The solution? “Circular fandom activities” backed by Mercard, allowing users to allocate their Mercari sales balance (Merpay balance) to fandom activities

Merpay, Inc. (“Merpay”) conducted a survey on fandom culture and financial awareness among 4,707 consumers aged 18 to 69 nationwide, focusing its analysis on 600 respondents who engage in fandom culture.

The survey revealed that fandom culture expenses are a “necessity for emotional wellbeing” that provides fulfillment, and that about half of respondents do not reduce their spending even when prices are high. On the other hand, over 60% struggle to manage their expenses. One particular challenge is the high cost of accommodation and transportation for attending events in other cities, since these expenses remain unknown until ticket lottery results are announced. As a solution, more users are turning to “circular fandom activities,” which involve using the sales balance they earn from selling on marketplace apps to fund their activities. Merpay has found that Mercard users engage in circular fandom activities at a rate almost twice that of users who do not use Mercard. The unique features of Mercard, such as allowing users to adjust payment timing and use their Mercari sales balance (Merpay balance) for payments, support a style of consumption that enables users to participate in fandom activities more economically.

Background

In 2025, phrases originating from fandom culture, such as “plushie life” and “visuals on point,” were nominated for the New Word Award and Buzzword Award, indicating that fandom culture gained social traction that year.

Merpay offers the credit cards Mercard and Mercard Gold, which feature integrated financial management within the Mercari app and usage limits tied to users’ Mercari activity. With fandom culture gaining mainstream influence, Merpay conducted a survey to understand the financial awareness and spending trends of consumers who participate in fandom culture.

Summary of Survey Results

Fandom culture has widely permeated as a type of lifestyle, with expenses deemed a “necessity” even amid high prices. 48.8% of respondents reported being part of a specific fandom. These fandoms include not only public figures and media, but also hobbies and experiences, expanding across all aspects of lifestyle. More than 1 in 5 people (22.5%) responded that they feel fandom culture is a daily necessity for them. Regarding fandom culture-related expenses, the majority of respondents (47.7%) perceive these costs as “expenses for maintaining emotional wellbeing.” About 80% (77.1%) said that they feel the strain of high prices, but nearly half (48.1%) do not reduce their spending. The most common reason (38.8%) is to “maintain a sense of fulfillment and happiness.” Many say that spending more than expected on fandom culture is not something they regret. However, over 60% struggle to manage their expenses. More than 90% of respondents (91.6%) engage in fandom activities without setting a budget, and about 60% (58.3%) reported having experienced overspending. Regarding their feelings at that time, the most common response was “anxiety or uneasiness” (29.1%), followed closely by “no regrets” (26.4%). Over 60% (63.3%) reported that they struggle to manage fandom culture expenses, particularly that “it is difficult to cope with large, unexpected expenses, such as events announced close to the date and flash merchandise sales” (27.5%). Mercard supports circular fandom activities, allowing users to efficiently generate funds by selling unneeded items on the Mercari app. In addition to typical strategies for continuing to participate in fandom culture amid rising prices, such as “reducing other entertainment expenses” (30.5%) and “reducing food and other daily expenses” (20.2%), circular fandom strategies such as “earning and using points” (22.3%) and “generating funds through selling unneeded items on marketplace apps” (16.2%) have emerged as new options for consumers. The survey found that 34.7% of Mercard users use marketplace apps to support their fandom activities amid rising prices. This is about twice the rate of the overall survey population (16.2%). Mercard supports a consumption style that allows users to pursue their interests more affordably, such as by enabling users to use their Mercari sales balance (Merpay balance) to make payments.

Detailed survey results

1. Fandom culture has widely permeated as a type of lifestyle, with expenses deemed a “necessity” even amid high prices 
Of all respondents, 48.8% indicated that they are part of a specific fandom. The particular fandoms reported extend beyond traditional categories such as “public figures (idols, musicians, actors, celebrities, comedians, influencers, athletes, etc.)” (67.2%) and “media (anime, manga, games, movies, novels, etc.)” (37.7%), encompassing broader lifestyle areas such as “hobbies and creative pursuits (photography, art, handmade crafts, DIY, cooking, instruments, etc.)” (17.1%) and “experiences (travel, festivals, general events, sporting events, camping, saunas, fishing, etc.)” (15.3%). This suggests that fandom culture has widely permeated as a type of lifestyle.

Graphic title: Select all your current interests and things you spend time and money on.

When asked about the role fandom culture plays in their life, more than 1 in 5 (22.5%) answered that it is “a necessity.” Regarding fandom culture-related expenses, most said “I consider these expenses for maintaining emotional wellbeing” (47.7%), followed by “I see these as expenses for self-affirmation that enrich my daily life” (26.4%) and “being a fan makes me work hard to generate income” (25.5%). These results reveal that expenses for fandom culture are not seen as merely hobby or entertainment costs, but rather as necessary expenses that support consumers’ daily life and reinforce one’s individuality. In other words, they are a “necessity for emotional wellbeing.”

Graphic title: Select the option that best represents the role fandom culture plays in your life.

Regarding rising prices in fandom culture, about 80% (77.1%) answered “I feel that things have become more expensive.” Despite this, nearly half (48.1%) indicated that they have “not reduced” their fandom culture expenses. The most common reason for this is “to maintain a sense of fulfillment and happiness” (38.8%), indicating that expenses for fandom culture are seen as a “necessity for emotional wellbeing” that users are reluctant to cut.

Graphic title: Have you reduced spending on fandom activities due to rising prices?

2. Many say that spending more than expected on fandom culture is not something they regret. However, over 60% struggle to manage their expenses.
When asked if they set a budget before spending on fandom activities, more than 90% (91.6%) answered “No.” Additionally, about 60% (58.3%) responded that they have spent more than expected in the past. Regarding their feelings at that time, the top responses included, “It’s fun, but I do feel anxiety about my spending and whether to continue fandom activities” (29.1%) and “Looking back later, I sometimes feel regret and disappointment in myself.” On the other hand, a significant number also expressed positive sentiments such as, “I have absolutely no regrets about spending the money” (26.4%).

Graphic title: Have you ever spent more than expected on expenses related to fandom culture?

Over 60% (63.3%) reported struggling with managing expenses related to fandom culture, with the main reason being, “It is difficult to cope with large, unexpected expenses, such as events announced close to the date and flash merchandise sales” (27.5%). In fact, many cited “accommodation and transportation for attending events in other cities” as a specific example of their most expensive purchases in 2025. Often, these expenses remain unknown until ticket lottery results are announced, which makes planning difficult.

Graphic title: What are your worries about fandom culture and managing expenses? Select all that apply.

3. Mercard supports circular fandom activities, allowing users to efficiently generate funds by selling unneeded items on the Mercari app.
These results indicate that many people are devising ways to manage their finances to continue participating in fandom culture even amid rising prices. Specifically, many save money by “cutting costs on other hobbies and entertainment” (30.5%) and “restraining from purchasing or reducing purchase frequency” (25.5%), while others find new ways to generate funds through “actively using credit cards and point services to earn and spend points” (22.3%) and “selling unwanted goods on marketplace apps to fund activities” (16.2%), representing circular fandom activities that give users more options.
Circular fandom activities are a trend particularly prominent among Mercard users, with 34.7% of users stating that they use marketplace apps as a way to continue their fandom activities. This is about twice the rate compared to the overall average of survey respondents. This shows us that Mercard–which allows users to directly use their Mercari sales balance (Merpay balance) to make payments–is highly compatible with circular fandom activities and supports a consumption style that enables users to sustain their passions without breaking the bank.

Graphic title: What changes have you made to your finances to continue fandom activities? Select all that apply.

This survey revealed that, while fandom culture is perceived as a “necessity for emotional wellbeing” that provides a feeling of fulfillment, many users struggle with managing large, unexpected expenses. To address this, many users are being creative and engaging in circular fandom activities, such as by selling unwanted items on marketplace apps to generate money for fandom activities.
True to our concept of “Mercard–Your interests, your way,” we will continue to support users in pursuing their hobbies and interests.

 

Survey Overview Survey period: November 21 to November 25, 2025 Survey method: Online survey Survey target: 1. 4,707 consumers aged 18 to 69 nationwide (SC sample) 2. Sample of 600 consumers who responded in the main survey that they are a part of a specific fandom and engage in fandom culture Note that the numbers in the graph are rounded to the first decimal place, so the total may not always equal 100.