We have published a fully revised version of our past newsletter, “Overview of Regulations on Settlement Cards in Japan”, in both Japanese and English.
The previous edition covered five categories: credit cards, bank cash cards and debit cards, money service business cards, prepaid payment instruments and virtual currencies. This revision adds the categories introduced since then – electronic payment instruments (stablecoins), the electronic payment instrument and crypto asset service intermediary business, the exchange transaction analysis business and the funds clearing business – in twelve sections.
The principal additions are:
- the expansion of the scope of Kawase Torihiki, bringing certain collection services within it (Payment Services Act Article 2-2)
- the three categories of funds transfer business and the rules on the retention of user funds
- High-Value Electronically Transferable Prepaid Payment Instruments and the application of the Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds
- the regulation of electronic payment instruments (stablecoins)
- the move of crypto assets to the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (Act No. 64 of 2026; the core of the move comes into force on July 22, 2027) and the transitional measures
- the relationship between each business category and the Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds (which operators are, and are not, specified business operators)
Overview of Regulations on Payment Services in Japan (English, PDF, 33 pages)
決済サービスに関する規制の概要 (Japanese, PDF, 29 pages)