PPSC Investment Service Corporation (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President & Representative Director: Yukiya Sekiguchi; hereinafter “PPSC Investment Service”)*1 and PayPay Corporation (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President & Representative Director, CEO, Corporate Officer: Ichiro Nakayama; hereinafter “PayPay”) are pleased to announce that “Earn Points,” a service which provides a simulated investment experience through a mini app*2 in “PayPay,” has exceeded 9 million users in March 2023, two years and eleven months after it was rolled out on April 15, 2020.
This is the fastest pace of growth*3 for any major point investment service provider.
*1. A wholly owned subsidiary of PayPay Securities Corporation.
*2. A feature that allows users to smoothly make reservations, order products, and purchase services provided by PayPay Corporation’s partner companies from the PayPay app.
*3. Based on a comparison between the following points investment service providers; au PAY Points Management, Credit Saison’s Eternal Points Investment Service, d POINT Investment, and Points Management by Rakuten PointClub, in alphabetical order (as of March 2023, research by PPSC Investment Service).
“Earn Points” is a service that allows users to enjoy simulated investments by converting PayPay Points*4 issued by PayPay into unique points*5 provided by PPSC Investment Service. The service was launched on April 15, 2020, in the hopes of lowering the barrier to entry for investing and making it easier for people to give it a try. “Earn Points” is a popular service which does not require any extra procedures such as opening an account, and allows anyone to immediately avail oneself of simulated investments via the PayPay app.
The service has been used by many customers since its launch in April 2020, and it surpassed 1 million users in about 3 months, and 8 million in December 2022. Then, three months later, the number of users grew to over 9 million.
*4. Points awarded by PayPay by redeeming special offers, participating in campaigns, etc. However, they cannot be cashed out or transferred.
*5. Unique points provided by PPSC Investment Service are currently used only for “Earn Points” and converting them to PayPay Points, and cannot be used for other services.
Campaigns and programs for would-be “Earn Points” users are also currently being held.
“Start Using ‘Earn Points’ Program”
During the program period, users who agree to the terms of service for “Earn Points” from within the PayPay app will receive up to 50,000 yen worth of balance for point investments.
| Campaign period | February 1, 2023 – End date TBD This is a sustained program with no fixed period. |
| Details | During the program period, users who agree to the terms of service for “Earn Points” from within the PayPay app will receive an investment balance for the “Standard Course.”
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| Conditions | Users who agree to the terms of service during the program period. *Users who have agreed to the terms of service at least once prior to the program period are not eligible. |
For more information on this program, please visit the following website.
https://www.ppsc-is.co.jp/campaign/program/
“Try Using ‘Earn Points’ Campaign”
Users who use “Earn Points” for the first time during the campaign period will receive up to 10,000 yen worth of balance for point investments.
| Campaign period | February 20 – April 16, 2023 |
| Details | If a user who has never used “Earn Points” launches the “Earn Points” mini app during the campaign period, they will receive an investment balance for the “Standard Course” worth 10 yen. In addition, out of the users who add more than 500 points to “Earn Points” during the campaign period, 100 winners will receive 10,000 yen worth and 1,000 persons will receive 100 yen worth of “Standard Course” investment balance by lottery. |
| Conditions |
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For more information about this campaign, please visit the website below.
https://www.ppsc-is.co.jp/campaign/2302-02/
It’s now possible to check the status of “Earn Points” in the Wallet section at the bottom of the PayPay app!
From March 8, 2023, users can view their balance and earnings for “Earn Points” in the Wallet section accessible from the icon at the bottom of the PayPay app. In addition to information on saved PayPay Points to date, points available for use, and points scheduled to be granted, the status of “Earn Points” can now be checked at a glance, allowing users to easily manage all the points they own.
The PayPay app must be updated to the latest version. However, it may take some time before the app can be updated. If the app version for this feature does not appear, please try again after some time.
*Users must first agree to providing their point investment information to PayPay in order to use this service.
About PPSC Investment Service Corporation
It is the operator of the “Earn Points” service, which allows users to experience a simulated investment with a mini app in “PayPay.” “Earn Points” was launched as “Earn Bonus” on April 1, 2020, and has gained the support of many users, as it does not require any extra procedures such as opening an account, and anyone can immediately start a simulated investment on the PayPay app. After two years and eleven months, the service is now being used by over 9 million people.
PPSC Investment Service will continue to provide and update its services, such as adding more “Earn Points” courses, in order to make asset management more accessible to customers.
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 situations, 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 “Earn Points,” a service that allows users access to a simulated investment experience involving the exchange of PayPay Points with points provided by PPSC Investment Service Corporation. 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 Corporation is a member and registered service operator with the following associations.
・Prepaid Payment Instruments (third party type) Issuer, Registration #: Director-General of the Kanto Finance Bureau, No. 00710 (Registration date: October 5, 2018)
・Business Operator that Concludes Contracts on the Handling of Credit Card Numbers, etc., Registration #: Kanto (K) No. 106 (Registration date: July 1, 2019)
・Telecommunications Carrier (Filing #: A-02-17943 / Date filed: July 2, 2019)
・Fund Transfer Operator, Registration #: Director-General of the Kanto Finance Bureau, No. 00068 (Registration date: September 25, 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)
Japan Payment Service Association (https://www.s-kessai.jp/, Date of admission: September 12, 2018)
Japan Consumer Credit Association (https://www.j-credit.or.jp/, Date of admission: July 1, 2019)
* “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 merchants if it 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 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 preserves 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 that is 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 are valid for 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.
*Company names, trade names, and products/services in this press release are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective companies.
