
Taiwan's credit-card transactions over the first 4 months reached NT$1.6681 trillion, the highest for any January–April period on record
F-006 · Confidence: medium · Basis: official_statement CNA #845949 2026 (first 4 months, released 2026-06-09)
Taiwan's April single-month credit-card transactions of NT$415.9 billion
F-007 · Confidence: medium · Basis: official_statement CNA #845949 April 2026
Taiwan's credit-card transactions over the first 4 months rose 12.38% year-on-year
F-008 · Confidence: medium · Basis: official_statement CNA #845949 First 4 months of 2026
Total number of users of electronic-payment accounts in Taiwan is about 40.38 million people
F-009 · Confidence: medium · Basis: official_statement CNA #845949 2026
LINE Pay Money won the crown for the first time in February this year and held it through March and April
F-010 · Confidence: medium · Basis: official_statement CNA #845949 February–April 2026
LINE Pay Money ranks 5th by number of users at 3.9 million people
F-011 · Confidence: medium · Basis: official_statement CNA #845949 2026
LINE Bank (LINE Bank Taiwan) reached 2.361 million accounts, leading the pure-internet banks
F-012 · Confidence: medium · Basis: official_statement CNA #1155223 2026 (released 2026-06-21)
LINE Bank's Q1 after-tax net profit of NT$54.08 million
F-013 · Confidence: medium · Basis: official_statement CNA #1155223 Q1 2026
Taiwan's total pure-internet-bank accounts of about 3.286 million accounts, quarter-on-quarter growth of 3.7%
F-014 · Confidence: medium · Basis: official_statement CNA #1155223 2026
LINE Bank's single-month pre-tax profit of over NT$11 million last December, becoming Taiwan's first pure-internet bank to turn a single-month profit
F-015 · Confidence: medium · Basis: official_statement CNA #1155223 December 2025 (single-month milestone)
Rakuten International Commercial Bank had 337,000 accounts
F-016 · Confidence: medium · Basis: official_statement CNA #1155223 2026
Japan's Funds acquired 88.11% of Taiwan's AMFC's issued shares, turning it into a consolidated subsidiary
F-017 · Confidence: medium · Basis: official_statement PRTIMES #684153 2026 (released 2026-06-04)
AMFC's operating revenue for the December 2024 fiscal term of NT$233 million (approximately ¥1.16 billion)
F-018 · Confidence: medium · Basis: official_statement PRTIMES #684153 December 2024 fiscal term

❓ FAQ

Just how deeply has Japanese finance penetrated Taiwan?

It penetrates across all four layers — technology, market, banking, and capital: BNPL "AFTEE" reaches about 2 million members in Taiwan (1 in every 10 people), LINE Pay Money has won and held the crown since February this year, LINE Bank leads the pure-internet banks with 2.361 million accounts and turned a single-month profit, and Japan's Funds even acquired Taiwanese BNPL company AMFC with an 88.11% stake. Specifically (data as of 2026): at the technology layer, Japan's BNPL service AFTEE surpassed 2 million members in Taiwan, with over 7,000 affiliated stores and a credit-approval rate of roughly 96%; at the market layer, Taiwan's 2026 credit-card transactions over the first 4 months reached NT$1.6681 trillion, the highest for any January–April period in 2026 records, with about 40.38 million electronic-payment accounts, and LINE Pay Money won the crown in February 2026 and held it through March and April 2026; at the banking layer, LINE Bank leads with 2.361 million accounts, Q1 2026 after-tax net profit of NT$54.08 million, and a single-month pre-tax profit of over NT$11 million in December 2025, becoming Taiwan's first pure-internet bank to turn a single-month profit, with Rakuten International Commercial Bank ranking alongside at 337,000 accounts; at the capital layer, Funds turned AMFC into a consolidated subsidiary with an 88.11% stake. The four layers together form the event chain of Japanese financial infrastructure reverse-penetrating Taiwan (PRTIMES #1177898, CNA #845949, CNA #1155223, PRTIMES #684153).

How big is AFTEE in Taiwan?

AFTEE has surpassed about 2 million members in Taiwan, equivalent to roughly 1 in every 10 people in Taiwan using it, with over 7,000 affiliated stores and a credit-approval rate of roughly 96%. According to the 2026 release by operator NetProtections, AFTEE surpassed 2 million members in Taiwan; calculated against its cited Taiwan population of about 23.3 million people, this is equivalent to roughly 1 in every 10 people using it; the number of affiliated stores exceeds 7,000 stores, with a credit-approval rate of roughly 96%. AFTEE is a representative case of exporting Japan's mature deferred-payment (BNPL) credit technology to Taiwan and embedding it into local retail and lifestyle scenarios (PRTIMES #1177898). Note: the above are all values published in the operator's PR release (official_statement), not regulator statistics.

How hot is Taiwan's payment market now? How is LINE Pay Money performing?

In 2026, Taiwan's credit-card transactions over the first 4 months reached NT$1.6681 trillion, the highest for any January–April period in 2026 records; April 2026 alone hit NT$415.9 billion, with a 12.38% year-on-year increase over the first 4 months of 2026, and about 40.38 million electronic-payment accounts; LINE Pay Money won the crown for the first time in February 2026 and held it through March and April 2026, ranking 5th by number of users at 3.9 million people. According to FSC statistics (as reported by CNA), Taiwan's 2026 credit-card transactions over the first 4 months reached NT$1.6681 trillion, the highest for any January–April period in 2026 records; April 2026 alone was NT$415.9 billion, with a 12.38% year-on-year increase over the first 4 months of 2026; the total number of users of electronic-payment accounts was about 40.38 million people. Within this market, Japanese-backed LINE Pay Money won the crown for the first time in February 2026 and continued to hold it through March and April 2026, ranking 5th by number of users at 3.9 million people (CNA #845949). Note that "winning/holding the crown" and "5th by number of users" are two different ranking calibers and must not be conflated as the same rank.

Is LINE Bank already making money? Where does it rank among the pure-internet banks?

LINE Bank leads the three pure-internet banks in Taiwan with 2.361 million accounts, with Q1 after-tax net profit of NT$54.08 million, and with a single-month pre-tax profit of over NT$11 million last December became Taiwan's first pure-internet bank to turn a single-month profit. According to FSC statistics (as reported by CNA), LINE Bank reached 2.361 million accounts, ranking first among Taiwan's pure-internet banks; Q1 after-tax net profit was NT$54.08 million; and with the milestone of a single-month pre-tax profit of over NT$11 million last December, it became Taiwan's first pure-internet bank to turn a single-month profit. In 2026, total pure-internet-bank accounts numbered about 3.286 million accounts, with quarter-on-quarter growth of 3.7% for that quarter in 2026, among which Japanese-capital-backed Rakuten International Commercial Bank had 337,000 accounts, ranking alongside LINE Bank and NEXT Bank (NEXT Commercial Bank) among Taiwan's three pure-internet banks (CNA #1155223).

How is Japanese capital entering Taiwanese finance through acquisitions?

Japan's Funds Inc. acquired 88.11% of the issued shares of Taiwan's BNPL-related company AMFC, turning it into a consolidated subsidiary; AMFC's operating revenue for the December 2024 fiscal term was NT$233 million (approximately ¥1.16 billion). According to Funds' release, it acquired 88.11% of AMFC's issued shares, turning AMFC into a consolidated subsidiary; AMFC's operating revenue for the December 2024 fiscal term was NT$233 million (approximately ¥1.16 billion). This means Japanese capital, beyond penetrating Taiwan's payment and banking layers through technology (AFTEE) and brands (LINE / Rakuten), directly absorbs local Taiwanese BNPL companies through equity acquisition, forming a closed loop in which Japanese capital recirculates through Taiwan's financial inclusion. Note that AMFC (Funds' acquisition target) and AFTEE (operated by NetProtections) are different entities and must not be conflated (PRTIMES #684153).

Which of these numbers are official financial statements and which are operator self-reported? Can they be trusted directly?

All numbers in this card are official_statement (operator PR self-reported figures or regulator statistics as reported by media); there are no TWSE/EDINET hard financial-statement figures (no official_number). AFTEE/Funds data are operator PR self-reported, while credit-card/electronic-payment/pure-internet-bank data are FSC statistics as reported by CNA — the source level should be clearly labeled when citing. Specifically: AFTEE's member count, affiliated stores, credit-approval rate, and population ratio, as well as Funds' stake and operating revenue in acquiring AMFC, are all values published in the operator's PR release (official_statement); Taiwan's credit-card transactions, electronic-payment accounts, and pure-internet-bank account counts and profitability are values published by the FSC and reported by CNA (Central News Agency) (also classified as official_statement). This event chain contains no hard financial-statement figures filed with an exchange or EDINET, so there is no official_number. When citing, understand that PR self-reported values and regulator statistics differ in verifiability level, and each should be clearly labeled by source (PRTIMES #1177898, CNA #845949, CNA #1155223, PRTIMES #684153). ---

🧠 編輯判斷（J-Units）

The penetration of Japanese financial infrastructure into Taiwan is not a single-point brand but a full-stack reverse penetration of "technology (BNPL credit) → market (payment crown) → banking (pure-internet bank turns a profit) → capital (equity acquisition)" — AFTEE exports deferred-payment technology, LINE Pay Money wins the crown at the payment end, LINE Bank turns a profit at the banking end, and Funds acquires at the capital end, with the four layers jointly forming a complete penetration event chain
Confidence: medium · Based on: F-001, F-010, F-012, F-017
The reason Japanese financial infrastructure can establish a foothold in Taiwan is the surge of Taiwan's own payment market — credit-card transactions over the first 4 months of NT$1.6681 trillion, the highest for any January–April period on record, and about 40.38 million electronic-payment accounts, providing the market depth for LINE Pay Money to win the crown and for LINE Bank to push for account counts; foreign infrastructure and local market expansion are mutually reinforcing
Confidence: medium · Based on: F-006, F-009, F-010, F-012
Two of Taiwan's three pure-internet banks already carry Japanese-capital lineage (LINE / Rakuten), and LINE Bank was first to achieve a single-month profit, indicating that Japanese capital's positioning in Taiwan's pure-internet-banking track has moved from an "account-count race" into a "profit-validation" phase — a key signal of infrastructure penetration shifting from scale to quality
Confidence: low · Based on: F-012, F-015, F-016
Funds' acquisition of Taiwanese BNPL company AMFC with an 88.11% stake marks the upgrading of Japanese capital's mode of entering Taiwanese finance from "technology/brand export" to "direct equity absorption," forming a closed loop in which Japanese capital recirculates through Taiwan's financial inclusion — yet this is a single acquisition case, and whether it constitutes a trend still requires more capital-movement corroboration
Confidence: low · Based on: F-017, F-018

🔮 待驗證假設（P-Units）

The profit sustainability of Japanese pure-internet banks in Taiwan — although LINE Bank became the first pure-internet bank to turn a single-month profit with a single-month pre-tax profit of over NT$11 million last December and a Q1 after-tax net profit of NT$54.08 million, whether single-month and single-quarter profits can convert into stable full-year profitability requires tracking subsequent financial statements
Status: open
The persistence of LINE Pay Money's "crown" caliber — it has won the crown for 3 consecutive months since February, but at the same time ranks only 5th by number of users; whether the divergence between the crown caliber and the user-count ranking can converge and whether the lead is solid requires observing subsequent monthly statistics
Status: open
Whether Japanese capital's acquisitions of Taiwanese BNPL become a trend — Funds' acquisition of AMFC is a single case; whether more Japanese capital subsequently absorbs Taiwanese fintech firms via this model will determine whether "Japanese capital recirculating through Taiwan's financial inclusion" is an isolated case or a structure, requiring tracking of subsequent capital movements
Status: open

Related Analyses