PayPay: A “usage voucher” required when using other companies’ credit cards; existing method ends at the end of August - ITmedia NEWS

　Vouchers are purchased in units of ¥10,000. Users can choose from ¥10,000, ¥30,000, ¥50,000, ¥100,000, and ¥200,000, and can purchase up to ¥250,000. A cardholder authentication service (3D Secure) is required when registering a third-party credit card and purchasing a voucher. From July 1 onward, the company plans to gradually expand the number of users who can use the vouchers over approximately one month.

　After confirming with a PayPay public relations representative, vouchers are purchased in units of ¥10,000, but they can also be applied to purchases of less than ¥10,000. Purchased vouchers can be combined with PayPay balance and PayPay Credit, so payments that cannot be covered by vouchers alone can be supplemented with the balance or other means. Although they are described as being “purchased,” PayPay stated that no fees are charged to acquire or use vouchers.

　There are also several restrictions. First, vouchers cannot be combined with PayPay points. In addition, although they have no expiration date, ongoing benefits and campaigns other than PayPay coupons are not eligible, and vouchers cannot be used at certain merchants, including online merchants.

　With the introduction of the new method, the existing payment method will no longer be offered as of the end of August. However, consumer credit cards issued by Sumitomo Mitsui Card, including partner cards such as ANA Card and Amazon Mastercard, can continue to use the existing payment method through joint initiatives with Sumitomo Mitsui Card.

　The company had explained that, since the service began in October 2018, the significant fees imposed by international brands and others when processing payments with third-party credit cards posed a profitability challenge. Initially, it announced a policy to stop allowing the use of credit cards other than PayPay Card in January 2025, but withdrew the policy in response to user opposition and began considering a new way to use them. The new Third-Party Card Payment Voucher is the concrete measure resulting from this process.