Line Partners With Visa to Expand Digital Wallet Across Japan
Japan's top messaging app is moving its digital payment service onto physical Visa credit cards. The partnership aims to accelerate the country's shift away from cash ahead of the 2020 Olympics.
Line, Japan’s largest messaging app with 50 million registered users, partners with Visa to bring its digital wallet to a physical credit card. The new plastic cards allow customers to use Line Pay at any retailer that accepts Visa, expanding the service far beyond its existing digital merchant network. Users receive three percent of their spending back in Line Points during the first year, which they can use to buy stickers and other digital content.
This partnership represents a significant upgrade from Line’s previous payment cards that relied solely on the JCB network. While mobile payments dominate in countries like China through apps like WeChat and Alipay, digital wallets struggle to gain widespread retail adoption in other markets. Smaller retailers often lack the awareness, confidence, or resources to support new digital payment systems, making a physical Visa card a practical bridge for Line.
The launch aligns with a broader push by the Japanese government to transition the country toward a cashless society ahead of the 2020 Olympics. Line already enables Chinese tourists to pay at its point-of-sale terminals through a recent deal with WeChat. By combining a globally recognized payment network with its massive domestic user base, Line positions itself as a major catalyst for modernizing Japan's financial ecosystem.