Requirements for Shopify Payments in Japan

Before you can use Shopify Payments in Japan, you need to understand the requirements that are in place to comply with regulations and to prevent financial crimes. This section explains why personal information is collected, the accepted types of documentation, and guidance for ensuring that your documentation meets the necessary criteria.

Requirements for using Shopify Payments in Japan

Some types of businesses and services aren't permitted to use Shopify Payments. To verify whether you can use Shopify Payments, check the list of Prohibited and Restricted Businesses for Shopify Payments Japan.

Bank accounts

Make sure that your bank account meets the following requirements before you connect it to Shopify Payments:

The bank account is a Futsu (普通預金) account.
The bank account is held with a bank in Japan.
The bank account is in JPY currency.

Bank account number format

Japanese bank accounts use the following format:

Bank code: 4 digits
Branch code: 3 digits
Account number: 6 or 7 digits

If your account number has 6 digits, then you might need to add a 0 at the beginning to make it 7 digits. Contact your bank to confirm the correct format before entering your details.

When entering your bank name and branch name during setup, you must use Kanji (full-width) characters. If you enter katakana or hiragana characters, this will cause an error. If you receive an error, then type the first 2 characters of the name and select from the autocomplete options.

Unsupported bank account types

Certain bank account types aren't compatible with Shopify Payments. The following account types aren't supported:

Checking accounts that accept only wire transfers: These accounts don't work with Shopify Payments.
Savings accounts: Savings accounts can't be used for Shopify Payments payouts.
Flex-currency accounts: Accounts that support multiple currencies simultaneously aren't supported.
Money transfer services: Services that mimic bank accounts, such as some fintech platforms, can't be used with Shopify Payments.

Although non-Shopify virtual accounts are supported, you can experience more payout failures with these accounts.

To confirm whether your account can accept the transfer type listed for your region, contact your bank.

Compliance with the Specified Commercial Transactions Act of Japan

When using Shopify Payments in Japan, you're required to post a publicly accessible page according to the Specified Commercial Transactions Act (SCT). Customers need to be able to easily view and access this page. You're required to include in this page information about your business, and keep it up to date.

Learn more about the Specified Commercial Transactions Act. Learn how to easily create a page for the SCT act using the steps shown here.

Purpose of collecting information

Shopify and its banking partners are required to collect and verify information about you and your business to comply with regulations in Japan that are designed to prevent financial crimes. As local rules and regulations evolve, you might be contacted by Shopify and its banking partners to provide additional information throughout the lifespan of your Shopify Payments account.

The information that's collected is used to confirm the identity of the business, the identities of individuals linked to the business, and the nature of the relationship between the two.

Shopify never physically mails documentation to you. Any important documents or communications are emailed, or made digitally available to the store owner in the Settings > Users page of your Shopify admin.

Review Shopify's Privacy Policy to learn about how your information is kept confidential and safe.

Required personal and business information

You must correctly identify your business type because it determines the information that you need to provide.

If you don't have a Corporate Number, then select Individual. If you have a Corporate Number, then select from one of the other options according to your business structure. If you're unsure of your business structure, then contact the Tax Agency in Japan to confirm your business type.

If your business type isn't listed below, then contact Shopify Support for help with selecting the correct business type.

Individuals

Individuals are single person businesses that haven't registered for a Corporate Number and are doing business privately. Individuals need to provide the following information:

Legal first and last names in both Kanji and Kana
Date of birth
Email address
Phone number
Residential address in Japan

Ensure that your name, date of birth, and home address are accurate and that they match your government-issued documentation. If your information can't be verified, then you're asked to update your name and date of birth to match your documentation, and you can be asked for photo ID. Review the list of acceptable photo ID documents.

Corporations

A corporation is an entity that has a Corporate Number. The corporation is considered its own legal entity, separate from the people who run it. It has a board of directors and shareholders.

Corporations must assign either a director or an executive with decision-making power as their account representative. The account representative needs to provide the following information:

Legal first and last names: Provide in both Kanji and Kana.
Date of birth: Enter as listed on government-issued documentation.
Email address: Provide a valid email that you regularly use.
Phone number: Enter a reachable phone number.
Residential address in Japan: List your current home address in Japan.
Job title: State your official title within the corporation.

Corporations also need to provide the following details about the business:

Registered name: Enter the name in Kanji, Kana, and Romaji.
Corporate number: Provide the official corporate number.
Business phone number: Enter a valid business contact number.
Business address: Enter the address of the business headquarters or main office.

If your business information can't be verified, then you can be asked to provide a business document. When providing this document, ensure that the registered name, corporate number, and business address listed in your account matches exactly with the information on the document. Update the information in your account to match the document if necessary. Review the list of acceptable business documents.

Non-profits

A non-profit organization (NPO) is an entity that's established for purposes other than generating profit for its shareholders. Its primary mission is to serve a public or benefit the community.

NPOs must assign either a director or an executive with decision-making power as their account representative. The account representative needs to provide the following information:

Legal first and last names: Provide in both Kanji and Kana.
Date of birth: Enter as listed on government-issued documentation.
Email address: Provide a valid email that you regularly use.
Phone number: Enter a reachable phone number.
Residential address in Japan: List your current home address in Japan.
Job title: State your official title within the non-profit organization.

NPOs must also provide the following details about the business:

Registered name: Enter the name in Kanji, Kana, and Romaji.
Corporate number: Provide the official corporate number.
Business phone number: Enter a valid business contact number.
Business address: Enter the address of the main office or headquarters.

Acceptable document types

The following information explains which documents you can use to verify your identity and business details.

Identity documents

The name and date of birth on your Shopify Payments account must be updated to match the information displayed in the identity document you're providing. The documents must be valid and mustn't be expired. The following documents are accepted as proof of identity:

Japanese passport
Japanese driver's license (Photos of the front and back are required)
Japanese residence card
"My Number" card with photo (マイナンバーカード (顔写真付き))

For Shopify Payments Japan, only photo ID documents issued by the Japanese government will work. You will not be able to provide a passport or driver's license for example that has been issued by a different country. If your account representative does not have Japanese issued ID documentation, you should update your account representative to someone who can provide Japanese document.

Business verification documents

Business documents are issued to you by the National Tax Agency in Japan when you apply for your Corporation Number. You need to update the registered name and corporate number on your account to match exactly what's displayed on your documentation. The following documents are accepted for business verification:

Touki (登記謄本)
Seal Registration Certificate (印鑑登録証明書)

Ensure that the document displays both the formally registered business name and the Corporation Number.

Ensuring documentation compliance

When providing your documents, ensure that they meet the necessary criteria. Review the following guidelines to ensure compliance:

Accuracy: Ensure that the information on your documents matches what you've entered in your Shopify Payments account. Update your account to match your documents, if necessary.
Clarity and legibility: Make sure that your documents are clear and large enough to read. Ensure the entire document is visible in the photograph.
Completeness: Ensure all the necessary details are visible on your document. Review the acceptable document types listed on this page to understand what details must be included on the document.
Original documentation: Take an original photograph of your document using a camera. Don't photocopy, scan, or screenshot your documents. Don't paste photos of documents into other documents. Don't take photos of computer screens or printouts.
- If your document was issued to you digitally, then provide the PDF file with all pages as it was originally given to you, with no alterations.
Validity: Ensure photo IDs aren't expired and that proof of address is recently issued. If providing proof of business registration, then your business should still be actively registered and in good standing.

Troubleshoot onboarding and verification issues

Before contacting Shopify Support, review the following common onboarding issues and their solutions.

My photo ID was not verified.

Ensure the photo ID you're submitting is photographed with a camera, and not scanned or photocopied. You can for example use your cellphone to take a clear photograph. Scans, photocopies, screenshots, or photos of photographs will not verify.

Ensure the name and date of birth on your photo ID match the name and date of birth on your account. If you need to update your account information to match your ID, do so before making a submission.

Review the guidance in the Identity Documents section for more information.

I have Japanese photo ID but my name isn't written in Kanji. How should I write my name?

If you don't have a kanji name and you're being asked to provide one, provide your name as it is shown on your Japanese photo ID. Traditionally non-kanji names are written in latin letters instead. You can type latin letters in kanji fields if you need to.

Even if your name is not written in kanji, you should be able to provide a katakana translation for the katakana fields.

My photo ID shows my birthday in Japanese Era format. How should I enter my date of birth?

If your photo ID shows your date of birth in the Japanese Era format, convert it to the casual DD/MM/YYYY format when entering your information.

For example: Heisei 5 should be put in as 1993.

Frequently asked questions

Review the following frequently asked questions about Shopify Payments requirements in Japan.

Can I use a Toza (当座預金) bank account?

Toza accounts should be used only when a Futsu account isn't available. If you have only a Toza account, then contact Shopify Support before setting up your payout account. Toza accounts need to be configured manually and can take up to a month to activate.

My Corporate Number is only 12 digits, but Shopify requires 13 digits

Corporate Numbers in Japan are 13 digits long. Sometimes documentation from the Tax Agency displays only 12 digits and omits the leading check digit. You can look up your full 13-digit Corporate Number on the Houjin Bangou website.

What business type should I select for an LLC, Partnership, or Sole Proprietorship?

LLC (Godo Kaisha / 合同会社): Select Corporation. The requirements are identical to corporations.
Partnership (kumiai / 組合): Select Corporation. The requirements are identical to corporations.
Sole Proprietorship (Kojin Jigyo / 個人事業): Select Individual.

How do I update my Shopify Payments account information?

If you are actively being asked to complete account verification, then you can make any updates to your information from in the verification page along with submitting any documents that are being requested.

Outside of the verification process, the account owner of the store can update these details through Settings > General > Business Details. Click the three dots beside your business entity and then click "edit" to update that business's information, including business type.

Note that any changes you make here are automatically sent to our banking partners for review, and the new information is re-run through their verification process. It's possible the changes automatically re-verify, but you may also be asked for supporting documents.

If you have any difficulty with this process, contact Shopify Support for assistance.

I'm a citizen of Japan but don't currently live there. Can I use Shopify Payments Japan?

If your business type is Individual, then you must live in Japan to be eligible for Shopify Payments Japan. If you don't currently live in Japan, then you need to create a Shopify Payments account for the region you live in.

Update your store address to your current location. If your location is eligible for Shopify Payments, then you can create a Shopify Payments account for that region instead.

If your business is a corporation or non-profit, then you don't need to live in Japan, but your business must be registered in Japan and have a Japanese business address. Additionally your account representative will have to provide photo ID issued by the Japanese government. If you need help, then contact Shopify Support.

I'm an unincorporated voluntary association. What business type do I select?

Unincorporated voluntary associations (任意団体) should select the business type Individual.

When providing the owner details, you should enter the personal information of one of the organization's primary owners or directors.

If you would prefer to select corporation, then a 13 digit corporate number is a requirement. This cannot be bypassed.

Can my customers view the information I provide?

Your Business Name, Business Phone Number, and Business Address can sometimes be visible to customers on their credit card statements, but this varies depending on their financial institution. Personal information for owners and directors, such as their names or home addresses, is never displayed publicly.