Japan running out of credit card numbers amid online shopping boom www.theguardian.com

Covid and a campaign to encourage cashless payments prompts credit card companies to consider adding 17th digit

Japan is running out of credit card numbers amid a surge in online shopping during the coronavirus pandemic.

The country’s credit card companies are struggling to come up with original 16-digit numbers as consumers eschew regular shop visits and opt for plastic over hard cash, the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper reported.