What's New in Payments

Japanese banks gear up to test digital currency

Japan Digital Currency Forum diagram showing aspects of the planned digital currency

A consortium of more than 70 leading banks, financial services providers and other businesses in Japan is to conduct a series of proof of concept (PoC) trials of a digital currency supported by commercial banks across a range of specific use cases with the aim of rolling the currency out by the end of the 2022 fiscal year... More


What's New in Payments

Japanese banks to begin QR mobile payments pilot

Japan’s megabanks aim to introduce unified smartphone payment system — The Mainichi — “MHFG announced that it will soon embark on a verification test of smartphone payments with Toho Bank, headquartered in Fukushima Prefecture, using the barcodes. It is thought that the results of the test will be used to create uniform standards for the two-dimensional barcodes that are currently being mulled by the three banking groups.”


What's New in Payments

Japan’s major banks to launch QR mobile payments platform

Japanese megabanks team up on mobile payments — Nikkei Asian Review — “Japan’s three megabanks are working together to standardize a smartphone payment system using QR codes… The three banks are also looking at establishing a jointly financed company to oversee the system. Other large banks and smaller regional banks will be invited to join.”


What's New in Payments

Japanese banks to pilot blockchain-based mobile payments service

Fujitsu to conduct blockchain field trial of money transfer service with three major Japanese banks — Fujitsu — “Fujitsu will develop a cloud-based blockchain platform for money transfers between individuals that can be jointly used by these three major banks, as well as a smartphone application that allows users to easily handle the different steps for sending money and for making deposits and withdrawals.”


Japanese bank plans new biometrics firm

Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group is planning to establish a company that provides biometric authentication services together with a “major Japanese IT company and an Irish company as early as this spring”, The Japan News reports... More



Japanese firms team with NTT and Daon for biometric venture

Daon Logo

Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG) and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation have signed an agreement with NTT Data and biometrics provider Daon for the commercialisation of services that will offer individual identification platforms utilizing several different types of biometric authentication... More