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 10 million users in April 2023.
This is the fastest growth*3 among major point investment service providers, achieving this feat in three years since the service was launched on April 15, 2020.
*1. A wholly owned subsidiary of PayPay Securities Corporation.
*2. A mini app is 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 point 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 April 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. There is no need to open an investment account, and anyone can immediately use the PayPay Points they accumulated from purchases and other activities as quasi-investment points on the PayPay app, withdraw the PayPay Points that either go up or down in value, and use them again for shopping.
The service was launched in April 2020 with two courses, the “Challenge Course” and the “Standard Course,” and grew to 1 million users in three months. The “Technology Course,” “Gold Course,” and “Reverse Challenge Course” have been added for an offer of five investment courses, which have been well received by many users as the service provides an easy entry point to experience simulated investments through the PayPay app.
*4. Points awarded by PayPay by redeeming special offers, participating in campaigns, etc. However, it 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.
Track record of “Earn Points”
| 2020 | Apr | Service launched as “Earn Bonus” with two courses: “Challenge Course” and “Standard Course” |
| May | Launched auto-add feature to simplify the process of adding points | |
| Jul | Reached 1 million users 90 days after launch | |
| Oct | Winner of the Good Design Award 2020 | |
| 2021 | Feb | 2 million users |
| Apr | First anniversary & 3 million users | |
| Jul | 4 million users | |
| Dec | 5 million users | |
| 2022 | Jan | Introduced the “Technology Course” (primarily operated with U.S. IT company stocks) and “All Courses” to auto-add feature,which automatically adds points to all courses |
| Mar | 6 million users | |
| Apr | Second anniversary & name changed to “Earn Points” | |
| Aug | Added the “Gold Course” (linked to the price of a gold ETF), bringing the number of courses to four | |
| Oct | 7 million users | |
| Nov | Added the “Reverse Challenge Course,” which allows investors to expect returns when stock prices decline, making the number of courses five | |
| Dec | 8 million users | |
| 2023 | Mar | 9 million users |
| Apr | Third anniversary & 10 million users! |
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 points 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.” 1st prize: 50,000 points / 10 winners every month 2nd prize: 1,000 points / 1,000 winners every month 3rd prize: 1 point / users who agree to the terms of service, who do not win the 1st or 2nd prize |
| 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/
About PPSC Investment Service Corporation
PPSC Investment Service 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” in April 2020, and has gained the support of many users, as it does not require any additional procedures such as opening an account, and anyone can immediately start a simulated investment on the PayPay app. April 2023 marks the third year since the service was launched, with now over 10 million users investing points.
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 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)
・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.
