Tokyo, May 8, 2026 – Rakuten Group, Inc. and Rakuten Edy, Inc. today announced the renaming of the Rakuten Cash electronic money balance across Rakuten Group services. The balance, currently displayed as “Rakuten Cash,” will transition to the new unified name “Rakuten Pay Balance”*1 beginning Monday, May 18 (subject to change) starting with the Rakuten Pay app, followed by Rakuten Ichiba, Rakuten Rakuma and other Rakuten Group services. The electronic money product names, “Rakuten Cash Standard,” “Rakuten Cash Premium” and “Rakuten Cash Premium (Salary)” and all applicable terms of service will remain unchanged.
Rakuten Cash launched in February 2008 as one of Japan’s early online electronic money services. Over nearly two decades, the service has become deeply integrated across the Rakuten Ecosystem, accepted at Rakuten Ichiba, Rakuten Travel, Rakuten Mobile and Rakuten Securities (for investment trust purchases), as well as at Rakuten Pay and Rakuten Point Card merchants nationwide. Rakuten Cash is also accepted for national and local tax payments and utility bills, and offers peer-to-peer money transfer and billing features that users rely on for everyday needs such as splitting expenses and sending allowances.
With cashless payment adoption in Japan continuing to rise*2, Rakuten is taking this opportunity to consolidate how its payment balance is presented to users across all Group services. The move to “Rakuten Pay Balance” is designed to clearly position the balance as a versatile payment platform available across a broad range of everyday use cases, both within and outside the Rakuten Ecosystem, while making the experience more intuitive and reinforcing the Rakuten Pay brand.
The rebranding does not affect any existing features, services or usage of Rakuten Cash. All functionality remains fully available to users.
Rakuten and Rakuten Edy will continue to enhance their services with the goal of providing users with the most convenient and seamless payment experience possible.
Notes
*1 “Rakuten Pay Balance” is the collective name and combined total of “Rakuten Cash Standard,” “Rakuten Cash Premium” and “Rakuten Cash Premium (Salary).”
*2 Source: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Cashless Payment Ratio for 2025. https://www.meti.go.jp/press/2025/03/20260331006/20260331006.html (*Japanese page)
*All company names, product names and service names mentioned above are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.