Rakuten, Inc. (“Rakuten,” Chairman and CEO: Hiroshi Mikitani, Head Office: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo) and bitWallet, Inc. of the Rakuten Group (“bitWallet,” CEO: Yoshihisa Yamada, Head Office: Shinagawa-ku, Japan) have integrated their core applications for conventional mobile phones (“mobile phones”) that are equipped with the “Osaifu-Keitai®” feature to form a new application, “Rakuten Edy.” Services for the new application commenced for Rakuten users on February 16 (Wednesday).
The Rakuten Edy application is an application for mobile phones that is provided free of charge. By simply downloading the new application, Rakuten users can use Edy from their mobile device for shopping at over 255,000 Edy affiliated establishments nationwide, including convenience stores, supermarkets, drug stores and other outlets,. Moreover, users can even set up the application to easily earn Rakuten Super Points (one point for every 200 yen spent) and can view special information, including information on Edy campaigns that are held by Rakuten Ichiba, Rakuten Travel, and others.
Rakuten and bitWallet aim to bring the resources accumulated through Rakuten’s Internet Business together with the resources developed via bitWallet’s e-money service “Edy” in efforts to integrate Internet shopping with real shopping. Rakuten developed the Rakuten Application for mobile phones in July 2008 and has provided services where users can earn Rakuten Super Points in accordance with how much they spent using Edy on their mobile phone. Meanwhile, bitWallet launched the Edy Application for mobile phones in July 2004, and has expanded to a wide range of services with the application, including those that allow users to earn Rakuten Super Points and ANA miles (*1).
bitWallet joined the Rakuten Group in January 2010, and with this Rakuten will strive to further improve user convenience and provide new applications for Rakuten users through the integration of the Rakuten Application and Edy Application.
Users that currently use the older Rakuten Application must download the new application. Edy Application users that earn points (miles) other than Rakuten Super Points can continue to use the Edy Application as is with no change.
Utilizing the integration of Internet and real-life services as an axis, Rakuten and bitWallet will strive to provide users with new services by working to exploit the synergy of the Rakuten Group.
(*1) A point service for users of “Osaifu-Keitai®” only that allows users to earn various points and miles by using Edy.
URL: https://www.edy.jp/profit/edypoint/index.html
“Edy” is a prepaid e-money service brand managed by bitWallet, Inc.
※ “Osaifu-Keitai®” is the registered trademark of NTT DoCoMo, Inc.