Deals
Japan Internet Giants Join Forces as Payments Race Heats Up
- Line and Mercari become allies to take on SoftBank, Rakuten
- The race is on for dominance in Japanese cashless transactions
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Line Corp. and Mercari Inc. are joining forces on mobile payments as Japan’s internet companies race to dominate cashless transactions in the world’s No. 3 economy.
The operator of Japan’s most popular messaging platform and the used-goods online marketplace app will let users shop and pay for purchases at stores that accept each other’s systems starting early this summer, they told reporters in Tokyo Wednesday. They also launched an alliance to welcome other mobile payment providers.