PayPay Corporation (hereinafter “PayPay”) has expanded the functionality of PayPay Gift Vouchers, one of the payment methods of its cashless payment service “PayPay,” and improved the feature’s convenience by allowing users to check stores where the vouchers can be used, see the remaining value of their vouchers, and pay with vouchers in combination with other payment methods.
Furthermore, PayPay Gift Vouchers will be available for use in Kizugawa-shi, Kyoto Prefecture (March), Inagi-shi, Tokyo (April), Showa-cho, Yamanashi Prefecture (May), and Koori-machi, Fukushima Prefecture (June). PayPay Gift Vouchers have the advantage that they can be easily configured according to the purpose of the issuer, such as limiting the users to whom the vouchers can be given and the stores where they can be used. Thus, many local governments have adopted the vouchers as thank-you gifts and “premium gift certificates” on Satofull, the portal site for furusato nozei (hometown tax donation program).
<New features of PayPay Gift Vouchers>
Stores where the vouchers can be used are displayed on “Deals” and “Yahoo! JAPAN Map”
Users with PayPay Gift Vouchers can now see the merchants where they can use their vouchers from “Deals” in the PayPay app. If users want to check the stores where the vouchers can be used before acquiring them, they can use “Yahoo! JAPAN Map” from the dedicated page for initiatives implemented by each local government which has adopted PayPay Gift Vouchers.
See PayPay Gift Vouchers held from “Wallet”
Users who own PayPay Gift Vouchers can now check from “Wallet” in the PayPay app the total value of their vouchers and the breakdown of the total if they hold multiple vouchers.
Split the payment amount with other payment methods
PayPay Gift Vouchers can now be used in conjunction with PayPay Balance when the value remaining in a voucher is insufficient when making a purchase. Split payments with PayPay Credit will also be available from May 2024. For more details, please visit here. By enabling Auto-Use of PayPay Gift Vouchers, the vouchers a user holds will be automatically used when paying at the applicable PayPay Gift Voucher store, preventing users from forgetting to use it.
In addition, the municipalities that will adopt PayPay Gift Vouchers from March onwards have been confirmed. Counting from November 2023, a total of five municipalities,* including Nara Prefecture, will be introducing measures that leverage the vouchers. Local governments can limit the number of users who purchase PayPay Gift Vouchers and stores where they can be used, and do not require printing paper or exchanging paper vouchers with cash, as is the case with conventional local promotion certificates. This will lower paper and printing costs, plus reduce the hassle of merchants and users. The system is scheduled to be further used by other local governments for promotion measures and other such purposes.
*Excluding its use as a thank-you gift on Satofull.
<Municipalities adopting PayPay Gift Vouchers>
| Local Government Name | Application Period | Overview | Application limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kizugawa-city, Kyoto | March 5 – April 2, 2024 | 5,000 yen gift voucher worth 6,250 yen | Up to 4 vouchers per person |
| Inagi-shi, Tokyo | April 5 – 21, 2024 | 5,000 yen gift voucher worth 6,000 yen | Up to 10 vouchers per person |
| Showa-cho, Yamanashi | May 1 – 30, 2024 | 5,000 yen gift voucher worth 10,000 yen | Up to 3 vouchers per person |
| Koori-machi, Fukushima | June 3 – 29, 2024 | 5,000 yen gift voucher worth 7,500 yen | Up to 2 vouchers per person |
*In the event that the number of applications reaches the maximum budgeted amount, a lottery will be held to select the winners.
*For further details on conditions, refer to the website of the measures implemented by each municipality.
PayPay will continue to strongly promote the efforts of each local government through the “PayPay” platform.
PayPay Corporation is registered as follows:
・Prepaid Payment Instruments (third party type) Issuer (Registration number: Director-General of the Kanto Finance Bureau, No. 00710 / Registration date: October 5, 2018)
・Business Operator that Concludes Contracts on the Handling of Credit Cards (Registration number: Kanto (Ku) No. 106 / Registration date: July 1, 2019)
・Telecommunications Carrier (Filing number: A-02-17943 / Date filed: July 2, 2019)
・Fund Transfer Operator (Registration number: Director-General of the Kanto Finance Bureau, No. 00068 / Registration date: September 25, 2019)
・Notified Entity Entrusted with Intermediation (Filing number: C1907980 / Date filed: December 18, 2019)
・Bank Agency Services (License: Director-General of the Kanto Finance Bureau (Gindai) No. 396 / Registration date: November 26, 2020)
・Financial Instruments Intermediary Services (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” offers four types of electronic money and other services: PayPay Money, PayPay Money Lite, PayPay Points, and PayPay Gift Vouchers.
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 services, 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 by depositing assets equivalent to or higher 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, 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, it cannot be transferred to other users or cashed out. 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, after which they will no longer be valid. The deadline for Gift Vouchers can be confirmed in the details or specifications of the measure or promotion campaigns for which they are issued.
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, there is a scheme that ensures compensation for the damages suffered (the difference will be provided as compensation if compensation is also provided by a third party), given that the prescribed conditions are met. 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.
