Foreign firms can join Korean PGs
Korean corporations (corp, LLC) led by a foreigner can sign up with Toss, KG Inicis, NICE, NHN KCP, etc.
If it’s a corporation, ARC form errors drop and review is faster. Sole proprietors often hit system errors when entering ARC number.
Corp: can join all major PGs, low ARC friction
Sole proprietor: some PG forms may reject ARC number
5 docs you must have before PG sign‑up
You need all the below docs to apply for PG review. Check them one by one; status saves automatically.
ARC number entry error — here's how to fix it
When you type ARC number in PG form, you might see ‘invalid number’. It’s a bug. Follow these steps to fix.
Try entering the business registration number instead of ARC first.
If still no luck, go through PortOne onboarding – fastest fix.
Contact PortOne onboarding team directly
Go to the Contact tab on portone.gitbook.io and say "Foreigner ARC number form error". Chat gets answered faster than email.
Call the PG’s customer center
Call the PG you want (Toss, NICE, KG Inicis), tell them you’re a foreign‑rep corp and ask for manual processing.
Submit docs by email directly
A manager will review the PDFs manually. Have ARC copy and corp docs ready.
Toss vs NICE ForStart vs KG Inicis — pick what fits foreign corp
Compared main PG terms as of Mar 2026. New startups should look at NICE ForStart (no sign‑up or annual fee).
| PG company | Card fee | membership fee | annual fee | settlement cycle | Special notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toss Payments | 3.4% | 22 ten-thousand won | 11만원 | T+5 | New franchise store guarantee insurance up to 1,000만원 waived |
| Nice start | consultation | 0 won | 0 won | T+5 | 200만원/월, great for new founders |
| KG Inicis | 3.3~3.5% | Separate discussion | Separate discussion | T+15 | Big mall integration advantage |
Calculate PG fees by monthly volume
Move the slider to set monthly volume and see estimated fees for each PG.
Toss Payments estimated fee (3.4%)
4 steps to link PG with PortOne
PortOne (formerly iamport) is a free middleware. One code line links all major Korean PGs.
PortOne sign‑up
Sign up at portone.io. You can start using it right after email verification.
PG integration settings
Admin console → Payment integration → Choose PG, then enter store ID and secret key.
Develop with V1 English docs
Check the JavaScript SDK guide on portone.io. The V2 English doc is still being written (2026).
Switch to live after test payment
If test payment works in sandbox, apply to go live. Review takes 1–2 business days.
1–2 weeks from docs to first payment
Whole process, including doc collection, takes about 1–2 weeks.
The biggest bottleneck is opening the corporate bank account. Foreign reps need 2–4 weeks, so start it first. While waiting, work on other docs and PortOne dev to cut total time.
Corporate bank account: 2–4 weeks (start first)
Doc prep: 2–3 days (can run with account opening)
PG review: 3–5 business days
PortOne integration test: 1–2 days
KakaoPay & Naver Pay also accept foreign firms
You can get payments via KakaoPay (45M+ users) and Naver Pay (40M+ users).
With PortOne you can apply without separate contracts, but each service needs extra review. That review takes another 1–2 weeks, separate from main PG review.
KakaoPay: request separate merchant review in PortOne console
Naver Pay: needs separate review and contract with Naver