NTT DOCOMO to join Mobile Payment Alliance in Japan

In addition, DOCOMO will join the Mobile Payment Alliance (MoPA), an alliance of merchant stores established by LINE Pay and Merpay to further popularise cashless payments in Japan.

Through this business alliance, the three companies will promote the introduction of LINE Pay, Merpay, and dBarai mobile payment services to stores and businesses. Each one plans to make their own app capable of handling QR code scanning and payments for the other two partners’ merchant-presented mode (MPM) code payment services – payment method in which users scan the store’s QR code with their smartphone to pay for their purchase.

Businesses need to set up a QR code from any one of the three services to begin accepting payments from users of all three, enabling the acquisition of new customers without the need to implement a new system. Users will also benefit from being able to use their chosen payment method at more stores.

With DOCOMO joining MoPA, the companies anticipate that DOCOMO’s nationwide network of sales resources will further increase the number of merchants. Additionally, the three companies expect to mutually benefit from introducing the others’ payment services to current merchants of their own service.