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| 2001.07.26 |
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Smart Pit to be largest invoice-less convenience store payment service
From the end of July 2001, three nationwide convenience store chains - FamilyMart, Three F and Ministop - will start handling the Smart Pit invoice-less payment service initiated by NTT COMWARE CORPORATION (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo, President: Yuji Matsuo). Approximately 15,000 outlets will handle the payment service in addition to Lawson outlets, which started offering the service in January. The service system will be the largest such system in Japan. With the addition of two more major convenience stores this fall - Circle K and Sunkus & Associates - the number of Smart Pit outlets will rise to more than 21,000.
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The Smart Pit service allows users to purchase products and services in online shops and Internet virtual malls using an ID number on their Smart Pit card, and pay for their purchase at the checkout counter of their nearest convenience store outlet. (At Lawson outlets, purchasers input their ID number in the "Roppi" terminal to print an invoice and pay the charge at the checkout counter.)
Smart Pit cards are pre-issued to purchasers by online shops, or available at partner convenience stores. The Smart Pit system requires only the Smart Pit ID number for orders and payments. There is no need to supply bank account or credit card information, thus alleviating consumers' fear of illegal use or personal information leakage. The system helps online retailers by reducing the cost of issuing, printing and posting invoices and receipts.
At present, approximately 160 online shops participate in the service. NTT COMWARE CORPORATION is actively soliciting prospective convenience stores to take part in the service, and is also approaching public agencies to explore licensing the system to handle payments of public utilities fees, such as electric power, gas and telephone. NTT COMWARE CORPORATION projects sales for its Smart Pit business at ¥4 billion by the end of fiscal 2004.
[Smart Pit's partner convenience stores and number of outlets]
Lawson Co., Ltd.
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(7,479 outlets)
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Started January 31, 2001
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| FamilyMart Co., Ltd. |
(5,807 outlets) |
Starts July 30, 2001 |
| Three F Co., Ltd. |
(619 outlets) |
Starts July 30, 2001 |
| Ministop Co., Ltd. |
(1,464 outlets) |
Initial outlets start July 31, 2001, with others to follow. |
| Circle K Japan Co., Ltd. |
(2,711 outlets) |
Scheduled to start the end of November 2001 |
| Sunkus & Associates, Inc. |
(2,898 outlets) |
Scheduled to start the end of November 2001 |
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(Figures effective as of 31 May, 2001) |
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