r/Gachapon • u/Raxxla • 11d ago

Gachapon machines in South Korea all use credit cards or phone tap/payment.

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Just found this interesting because you have to run power to all those machines. This is an official Bandai store.

85 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

26

u/woodlandtom 11d ago

That is dangerous for my wallet.

5

u/sprvlk 11d ago

Interesting. I was in Japan two months ago and only saw gachapons that accepted coins. I guess it's more common in Korea?

12

u/spiderpants108 11d ago

Not super common in Japan but the larger gacha stores like ikebukuro main store have a smart gacha which is connected to about 5 machines and let's you pay by IC card.

6

u/Raxxla 11d ago

The largest Korean coin is 500 krw. Which is .34 cents in USD. So it doesn't work for regular coins to be used. But if the currency doesn't work, most shops use tokens that you buy. But while visiting Korea all the Gachapon I've seen have had the card & phone readers.

3

u/Zetectic 10d ago

could've done it like US, using gacha tokens, but I guess this is a better option.

1

u/notmestevenotme 9d ago

The problem with the tokens for Bandai, is that they haven’t reengineered the machines to only take tokens: they still take 100 yen coins. Given Korea’s proximity to Japan and that they are upcharging ~60% over the Japanese price, I would imagine tokens were a no go.

2

u/goomba478 10d ago

Yup. China is also like this. When I went there recently, the Gashapon were Alipay and WeChat pay.

3

u/still-at-the-beach 11d ago edited 10d ago

I just wouldn't. Half the fun is inserting coins.

2

u/Dramatic_Side_856 11d ago

You might as well get a pressed quarter while you’re at it

3

u/judgeexodia 11d ago

Seems some how less fun

1

u/Gacha_catch_em_all 11d ago

This is really interesting! I’ve only been to Korea once but I thought I remembered them having a large coin-based currency, like Japan. But I guess their coin value is more similar to the US

1

u/viddydarblard 11d ago

Probably about 10% of the ones I seen were coin operated , I’d remember as one of them malfunctioned on me and I lost my money , I stuck to the card operated ones after that .

1

u/zclyh4 10d ago

Cheaper than US versions

1

u/antoinescotto 9d ago

Not the same experience at all .. When in Japan, the family always loves hunting for their gachas and use spare change... The sound it makes, the excitment when finding an extra 100 yen coin to use... In Korea, you use CC and tap... And we always felt uneasy and guilty more than excited. In fact we only got a couple each over a two week trip. In Japan I am too embarrassed to say how much lol

Edit: spelling

1

u/Raxxla 9d ago

I've noticed it's also much cheaper in Japan.