TOKYO, November 14, 2012 -- Rakuten, Inc. and Rakuten Edy, Inc. today announced the launch of Rakuten Edy Online, an online payment service that allows e-money Rakuten Edy deposits and payment for purchases both online and in stores.
Rakuten Edy Online enables payment and charging of Rakuten Edy over the Internet, which represents the industry’s first service combining server and IC card-type e-money accessibility through Rakuten Member IDs. Users simply charge (make a deposit of) Rakuten Edy to their online account through their credit card or bank. Rakuten Edy can then be used to make online payments or downloaded to an Osaifu-Keitai®*1 for purchases at walk-in retail stores. Rakuten Edy charged to an Osaifu-Keitai® can also be uploaded to the user’s online account for purchases over the Internet. The Rakuten Anshin (online secure) Payment Service, which allows payments using a Rakuten Member ID on sites outside the Rakuten Group (hereafter “merchants”), will soon gradually begin accepting Rakuten Edy Online. The Rakuten Anshin Payment Service is a service provided to merchants that was launched by Rakuten in October 2008. As of November 2012, more than 1,000 merchants are using the Rakuten Anshin Payment Service. Rakuten Edy Online Advantages [For Users] 1. Easy to Use by Anybody - Simply Upload Rakuten Edy from an Osaifu-Keitai® For online purchases, users without credit cards or bank accounts can upload Rakuten Edy charged to an Osaifu-Keitai® to their online account at convenience stores or other locations. If users change their Osaifu-Keitai® or smartphone, they can transfer their Rakuten Edy points to their new phone online. 2. Download Rakuten Edy to an Osaifu-Keitai® for Shopping Users can charge Rakuten Edy to their online accounts through their credit card or bank. Rakuten Edy can then be used to make online payments. It can also be downloaded to an Osaifu-Keitai®*1 to make purchases at walk-in retail stores. Rakuten Edy charged to an Osaifu-Keitai® can also be uploaded to the user’s online account to make purchases over the Internet. The maximum charge amount has been increased to 50,000 yen per charge, meaning users can enjoy shopping without worrying about their account balance. 3. Redeem or Earn Rakuten Super Points Rakuten Edy Online can also be used to redeem or earn Rakuten Super Points (Users can receive Rakuten Super Points equivalent of up to 2% of their purchase*2). [For Merchants] 1. Capture New Users with Rakuten Edy Generate opportunities to attract Rakuten Edy users that typically shop at walk-in retail stores, such as convenience stores and supermarkets, to websites. 2. Streamline Settlements by Enabling All Charging Options Rakuten Edy Online can be charged using credit cards, bank accounts and e-money. Normally, merchants set up the processing of each payment method beforehand, but with Rakuten Edy Online, merchants can easily offer these three payment options and keep costs down. 3. Flexibly Withdrawal Settlement Proceeds After the Sale has been Finalized Merchants can collect cash receivables by withdrawing settlement proceeds to the bank account of their choice. This can be done anytime after 30 days have passed since the sale was finalized. Both Rakuten and Rakuten Edy will strive to expand the service offerings of Rakuten Edy Online in the future, which will include providing services enabling consumers to transfer Rakuten Edy to other consumers and making it possible to use Rakuten Edy on sites outside of Japan. *1: Osaifu-Keitai® is a registered trademark of NTT DOCOMO, INC. *2: Rakuten Super Points award ratio: Users can earn Rakuten Super Points equivalent to 2.0% of the purchase price using Rakuten Online (with a Rakuten credit card) and 1.5% of the purchase price using Rakuten Edy Online (with a non-Rakuten credit card). However, certain credit card transactions are only eligible for 1.0% of the purchase price. [Major Companies / Websites Using the Rakuten Anshin Payment Service] ・Toho Cinemas Ltd. / Toho Cinemas ・Dominos Pizza Japan, Inc. / Dominos Online Store ・CyberAgent, Inc. / Ameba ・Tower Records Japan, Inc. / Tower Record Online ・Colopl, Inc. / Colony Life