Subscriptions to iD Mobile Credit Payment Services Top 15 Million

NTT DOCOMO, INC. announced that subscriptions to iD™, its branded platform for using postpaid electronic money with DOCOMO handsets and compatible credit cards, had topped 15 million and reached 15.09 million at the end of August nationwide in Japan.

Launched in December 2005, iD reached 5 million subscribers in November 2007, 10 million in December 2008 and 15 million in August 2010, just 4 years and 9 months since the launch (see graph).

DOCOMO promoted the use of iD by offering an increasing number of compatible handsets and cards as well as adding more opportunities to use the iD services. The number of subscribers using handsets equipped with contactless IC chips (Osaifu-Keitai™) compatible with iD has surpassed 37.5 million, representing over 60% of all DOCOMO subscribers.

DOCOMO, which is offering a credit payment service known as DCMX™, and 67 credit card companies such as Sumitomo Mitsui Card Company, Limited are currently offering credit payment services via iD. A number of companies provide iD-enabled plastic credit cards in addition to Osaifu-Keitai handsets.

Currently, there are approximately 481,000 iD-enabled payment terminals nationwide which allow users to make payments just by waving compatible mobile phones or cards over them.

iD can be used in more than 90% of all convenience stores in Japan, including all am/pm and Seven-Eleven stores, which completed the installation of iD terminals to all their stores nationwide in December 2006 and July 2010 respectively. Seicomart plans to install the terminals in all of its stores in October. According to a survey by the Japan Franchise Association, the average purchase amount is over 20% higher if the customer pays via iD only.

Today, iD can also be used at McDonald’s locations, Coca-Cola vending machines, and electronics retailers as well as in taxi cabs and shopping malls.

As a result of expanding opportunities and the benefits of using iD, over 16 million transactions were made in June 2010 alone. DOCOMO is also supporting stores using iD by implementing marketing initiatives and service enhancements possible only with mobile phones.