What BC Card does

BC Card (BC Card Co., Ltd.) is South Korea's largest card payment processor, founded in 1982 and operating as a subsidiary of KT Corp. The company provides backend payment processing infrastructure to 44+ financial institutions, including Woori Card, Hana Card, NH Nonghyup Card, Shinhan Card, KB Kookmin, IBK, BNK, SC Bank, Citibank, and KakaoPay. Its services span card issuance APIs, authorization relay, settlement, merchant acquiring, and transaction data services across approximately 3 million merchant locations and 25 million cardholders, making BC Card a central node in Korea's domestic card payment ecosystem. The firm also maintains a Shanghai office and serves as the largest shareholder in Kbank (Korea's first internet-only bank, which completed its Kospi IPO in March 2026).

The product portfolio is built on a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core BC Open API (REST-based with SEED encryption for sensitive fields) exposes card issuance, delivery tracking, member management, accident reporting, and address verification to 44 partner institutions. Adjacent products include credit/check/prepaid cards issued via partner institutions, the Paybooc consumer wallet app (with receipt lottery, random money box, and government subsidy management), #MyTag targeted merchant marketing, a mobile-exclusive merchant loan (up to 50M KRW at 4.9-19.9% APR, up to 60-month terms), the Wisebiz corporate card platform, Ezbaro for research-fund card management, and joint promotional campaigns with major retailers such as Shinsegae. Recent launches (2025-2026) include a stablecoin-to-prepaid-card QR payment pilot, a passport-linked payment service for foreign visitors covering ~3.5 million merchants, a Coinbase USDC-on-Base payment pilot, and state-approved blockchain-based NFT asset verification technology alongside a filed security patent for stablecoin transaction verification.

The business model is multi-stream and B2B-anchored. Primary revenue comes from transaction and processing fees on card authorization, acquisition, and settlement for issuer banks and merchants. Secondary streams include merchant loan interest income, marketing service fees (#MyTag), corporate platform fees (Wisebiz), and emerging digital-asset service fees. Card processing pricing is not publicly disclosed (B2B), while the merchant loan product is fully disclosed (4.9-19.9% APR). Go-to-market is overwhelmingly channel-led through 44+ partner financial institutions rather than direct consumer sales, supplemented by merchant portal distribution, consumer app distribution, government subsidy program distribution, and a nascent blockchain/stablecoin distribution rail via Coinbase. International expansion to date is centered on the 2022 acquisition of 67% of Indonesian IT firm Cranium, which serves clients including Bank Mandiri and Telkom Indonesia.

Name

BC Card

Legal name

비씨카드 주식회사

Website

https://bccard.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

BC Card is South Korea's largest payment processor, providing card issuance, authorization, and merchant acquiring infrastructure to 44+ financial institutions across 3 million merchants and 25 million cardholders. It is a KT Corp subsidiary expanding into stablecoin and blockchain-based payments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Payment Processing Services

NAICS

Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320), Credit Card Issuing (52221), Credit Card Issuing (522210)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Private-Label & Store Card Schemes (FSAMAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Prepaid Card Program Managers & Issuers (BIN Sponsors) (FSAMANAK), Crypto Card Issuing & Card Programs (Debit/Credit/Prepaid) (FSADAIAC), Card Clearing & Settlement (Interchange, Network Settlement) (FSABAJAJ), Cards Operations (Issuing/Acquiring Support, Disputes & Chargebacks) (FSABALAC)

Keywords

• Payment processing services
• Card transaction processing
• Merchant acquiring services
• Credit card processing
• Payment infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Card Processing and Transaction Fees: BC Card generates revenue by providing payment processing services to card-issuing banks and financial institutions. The company handles authorization, acquisition, and settlement of domestic and international card transactions.
2. Merchant Lending Services: BC Card provides loans to merchants (up to 50 million KRW at 4.9-19.9% annual rates, maximum 60-month term) through its merchant platform, generating interest income.
3. Merchant Marketing Services: BC Card offers #MyTag targeted marketing services allowing merchants to provide BC Card discounts to customers based on demographic targeting, generating service fees.
4. Digital Asset Services: BC Card is developing revenue streams through stablecoin payment processing for foreign visitors, including USDC-based settlement services in partnership with Coinbase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

BC Card provides centralized card payment processing infrastructure to 44+ Korean financial institutions, handling card issuance APIs, transaction authorization, settlement, and merchant acquiring across a network of approximately 3 million merchants. Beyond core processing, the company operates consumer-facing digital payment services (Paybooc app), merchant lending, targeted marketing (#MyTag), and is pioneering stablecoin and passport-linked payment solutions for foreign visitors. It also extends IT services to Southeast Asia through its majority-owned Indonesian subsidiary Cranium.

Product overview

BC Card operates as South Korea's largest card payment processor with a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core platform provides payment processing infrastructure to 44 partner banks and card companies, processing payments across approximately 3 million merchant locations nationwide. The product portfolio centers on check cards and credit cards (issued through partner institutions), supported by the BC Open API for partner integrations. Additional modules include Paybooc (consumer-facing digital wallet with rewards and government subsidy management), #마이태그 (merchant targeted marketing), merchant loans, receipt lottery services, and specialized services like Ezbaro for research fund management. Recent expansions include stablecoin payment pilots and passport-linked payments for foreign visitors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Paybooc (페이북): Digital payment app providing cashback, money services, and mobile payments
• Wisebiz
• BC Baro Card (BC 바로카드)
• Green Card (그린카드)
• Oh! Point

Products and services

• BC Open API REST-based API platform providing 44 partner financial institutions with card processing capabilities including member registration, card issuance, card shipment tracking, member management, accident handling, and address verification. Uses SEED encryption for sensitive data fields.
• BC Card Credit Cards (신용카드) Traditional credit card products issued through BC Card's network of 44 partner banks and card companies, enabling domestic and international payment processing for 25 million+ cardholders.
• BC Card Check Cards (체크카드) Debit/check card products directly linked to bank accounts, processed through BC Card's infrastructure and accessible via Open API for partner integrations.
• BC Card Prepaid Cards (선불카드) Prepaid card products including gift cards and travel cards with balance notification services.
• BC Card Merchant Loan (BC카드 가맹점대출) Mobile-exclusive loan product for BC Card merchants (individual business operators). Offers up to 50 million KRW with terms up to 60 months at interest rates of 4.9-19.9% (varies by credit score), with no handling fees and no early repayment fees.
• #MyTag Targeted Marketing Service (#마이태그) Targeted marketing service enabling small-medium merchants to offer BC Card billing discounts to customers selected by desired demographics (gender, age, merchant category) using BC Card's 25 million customer purchase data.
• Paybooc (페이북) Digital Payment App Digital payment app offering daily cash rewards (random money box), receipt lottery participation (up to 1 million KRW weekly), and government subsidy management for high oil price damage compensation (고유가 피해지원금).
• Wisebiz Corporate Card Management Corporate business management and financial services platform for B2B clients, offering corporate card issuance, expense tracking, accounting integration, and employee card management.
• Ezbaro (이지바로) Research Fund Card Management Integrated research fund card management system for corporate clients and research institutions, enabling research institution card applications, approvals, and transaction tracking.
• Light Installment (Light 할부) Installment payment service with reduced processing fees for cardholders needing flexible payment options.
• Short-term Card Loan / Cash Service (단기카드대출/현금서비스) Immediate cash loan service accessible anytime, anywhere through BC Card's platform for cardholders needing short-term liquidity.
• Passport-Linked Payment Service for Foreign Visitors Payment service allowing foreign visitors to make transactions using passport verification, using prepaid cards linked to passport authentication to support transactions at approximately 3.5 million merchants nationwide in South Korea.
• Stablecoin Payment System for Foreign Users Stablecoin payment system that converts digital stablecoins into prepaid cards for QR code transactions, enabling foreign visitors to pay at local Korean merchants using stablecoin holdings. Piloted with Wavebridge, Aaron Group, and Global Money Express in late 2025.

Quantifiable outcome

• Stablecoin payments pilot completed for foreign users in Korea with technical readiness demonstrated
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• CoinbasecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 December 2025Coinbase partnered with BC Card to pilot a hybrid crypto-to-fiat payments solution using USDC on the Base network. The two companies signed an MOU to link BC Card's QR payment platform with Base ecosystem wallets, enabling USDC holders to make domestic payments while merchants receive Korean won. The pilot aims to demonstrate a compliant settlement process and could expand into a medium to long-term partnership.
• WavebridgesupportingTechnology or Integration · 23 December 2025Wavebridge participated in BC Card's stablecoin payment pilot program alongside blockchain and remittance partners, demonstrating the technical readiness of stablecoin payments for foreign users in Korea.
• Aaron GroupsupportingTechnology or Integration · 23 December 2025Aaron Group participated in BC Card's stablecoin payment pilot program for foreign visitors in Korea, testing the conversion of stablecoins into prepaid cards for QR code transactions.
• Global Money ExpresssupportingTechnology or Integration · 23 December 2025Global Money Express participated in BC Card's stablecoin payment pilot program, contributing to the development of stablecoin payment infrastructure for foreign users in Korea.
• Cranium IndonesiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 August 2022BC Card acquired a 67% stake in Indonesian IT company Cranium to strengthen global IT outsourcing and expand presence in Southeast Asia. The acquisition aims to facilitate cross-border payment networks and support companies entering Indonesia, leveraging Cranium's local expertise and BC Card's technological capabilities. Cranium serves clients including Bank Mandiri and Telkom Indonesia.
• Dunamu (Upbit operator)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerKbank (in which BC Card is the largest shareholder) has a partnership with Dunamu, operator of Korea's largest crypto exchange Upbit, to take a leading role in stablecoin issuance through a consortium, leveraging its position as a gateway to the digital asset market.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Visa: Visa operates a global card network/scheme that BC Card connects to for international card transactions. Visa competes at the scheme layer for cross-border volumes that BC Card routes through partner issuers in Korea.
• Mastercard: Mastercard is a global card scheme with overlapping network relationships with Korean issuers. It competes with BC Card's processing franchise at the international scheme/acceptance layer.

Emerging players

• KakaoPay: KakaoPay is a Korean mobile payment and digital wallet platform that partners with BC Card via BC Open API while also operating competing payment, remittance, and consumer finance products for Korean merchants and consumers.

Direct peers

• Woori Card: Woori Card is a major Korean issuer that uses BC Card processing while competing with its sibling issuers on cards, loans, and merchant marketing. Closely comparable in revenue mix tied to Korean card spending.
• Samsung Card: Samsung Card is a leading Korean card issuer with overlapping products (credit cards, installment plans, merchant acquiring). It competes with BC Card's partner issuers for the same affluent consumer and corporate segments.
• KB Kookmin Card: KB Kookmin Card is one of Korea's largest card issuers, also a BC Card partner. Comparable business model around domestic card issuance, installment/loan products, and merchant acquiring through similar financial-institution channels.
• Hana Card: Hana Card is a major Korean card issuer using BC Card's processing rails while also marketing competing consumer card products. Direct peer in domestic card issuance, cash advances, and merchant lending.
• Shinhan Card: Shinhan Card is a major Korean credit card issuer that both partners with BC Card (via BC Open API) and operates competing card products. Comparable in domestic card issuance, merchant acquiring, and consumer lending attached to card accounts.
• KSNET (Korea Payment Networks): KSNET is one of Korea's primary card payment processors and VANs, providing authorization and settlement infrastructure to issuers and merchants. It competes head-to-head with BC Card for the same Korean financial-institution processing workloads.
• Korea Financial Telecommunications & Clearings Institute (KFTC): KFTC operates Korea's shared financial transaction infrastructure, including the CD/ATM network and interbank clearing. It overlaps with BC Card in providing back-end rails for Korean retail payments and serves similar institutional clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thebccard
• Instagraminstagram.com/bccard_official

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments3 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BC Card