Satofull Co., Ltd. (Head office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President & Representative Director: Hiroaki Fujii; hereinafter “Satofull”) and PayPay Corporation (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President & Representative Director, CEO, Corporate Officer: Ichiro Nakayama; hereinafter “PayPay”) are pleased to announce that PayPay Gift Vouchers have been rolled out to 327 local governments—a new payment method available on Satofull, a portal site for furusato nozei (hometown tax system)—that can be redeemed at stores and facilities in areas specified by local governments to which donations are made.
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On Satofull, users select the local government*1 they wish to donate to, and once they donate, they can receive PayPay Gift Vouchers. The vouchers can be used within the municipality at stores and facilities that offer goods and services that meet the local government’s product standards. The vouchers have a validity of up to 180 days after the donation is made, and can be used to pay for food, beverages, activities, lodging, and other services when visiting the municipality.
*1. PayPay Gift Vouchers can be used only in municipalities that have introduced PayPay Gift Vouchers.
At the time the service was announced*2 on November 16, 2022, PayPay was planning to introduce this service to 30 municipalities by the end of the year for use in more than 8,000 stores and facilities. However, since the announcement, the company has received many inquiries and requests from local governments looking to participate in the scheme. The PayPay Gift Vouchers have been highly received for its contribution to revitalizing local economies and stimulating tourism by increasing visitor numbers to the municipalities where the PayPay Gift Voucher donations are made. In addition, they can also be used by existing PayPay merchants, making them easy to introduce and use. As of December 9, 2022, PayPay Gift Vouchers are scheduled to be rolled out to 89 municipalities by the end of the year, and will be available at more than 18,000 locations*3.
*2. Click here to read the press release announcing the service on November 16, 2022.
*3. Number of merchants expected to participate as of December 9, 2022.
Furthermore, as of December 9, 2022, a total of 327 local governments, including those that have already started using the vouchers and those that will join the scheme this year, have decided to introduce PayPay Gift Vouchers. The number of local governments that will implement the vouchers is expected to grow further as it is currently being considered by 625 more municipalities. The introduction of PayPay Gift Vouchers as a thank you gift is increasing nationwide.
Satofull and PayPay will continue to further revitalize local economies through furusato nozei by making it more accessible and convenient for users.
■ Local governments that have introduced PayPay Gift Vouchers
Hokkaido: Otaru City, Kushiro Town／ Tochigi Prefecture: Nikko City／ Mie Prefecture: Ise City／ Kyoto Prefecture: Kameoka City, Kyotango City／ Fukuoka Prefecture: Asakura City
■ Local governments planning to introduce PayPay Gift Vouchers
＜Starting December 14, 2022＞
Hokkaido: Chitose City, Furano City, Noboribetsu City, Mori Town, Kutchan Town, Shiraoi Town, Toyako Town, Abira Town, Teshikaga Town／ Yamagata Prefecture: Yonezawa City／ Aichi Prefecture: Okazaki City, Minamichita Town／ Hyogo Prefecture: Toyooka City／ Nara Prefecture: Nara City／ Yamaguchi Prefecture: Nagato City／ Kagawa Prefecture: Takamatsu City／ Ehime Prefecture: Imabari City／ Fukuoka Prefecture: Dazaifu City／ Kumamoto Prefecture: Oguni Town／ Kagoshima Prefecture: Ibusuki City and one other local government
＜Starting December 21, 2022＞
Hokkaido: Mukawa Town／ Ishikawa Prefecture: Nanao City
＜Starting December 26, 2022＞
Hokkaido: Betsukai Town／ Iwate Prefecture: Shizukuishi Town／ Fukushima Prefecture: Kitakata City／ Ibaraki Prefecture: Ryugasaki City, Moriya City, Inashiki City, Shirosato Town／ Tochigi Prefecture: Motegi Town ／ Gunma Prefecture: Ota City／ Saitama Prefecture: Kawagoe City, Toda City, Iruma City ／ Chiba Prefecture: Katori City, Tako Town, Yokoshibahikari Town ／ Yamanashi Prefecture: Kofu City, Fujikawa Town／ Nagano Prefecture: Komoro City, Komagane City, Asahi Village ／ Gifu Prefecture: Hashima City, Sekigahara Town ／ Osaka Prefecture: Tadaoka Town ／ Hyogo Prefecture: Miki City ／ Wakayama Prefecture: Kudoyama Town, Yura Town／ Ehime Prefecture: Kumakogen Town ／ Fukuoka Prefecture: Nogata City ／ Saga Prefecture: Taku City, Imari City, Yoshinogari Town ／ Miyazaki Prefecture: Nichinan City, Kushima City, Mimata Town ／ Kagoshima Prefecture: Minamiosumi Town, Tatsugo Town and another 23 local governments
Other local governments scheduled to join the scheme
238
*As of December 9, 2022.
See the Dedicated webpage for further information and on how to use the vouchers.
■Message from Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture, which began using the service on November 29, 2022
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Nikko City was the first city in Japan to introduce PayPay Gift Vouchers. After hearing so many positive comments from donors excited to use the vouchers at their favorite stores in Nikko City and donors praising the seamless user journey from donation until receipt of the PayPay Vouchers, we realized that this service will lead to more visitors coming to our city.
Shoichi Konakawa, Mayor
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Image of dedicated sticker
for display in stores and facilities
■ About “PayPay,” the cashless payment service provided by PayPay Corporation
PayPay is a cashless payment service expanding across the country, available not only at major chain stores but also at small and medium size retailers, vending machines, taxis and even public transportation. It can also be used in a variety of other scenes, including paying for online services and utility bills. PayPay is also expanding its range of services beyond just payments, including a “send/receive” feature (remittance/transfer and receiving of money) that allows users to transfer their PayPay Balance (PayPay Money and PayPay Money Lite) between each other for free, or “point management,” a service that allows users access to a simulated investment experience involving the exchange of PayPay Points with points provided by a service provider that PayPay is partnered with. The company also strives to create a safe and convenient environment for users through a hotline available 24/7 and a full compensation scheme ensuring, compensation for any damages that may be suffered.
PayPay is registered as follows:
・Prepaid Payment Instruments (third party type) Issuer, Registration #: Director-General of the Kanto Finance Bureau, No. 00710 (Registration date: October 5, 2018)
・Fund Transfer Operator, Registration #: Director-General of the Kanto Finance Bureau, No. 00068 (Registration date: September 25, 2019)
・Japan Payment Service Association (https://www.s-kessai.jp/, Date of admission: September 12, 2018)
・Business Operator that Concludes Contracts on the Handling of Credit Card Numbers, etc., Registration #: Kanto (K) No. 106 (Registration date: July 1, 2019)
・Japan Consumer Credit Association (https://www.j-credit.or.jp/, Date of admission: July 1, 2019)
・Telecommunications Carrier (Filing #: A-02-17943 / Date filed: July 2, 2019)
・Notified Person Entrusted with Intermediation (Filing #: C1907980 / Date filed: December 18, 2019)
・Bank Agency Operator, License: Director-General of the Kanto Finance Bureau, No. 396 (Registration date: November 26, 2020)
・Financial instruments intermediary service registration number: Kanto Finance Bureau Director (Kinchu) No. 942 (Registration date: June 25, 2021)
* “PayPay” provides 5 types of PayPay Balance: PayPay Money, PayPay Money Lite, PayPay Points, PayPay Bonus Lite, and PayPay Gift Voucher. PayPay Money can be used to pay for partner services and in transactions at merchants if the transaction value is within the amount deposited into the PayPay account opened after completing an identity verification process. It can also be used for sending and receiving money between PayPay users free of charge. PayPay Money can also be cashed out to a designated bank account (no withdrawal fee if using PayPay Bank). The legal nature of this is an electromagnetic record which can be used to pay for goods and other services, and can be remitted or cashed out, and is issued by PayPay who is a Fund Transfer Operator registered under Article 37 of the Payment Services Act. Based on the provisions of Article 43 of the Payment Services Act, PayPay protects the debt it owes to its users in by depositing assets equivalent to or more than the debt amount. PayPay Money Lite is an electronic money issued by PayPay, which can be purchased and used to pay for services and in transactions at merchants. PayPay users can transfer and receive PayPay Money Lite free of charge. The legal nature of this is a prepaid payment instrument issued by PayPay (Article 3, Paragraph 1 of the Payment Services Act). Based on the provisions of Article 14 of the Payment Services Act, PayPay protects the relevant assets for the purpose of protecting the owners of the prepaid payment instrument by providing a security deposit for issuance to the Legal Affairs Bureau in an amount equivalent to half or more of the unused balance of prepaid instrument methods as of March 31 and September 30. In addition, PayPay Points and PayPay Bonus Lite, which are granted through campaigns and promotions when using PayPay, can be used for partner services and in transactions at merchants in addition to PayPay Money and PayPay Money Lite. However, PayPay Bonus and PayPay Bonus Lite cannot be sent or transferred between PayPay users or be cashed out. PayPay Bonus Lite has an expiration date, after which it will no longer be valid. PayPay Gift Voucher is a type of electronic money issued by PayPay, which can be used to make payments for affiliated services and merchants designated by the PayPay Gift Voucher. However, it cannot be transferred to other users or cashed out. PayPay Gift Vouchers have an expiration date within six months after issuance, after which they will no longer be valid.
PayPay also strives to create a safe and secure environment for users. If an unexpected payment is made by a third party using a PayPay account, or if a request to settle a payment suddenly arrives from PayPay to a user that does not have a PayPay account, providing that certain conditions are met, the user can be compensated for the damages suffered (the difference will be provided as compensation if compensation is also provided by a third party). Please see applying for compensation for details.
■About Satofull Co., Ltd.
Satofull Co., Ltd. promotes regional revitalization through furusato nozei (donations to local governments). The core concept of the Satofull portal site is to support and “fully” rejuvenate local towns, and bring together to the “fullest” all the charms of the locale. The site offers services that allow donors to select local governments and thank you gifts, apply for donations, and make payments. For municipalities, the company provides a comprehensive service that handles all operations necessary for the operations of furusato nozei, including solicitation and acceptance of donations, collection of donations, inventory management of thank you gifts, and deliveries. Satofull also operates a regional information website, Furusato Koduchi (https://www.satofull.jp/koduchi/), which features local revitalization efforts through the use of furusato nozei.
*The company name, trade name, and product/service in this press release are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective companies.
*The contents, products, specifications, contact information, and other information contained in this press release are current as of the date of the publication. This information is subject to change without notice.
