Shinhan Card

What Shinhan Card does

Shinhan Card is a South Korean credit card issuer and subsidiary of Shinhan Financial Group, founded in 2007 and headquartered in Seoul. It is the country's second-largest card issuer with a 16.9% market share, serving a broad mass-market consumer base across approximately 190,000 partnered merchants. Core products span credit and debit cards, the Shinhan Super SOL super-app platform, the Shinhan SOL Pay mobile payment app, co-branded cards (notably with Starbucks Korea), and value-added services such as Collinson International's LoungeKey Pass providing QR-code access to 1,800+ airport lounges.

The technology stack combines traditional card payment infrastructure with emerging Web3 and blockchain capabilities. Shinhan Card has signed an MoU with the Solana Foundation and tested stablecoin-based overseas settlements with Visa, while co-developing hybrid stablecoin card architecture with Mastercard and Fireblocks. It also deploys facial recognition payment systems in retail and uses big-data analytics on transaction patterns to forecast consumer trends and inform underwriting. Product surfaces are increasingly integrated into a single app experience that also distributes third-party financial products, such as Korea Investment & Securities notes.

The business model is anchored on three revenue streams: merchant transaction fees on credit card purchases, interest income from a multi-trillion-won consumer card loan book, and an expanding set of growth avenues including small-business and sole-proprietor lending, financial product distribution (note investments), and stablecoin/Web3 payment infrastructure. Shinhan Card distributes primarily through its mobile app, co-branded retail partnerships, and Shinhan Financial Group affiliate channels, with the Inclusive Finance 2.0 ON initiative committing 4.5 trillion won in financing for vulnerable borrowers as a regulated credit diversification play.

Name

Shinhan Card

Legal name

Shinhan Card

Website

https://shinhancard.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Shinhan Card is South Korea's second-largest credit card issuer (16.9% market share) and a Shinhan Financial Group subsidiary, serving mass-market consumers with credit cards, the Shinhan Super SOL super-app, co-branded cards, small-business lending, and emerging stablecoin payment infrastructure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Credit Cards

NAICS

Credit Card Issuing (522210)

SIC

Personal Credit Institutions (6141)

akta.pro primary industry

Card Issuing Platforms (Issuer Processing) (FSAGABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Domestic / National Card Schemes (FSAMAAAC), Crypto Merchant Acquirers & PSPs (Payment Service Providers) (FSADAIAB)

Keywords

• Credit card services
• Consumer lending
• Mobile payments
• Stablecoin payments
• Financial product distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Credit Card Transaction Fees: Shinhan Card earns revenue from transaction fees charged to merchants on credit card purchases, representing the core revenue stream for the credit card issuer.
2. Consumer Lending: The company generates interest income from card loans and credit extended to consumers, with total card loan balance reaching 43.02 trillion won across nine major Korean card companies as of May 2026.
3. Small Business and Sole Proprietor Lending: Shinhan Card is expanding into lending for sole proprietors and small-business owners as a growth avenue amid regulatory restrictions on consumer credit, leveraging transaction data advantages to assess creditworthiness.
4. Financial Product Distribution: Partnership with Korea Investment & Securities to offer card platform-based note investment services, generating revenue through distribution of financial products via the Shinhan SOL Pay app.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Shinhan Card is a South Korean credit card issuer that issues consumer and co-branded credit and debit cards, provides card-based consumer and small-business lending, and operates the Shinhan Super SOL super app and Shinhan SOL Pay mobile payment platform. The company is also developing stablecoin/blockchain-based payment infrastructure and partners with brands like Starbucks Korea to deliver co-branded card products.

Product overview

Shinhan Card operates as South Korea's largest credit card issuer offering a multi-product portfolio anchored by its Shinhan Super SOL super app platform and Shinhan SOL Pay mobile payment app. The core offering includes credit and debit cards (with co-branded variants like the Starbucks Shinhan Card), stablecoin/blockchain payment technology for Web3 services, and financial services like auto financing. Digital innovations include LoungeKey Pass for airport lounge access and Korea's first card platform-based note investment service. The company also operates inclusive finance initiatives for underserved populations. The product architecture combines traditional card services with emerging blockchain-based and AI-driven capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Shinhan Super SOL: Super app platform launched by Shinhan Card for mobile financial services
• Shinhan SOL Pay

Products and services

• Shinhan Super SOL
• Shinhan SOL Pay

Quantifiable outcome

• 190,000 merchant records affected by internal data breach (March 2022 - May 2025)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• Shinsegae Department StoreminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 3 June 2026Shinhan Card participated in Shinsegae Department Store's '5mazing Card Week' promotional event alongside Samsung Card, Hana Card, and BC Baro Card, offering card-related rewards and benefits to customers making luxury and home appliance purchases.
• Starbucks KoreacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2026Shinhan Card signed a business agreement with Starbucks Korea on May 7 at its Seoul headquarters to launch the 'Starbucks Shinhan Card' in the first half of the year. The partnership offers Starbucks rewards services tailored to customer spending preferences and introduces a debit card targeting younger consumers. Shinhan Card plans to collaborate with affiliates including Shinhan Bank within Shinhan Financial Group to expand partnership services.
• Solana FoundationflagshipTechnology or Integration · 30 April 2026Shinhan Card signed an MoU with the Solana Foundation on April 30, 2026 to jointly develop stablecoin payment technology and a Web3 payments ecosystem. The partnership formalizes a previous collaboration that completed a six-project proof of concept producing working programmable-money smart contracts and a hybrid stablecoin card architecture with Mastercard and Fireblocks. Workstreams include testnet-based payment flow simulation, non-custodial wallet verification, and hybrid TradFi-DeFi financial model using oracle technology.
• Collinson InternationalcoreTechnology or Integration · 8 April 2026Shinhan Card became the first South Korean card company to introduce Collinson International's LoungeKey Pass, a digital voucher service enabling QR code-based entry to over 1,800 airport lounges and wellness facilities worldwide through the Shinhan SOL Pay mobile app.
• Korea Investment & SecuritiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 April 2026Korea Investment & Securities and Shinhan Card announced the launch of Korea's first card platform-based note investment service, allowing users to invest via the Shinhan SOL Pay app. The service includes a special offering of 150 billion won worth of short-term notes with returns of 3.3% to 3.5%.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Samsung Card: Samsung Card is one of the largest credit card issuers in South Korea and a direct competitor to Shinhan Card across consumer credit cards, co-branded cards, and rewards programs. It is similarly exposed to Korean household debt regulation and competes head-to-head in shopping-mall promotional events such as Shinsegae's '5mazing Card Week'.
• KB Kookmin Card: KB Kookmin Card is a leading Korean credit card issuer affiliated with KB Financial Group and a direct competitor to Shinhan Card in consumer lending, payment products, and merchant acquiring. Both companies were jointly summoned by the FSS over card loan balance targets, indicating parallel business models and regulatory exposure.
• Hyundai Card: Hyundai Card is a major Korean card issuer affiliated with Hyundai Motor Group, competing directly with Shinhan Card in premium consumer credit, co-branded cards with retailers, and lifestyle benefits. It shares the same domestic regulatory environment and household debt constraints.
• BC Card: BC Card is one of the largest Korean card networks and issuers, serving both consumers and merchants. It competes directly with Shinhan Card in card issuing and merchant acquiring and was among the issuers summoned by the FSS for exceeding card loan targets.
• Hana Card: Hana Card is a major Korean credit card issuer affiliated with Hana Financial Group and a direct competitor to Shinhan Card across consumer credit, co-branded offerings, and shopping-mall promotions. It shares the same FSS oversight and household debt policy backdrop.
• Woori Card: Woori Card is the card-issuing subsidiary of Woori Financial Group and a direct competitor to Shinhan Card in Korean consumer credit and merchant acquiring. Like Shinhan, it was summoned by the FSS over card loan balance growth.
• Lotte Card: Lotte Card is a Korean credit card issuer affiliated with Lotte Group, competing directly with Shinhan Card in retail co-branded cards, consumer credit, and lifestyle rewards. It is part of the same FSS-summoned cohort over household debt controls.

Broad incumbents

• American Express: American Express is a global card network and issuer with a premium consumer and business card franchise, comparable to Shinhan Card in card issuing economics but operating at much larger international scale and serving Korean affluent consumers and corporate accounts.
• Visa: Visa is a global card network that Shinhan Card partners with for stablecoin settlement testing and depends on for cross-border card acceptance. Visa is a broad incumbent shaping the payment rails Shinhan Card rides on, making it a relevant peer for benchmarking on network economics and Web3 strategy.

Regional players

• Discover Financial Services: Discover Financial is a US-based direct card issuer and network, comparable to Shinhan Card in proprietary card issuing economics (interest, fees, and rewards) but operating primarily in North America rather than Korea, making it a useful regional comp for issuing margins and product mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/shinhancard

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments5 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Shinhan Card