Taiwan Convenience Stores
When I lived in Taiwan, 7-Eleven was basically my second home.
Elementary school me would walk in almost every single day — not always because I needed something, but because that's just what you did. At the time, they had these loyalty stamp programs where you'd collect Hello Kitty stickers based on how much you spent, and once you had enough, you could exchange them for prizes depending on how many stickers you collected.
My favorite memory? A giant Hello Kitty magnet board. You'd buy the board, then slowly collect the individual magnets with the stickers you’ve exchanged. It was the kind of thing that made spending money feel like winning.
Honestly, brilliant for the business. Even more fun for eight-year-old me.
When I eventually moved back to California and walked into an American 7-Eleven… I was so confused. And honestly, a little sad. It doesn't even compare.
Taiwan's convenience stores are genuinely on another level (well, Asia in general) — and if you're visiting Taiwan for the first time (or even if you've been before and didn't know what you were doing), this guide is for you.
the main 4 chains
Taiwan has four major convenience store chains, and between them, they cover literally every corner of the island. Here's the quick rundown of each convenience stores:
7-Eleven
The king of the convenience store chains in Asia. With over 7,000 locations, there's at least one in every singledistrict in Taiwan. It's the most accessible, the most versatile, and honestly the most fun.
If you only use one convenience store during your trip, it'll probably be this one.
FamilyMart (全家)
The runner-up with around 4,250 locations, mostly concentrated in urban areas.
FamilyMart fans swear by their coffee, sweet bread, and ready-made meals. I personally like their ice cream selection!
Hi-Life (萊爾富)
Smaller footprint (~1,590 locations) but still packs in all the essentials — hot food, bill pay, ATMs, mailing services, and fresh drinks. Worth stopping in if you spot one!
OK Mart (OK超商)
The smallest of the four (~900 locations), but great for grocery staples and value-for-money finds. A solid option if you're watching your budget.
7-Eleven
7-Eleven is like its own universe that people in Taiwan live and breathe in. And it's not just Japan — 7-Eleven is all across Asia, and Taiwan's version might just be the best one.
Here's what you can actually do and grab:
💳 Pay your bills
Forgot to pay a utility bill? Don’t worry.
7-Eleven accepts payments for basically everything — electricity, water, gas, phone, health insurance, income tax, car tax, parking fines, and more. As long as it has a barcode, you can pay for it in cash at the counter. My parents use this constantly.
🖨️ Print documents & photos
Need to print something? The ibon or FamiPort kiosk connects to a printer in-store. You can email your document to ibon and print it on the spot. Same goes for photos — send from your phone and pick them up in minutes.
📦 Mail & receive packages
7-Eleven has its own courier service, separate from the post office.
You can send packages and even arrange for deliveries to be sent directly to a 7-Eleven location for pickup.
🚕 Request a taxi ride
This one blew my mind.
In smaller cities like Chiayi, yellow cabs aren't always around, and sometimes Uber just doesn't have options. But if you spot a 7-Eleven, you can walk in and request a taxi from the kiosk.
That's exactly what my partner and I did after dinner one night in Chiayi — called a cab from inside a 7-Eleven. Still can't believe that's a thing.
🛋️ Sit down and hang out
Many locations have a City Café seating area where you can grab a drink or snack and actually sitdown. Some feel more like mini cafés than convenience stores.
My dad and I did exactly this once — got ice cream, found a seat, and just hung out. Simple and perfect.
Photo: Brian Chew
🍺 Tap beer (yes, really)
There's a 7-Eleven in Kaohsiung that servestap beer.
It's called Open Bar (酒BAR) and it's located inside Liuhe Night Market — so you'll be walking through the market and then suddenly, there it is. You just walk in and get a fresh pour.
If that's not the most Taiwanese thing ever, I don't know what is.
💳 Purchase your EasyCard
You can buy a cute EasyCard at 7-Eleven — Taiwan's all-purpose transit card for the MRT, buses, YouBike, and more. They have some cute designs too, so keep an eye out!
🥚 Tea eggs (茶葉蛋)
You'll smell them before you see them — that warm, savory soy-and-tea broth is iconic.
They sit right by the register for only NT$10 each. My favorite combo? Instant ramen, a tea egg, and a drink. Cheap, satisfying, and very Taiwanese.
🍙 Onigiri
Different fillings, always fresh, always satisfying. These were my favorite growing up — I always go for the tuna one. Perfect for eating on the HSR or TRA.
🥪 Hot Sandwiches
Toasted sandwiches with fillings like truffled scrambled egg or roasted chicken, usually NT$60-80.
🧋 Drinks
The drink selection is not what you'd expect from a convenience store. Some of my favorites are papaya milk, unique milk tea drinks that you can’t see in America, unique fruit milks lol, canned alcoholic drinks!
🍦 Ice cream & popsicles
Grabbing an ice cream from 7-Eleven is one of life's simple joys. Look for matcha, red bean, pudding, and tapioca flavors.
🥜 Snacks
If you're a snacker like me, 7-Eleven is your paradise. There’s a huge variety of chips, crackers, and Taiwanese snacks you won't find anywhere else.
🧴 Travel essentials
This is underrated but so practical. If you’re road-tripping around Taiwan and suddenly remember you forgot something… 7-Eleven’s gotchu (and no, I’m not sponsored by 7-Eleven lol) — travel-sized toiletries, wipes, face masks, basic meds, chargers, and more. It's saved me more times than I can count.
know before you go!
💰 HAVE CASH READY | Most services at 7-Eleven (especially bill pay) are cash only. Always keep some Taiwanese cash on you.
⏰ OPEN 24/7 | Every single one. Late-night snack run, early morning train ticket, 3am ice cream? No judgment, all welcome.
🧾 SAVE YOUR RECEIPTS | Taiwan has a government receipt lottery (統一發票) — every receipt you get from a store is technically a lottery ticket. Winning amounts range from NT$200 to NT$10 million, so it's worth holding onto them! You can also donate your receipts to charities and non-profit organizations instead. That's usually what I do!
Family Mart
🎟️ Print & pick up tickets
This one genuinely surprised me when I was traveling along the East Coast.
Using the ibon kiosk inside 7-Eleven, you can purchase or pick up tickets for Taiwan Railways (TRA), Taiwan High-Speed Rail (HSR), and concerts or live events.
Just a friendly reminder — if you accidentally input the wrong info on your booking (I did this half-awake while buying train tickets from Taipei to Hualien), you'll need to head to an actual station counter to fix it. The kiosk can't make changes.
Taiwan vlog!
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Think convenience stores are just for snacks and drinks? In Taiwan, they're basically a way of life. Pay your bills, print your train tickets, call a taxi, grab tap beer — yes, tap beer — and find snacks you'll genuinely miss when you leave. Here's everything you need to know before you walk in.