Retail holds 38% of APAC’s payment market

Healthcare is the fastest-growing segment.

The retail industry held over a third (38%) of Asia-Pacific’s (APAC) payments market in 2025, which makes up grocery, apparel, and electronics spending across e-commerce and brick-and-mortar outlets.

Healthcare, however, is the fastest-growing segment, with a projected compound annual growth rate of 13.42% through 2031, positioning it as a key driver of expansion in the APAC payments market.

Telemedicine platforms introduced during the pandemic continue to see sustained use, whilst governments are embedding co-payment and subsidy disbursement directly into digital wallets. 

This shift supports more transparent billing and reduces administrative processes. 

In Singapore, a universal QR code programme across 27 public hospitals has shown operational gains, including shorter queues, automated insurance adjudication and instant digital receipts. 

Private clinics adopting similar systems are also streamlining claims processing, supported by insurers seeking real-time visibility.

Healthcare payments are also expanding into wearable technology, where devices monitoring chronic conditions can trigger micropayments tied to patient compliance. 

This model aligns incentives between insurers, providers and patients, although it also raises data privacy requirements. 

As a result, specialised payment processors are emerging to separate sensitive health data from financial credentials.

Retail continues to strengthen its position through omnichannel strategies that integrate livestream shopping, social media sales and in-store scan-and-go systems. 

Meanwhile, the recovery of entertainment and hospitality sectors has been supported by tokenised stored credentials, enabling subscription bundles for streaming, gaming and hotel loyalty programmes. 

Transport payments are increasingly linked to ride-hailing super-apps, combining services such as ordering, insurance and micro-investments into a single platform.