KDDI, convenience store Lawson to tie up on mobile payments japantoday.com

Japanese telecom company KDDI Corp is taking a 2.1% stake in convenience store chain Lawson as part of a tie-up in smartphone payment services, amid a push by the government and businesses to bolster their digital options.
The partnership will combine KDDI’s 5G technologies and Lawson’s network of stores, along with both companies’ fledgling payment and loyalty systems, the companies said on Monday.
Ultra-low interest rates, a nationwide web of ATMs and relatively low crime rates have made Japanese consumers late compared to some other developed nations in embracing electronic money and mobile payments.
From May, KDDI and Loyalty Marketing will integrate their point systems into the Ponta service, creating Japan’s biggest such loyalty network with over 100 million subscribers, they said.
Lawson, Japan’s third-biggest convenience store chain, also has a tie-up with KDDI’s rival NTT Docomo.