The information in this page does not constitute legal advice. It only provides an overview of compliance considerations for payments in Japan. We recommend to review the legal requirements with your legal counsel.
You can also view the content of this page in Japanese.
To process domestic payments in Japan, you must comply with regulations in Japan. This page is an overview of points to consider when building an Adyen payments integration in Japan.
The information we provide in this guide can help you prepare for complying with regulations in Japan. However, the information here should not be taken as legal advice. We strongly recommend to get in touch with your legal counsel if you require assistance. This guide supplements the following sources:
- Specified Commercial Transactions Act
- Payment Services Act
Specified Commercial Transactions Act (SCTA)
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Read more about the SCTA in Japanese -特定商取引法, or English.
The SCTA is a law that aims to prevent illegal and malicious transactions by businesses, and protect consumers. The law is aimed at protecting general consumers, and it does not apply to business-to-business (B2B) transactions.
To comply with the SCTA, ecommerce businesses must provide certain information on their website.
Failure to comply with the SCTA can result in administrative penalties, such as suspension order. Additionally, you also risk reputation damage. Providing accurate and clear information enhances the trust consumers have in your business.
In-scope transactions
The law applies to you if you process ecommerce transactions for consumers located in Japan. Even when you do not have an entity in Japan, the SCTA applies when you provide goods or services to consumers in Japan.
The law does not apply to transactions for sales or provision of services:
- To consumers located outside of Japan.
- By national or local governments.
- By associations that follow special laws, public employee organizations, or labor unions, to their respective members.
- By businesses to their own employees.
- By an attorney, a lawyer, or a legal professional corporation.
- By businesses that sell newspapers published by non-listed companies.
Additionally, the law does not apply to transactions for which there are other recognized laws to protect consumer interests. For example, sales or provision of services by businesses registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act is not in-scope for SCTA.
How to comply
To comply with SCTA, you must disclose specific information to your consumers on your website. You must show all the required information in Japanese for the products or services you are selling that are in the SCTA scope.
The table below describes the information that you must show.
| Information | Description |
|---|---|
| Business name | The official name of your business. |
| Business address | The business address. If your business is located outside of Japan, include the country. |
| Contact information | How customers can contact your business, like a phone number and email address. You can include both, or choose to show a phone number or an email address, depending on your business needs. |
| Representative director's name | The name of the business representative. This must be the same person who is recorded as the representative in the Certificate of Registered Company Information in Japan. |
| Sales price | The total price of the goods or services that your consumer must pay, including taxes and any associated fees like shipping costs. |
| Payment timing | The time when the payment will take place. |
| Payment method | The available payment methods for the goods or services. |
| Delivery period | The period of time in which your consumers can expect to receive the shipped goods. |
| Return and refund policy | The details of your return and refund policies, including your cancellation process, and whether refunds are possible. |
Payment Services Act (PSA)
The PSA specifies the legal framework for digital currency transactions in Japan to protect consumers from fraudulent transactions. Businesses that are in-scope have to show certain information on their website.
If you are subject to the PSA, you may also be required to file a notification or register with the Financial Services Agency (FSA) before you can start processing transactions that are within the scope of the regulation.
In-scope transactions
The law applies to you if you provide digital currencies or in-app coins, or issue payment instruments such as digital wallets or prepaid cards.
If you are a foreign entity that issues digital payment instruments to consumers in Japan, you must also take measures to comply with the PSA. Additionally, it is recommended to establish an operational base in Japan, like a branch office.
How to comply
To comply with the PSA, you must disclose specific information to your consumers on your website. You must show all the required information in Japanese.
The table below describes the information that you must show.
| Information | Description |
|---|---|
| Business name | The official name of your business. |
| Business address | The business address. If your business is located outside of Japan, include the country. |
| Contact information | The way customers can contact your business, like a phone number and email address. |
| Representative director's name | The name of the business representative. This must be the same person who is recorded as the representative in the local company certificate. |
| Terms and conditions | The details for the digital content or service, including the price, available payment methods, return and cancellation policies. |
| Fees related to the payment | The details of any other fees that the consumer needs to pay in addition to the price for the digital content or service. |
In addition to providing the information above, you must also show a confirmation screen containing all the payment and order details to your consumers before letting them place the order.
In-person payments requirements
To process in-store payments in Japan, there are some scheme requirements that you must comply with. You must do the following before starting to accept payments with PayPay or JCB.
- For each of your physical points of sale, add a store to your Adyen account structure. You can do this using your Customer Area or Management API. When adding a new store, make sure that the address and phone number are complete and accurate.
- For each of the stores you created, add PayPay and JCB at the store level.