The payment amount on food delivery platforms has exceeded 3 trillion won for the first time, becoming a fundamental infrastructure for daily consumption.

Last month, the estimated payment amount on major domestic food delivery platforms first exceeded 3 trillion won, surpassing the surge levels seen during the COVID-19 pandemic and reaching a new level.

According to the analysis results released by the real-time application and payment analysis service WiseApp·Retail on April 21, the combined estimated payment amounts for four food delivery platforms—Eat, Coupang Eats, Yogiyo, and Danggeoyo—by March 2026 totaled 3.03 trillion won. This represents a 10% increase from 2.75 trillion won in the same month a year earlier. Although there has been mention of a potential slowdown in growth in the food delivery market, actual payment scales continue to expand, maintaining their presence as a consumption channel.

From an annual trend perspective, the growth momentum is even more apparent. The combined estimated payment amounts for the four major platforms, based on March, increased from 2.24 trillion won in 2023, to 2.41 trillion won in 2024, to 2.75 trillion won in 2025, and reached 3.03 trillion won in 2026. Some interpret this as indicating that food delivery services are no longer just a passing trend but have developed into a fundamental lifestyle consumption infrastructure that encompasses dining out, shopping, and convenient consumption. Rising dining-out prices, an increase in single-person households, and a consumer trend that values saving time are also seen as supporting this wave.

The number of users and per capita usage also grew in tandem. Last month, 24.85 million Koreans made actual payments on food delivery platforms, a 7% increase from the same month last year. The average payment amount per person was 122.35k won, up 3%; the average number of payments was 5.4 times, an increase of 0.4 times. This indicates that, alongside an expanding user base, existing users are ordering more frequently and spending more. Not only has the user count increased, but usage intensity has also further improved, demonstrating a larger market expansion.

However, this survey is based on sample analysis of credit card and debit card payment amounts and does not include payment records from account transfers, cash, or gift certificates. The actual overall transaction volume may be even larger. Industry experts believe that despite variables such as delivery fee burdens and dispute over service charges, as long as consumer-centered convenience continues, the growth momentum of the food delivery platform market is likely to be sustained in the short term. This trend may also evolve alongside the expansion of food delivery platforms beyond ordering services into broader circulation and lifestyle service sectors, continuing to develop in the future.