SoftBank and Yahoo Japan-backed PayPay is to go live in Japan on 4 December with a 10bn yen (US$88.6m) promotional campaign that will see users receiving a 20% cashback on all the purchases they make with the new QR mobile payments service between the launch date and 31 March 2019, up to a monthly cashback total of 50,000 yen (US$443) per customer... More
Japan
Google includes support for FeliCa NFC payments in Pixel 3 smartphones
Google has extended the NFC capabilities of its Pixel smartphones with the addition of support for ‘NFC-F’ FeliCa NFC mobile payments in Japanese versions of its new Pixel 3 smartphones... More
JCB rolls out support for Google Pay in Japan
Idemia and JCB partner to launch Google Pay in Japan — Idemia — “Users will be able to make contactless mobile payments in store using their JCB branded credit, debit, and prepaid cards enrolled in their Google Pay, at places such as convenience stores, supermarkets, drug stores and other shops where QuicPay [JCB’s contactless payment product] is accepted… It allows not only JCB, but also its issuing and processing partners to integrate with Google Pay and offer real-time enrolment, provisioning and tokenization capabilities.”
Japanese banks launch blockchain P2P payments service
SBI Ripple Asia’s MoneyTap app has launched in Japan — Coindesk — “The product allows users to send funds to others using just their telephone numbers or a QR code, and utilizes devices’ biometric log-in features, such as fingerprint scanning, for security… Currently, the service is only able to remit between accounts held at the three participating Japanese banks — SBI Sumishin Net Bank, Suruga Bank and Resona Bank. Payments are being offered at no charge and can be sent in Japanese yen or foreign currencies.”
Wireless startup uses NFC smart packaging to heat pre-packaged food and drinks
A US startup has demonstrated a way to prepare packaged food items “without a distracting trip to the kitchen”, using an induction pad and products bearing NFC tags that tell the base unit how to heat them... More
Japanese bank pilots blockchain mobile payments in bars and restaurants
Notice concerning demonstration experiment of S Coin — SBI Holdings (translation) — “S Coin is a settlement coin that allows charging and settlement on smartphones. In this demonstration experiment, for SBI Group employees, we will construct a mechanism that allows cashless settlement at eating and drinking establishments in Izumi Garden Tower, Roppongi 1-chome where SBIH is based.”
LG to pilot blockchain carrier billing system for international mobile payments in stores
LG U+ to offer blockchain-based overseas payment service — The Korea Herald — “Once the service is launched, LG U+ subscribers will be able to buy things at selected retailers using their mobile phones when they travel to Taiwan and Japan. Far EasTone subscribers will also be able to enjoy the same convenience when traveling to Korea and Japan. The service uses direct carrier billing, enabling transactions to be billed and paid through their carrier in their home currency.”
Tokyo Racecourse to replace betting slips with contactless cards and biometrics
Fujitsu’s cashless betting machines use palm vein authentication to support Japan Racing Organization — Fujitsu — “The betting machines will allow users to place bets without using cash by simply holding their hands out to the machine and using their JRA-Umaca contactless membership card… The purchase information is recorded on the JRA-Umaca card making it unnecessary to print a paper betting ticket, and if they make an accurate prediction, winnings will be paid out to the JRA-Umaca card automatically.”
Japanese bank to roll out payment cards with built-in display and keypad
GMO Aozora Net Bank Ltd and Dynamics Inc introduce Japan’s first battery-powered interactive debit and cash card — Dynamics — “A consumer enters a pass code, known only to the consumer, into the keypad on the face of the card. The correct pass code turns the card on so that it can be used in any swipe, tap, or insertion reader via a magnetic stripe, contact or contactless EMV chip. Entering the correct pass code also activates the card’s display to show the consumer’s payment card number.”
Japanese carrier KDDI to pilot blockchain coupons that shoppers can redeem using biometrics in stores
KDDI and Hitachi pilot finger vein biometrics for redeeming coupons in stores — KDDI (translation) — “The user can authenticate himself by holding the finger registered on the authentication infrastructure, so it is not necessary to present the coupon at the store, and the coupon can be used even without the smartphone… Since coupon usage information recorded in the blockchain is extremely difficult to tamper with, it is easy to share coupon usage history securely and reliably between KDDI and affiliated stores, and payment according to the number of coupon users is highly accurate.”
Line sets out plans to roll out mobile payments in Japan
Chat app Line plots finance ‘revolution’ with mobile payments — Nikkei Asian Review — “Line, the operator of Japan’s leading chat app, is pushing hard into the banking sphere with plans to aggressively expand in mobile payments, aiming to get its 75 million users hooked on transactions without the fees imposed by conventional banks… Line is rolling out a version of its app that will let small and midsize merchants accept QR code-based payments via Line Pay. Transaction surcharges will be waived for the first three years, and the system costs nothing to set up.”
SoftBank to enter Japanese mobile payments market with Paytm technology and three years’ free processing offer
SoftBank and Yahoo Japan JV to launch ‘PayPay’, barcode-based smartphone payment services in collaboration with India’s Paytm in the fall — SoftBank — “PayPay Corporation, a joint venture established by SoftBank Corp and Yahoo Japan Corporation, today announced that the company will launch ‘PayPay’ smartphone payment services using barcodes (QR code) in fall 2018. PayPay Corporation will team up with India’s largest digital payment company Paytm, a SoftBank Vision Fund portfolio company, to utilize Paytm’s technology and expertise in mobile payments… The service will be free to affiliate stores for the first three years from its launch.”
SoftBank and Paytm to launch mobile payments service in Japan?
SoftBank plans payments service for Japan by year-end — Bloomberg — “The service, a collaboration with Indian startup Paytm, will make extensive use of artificial intelligence for mobile payments and other financial services, the people said, asking to not be identified as the plans are private. An announcement is imminent, they said. Dozens of Paytm employees are working in Tokyo on getting the service up and running, one of the people said.”
Palm vein biometric payments to be pilot tested in Japanese convenience stores
Aeon and Fujitsu launch field trial of cardless payments using biometric authentication technology — Fujitsu — “Aeon Credit Service and Fujitsu will begin a field trial of a cardless payment system using Fujitsu’s palm vein biometric authentication technology. Starting in September 2018, the trial will take place in selected Ministop convenience stores. This initiative will be Japan’s first example of palm vein authentication-type cardless payments at actual retail stores.”
Line Pay aims to convert 1m Japanese merchants to QR payments with free transactions for three years
Japan’s Line Pay throws down gauntlet to Alipay — Nikkei Asian Review — “Line has sought to minimize the hassle for retailers by allowing the retailer to use the service by simply downloading a free app on a smartphone… Retailers can also send messages to individual shoppers later, such as sales promotions. The service can be used free of charge for the next three years… There are also incentives for customers, offering them loyalty points valued at 3% to 5% of every purchase they make with Line Pay.”
JCB to add support for Google Pay in Japan
JCB to offer Google Pay in Japan — JCB — “JCB will enable Google Pay for in-store payments in Japan through its QuicPay contactless payment solution. At launch, Google Pay users will be able to make payments on their enrolled JCB credit, debit, or prepaid card at convenience stores, supermarkets, drugstores, and other shops where QuicPay is accepted and online wherever JCB is accepted. Credit, debit, and prepaid cards can be enrolled using the Google Pay app on Osaifu Keitai supported devices with Android OS 5.0 or higher version.”
Google Pay adds support for Japanese payment cards
Now you can add Suica and Waon to Google Pay in Japan — Google — “Starting today, you can add and manage your Suica and Waon cards in Google Pay if you live in Japan and have an Osaifu-Keitai eligible phone. This means four major Japanese prepaid e-money cards — Nanaco, Rakuten Edy, Suica and Waon — can all be used with Google Pay. You’ll be able to pay with Google Pay at the hundreds of locations that accept any of these cards, plus pay on transit anywhere Suica is accepted.”
Japanese bank to pilot digital currency for in-store payments
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, the world’s fifth largest bank, is to invite 100,000 customers to participate in a pilot of MUFG Coin, a blockchain-based digital currency that customers will be able to use to make mobile payments in stores... More
JCB to pilot biometric payment cards in Japan
JCB pilot of Japan’s first fingerprint authentication chip card — JCB — “Users first record one or more fingerprints for authentication purposes. When they want to buy something, they need only touch the fingerprint sensor on the card’s lower right corner with their finger so as to authenticate payment. The fingerprint record is only kept in the card, and given that fingerprint authentication is also done on the card, merchants do not need any further equipment to accept payment.”
Japanese airline ANA to enter mobile payments market
Japan airline ANA aims to build digital payments business — Financial Times — “The plan is part of a broader digital push by ANA, which hopes to build on data collected from the 31m users of its airline miles to provide a range of services including real estate, insurance and health to consumers across Japan… ‘We are aiming for ANA’s version of Alibaba’s Alipay,’ Shinya Katanozaka, ANA’s chief executive, said in an interview.”