In recent years, Japan’s retail market has undergone a remarkable transformation. As consumer needs diversify and technology advances, the retail industry is experiencing an unprecedented shift. In this competitive environment, consumers have higher expectations for shopping experiences, compelling retailers to adopt new technologies to enhance efficiency and meet increasingly complex demands.

Japan's retail landscape is diverse, encompassing everything from vending machines and small stores to national chains and online shopping. While the number of physical stores has declined, the overall retail market continues to grow. Japanese consumers still prefer shopping in physical stores, particularly for food and daily essentials. In major cities and commercial districts, in-store shopping is not only about purchasing goods but also a lifestyle and cultural experience.

Challenges in Japan’s Payment Industry

Despite rapid advancements in payment technology, Japan’s payment industry still faces several challenges：

• Demand for Diverse Payment Methods

  With an increasing variety of payment options, including credit cards, E-wallets and QR codes, consumers are looking for greater flexibility. However, many retailers' existing POS systems are unable to meet these demands, limiting payment convenience and efficiency.

• Dual-Sided Card Swipe Efficiency Bottleneck

  In Japan, loyalty or membership cards typically have magnetic strips on both sides. However, many payment terminals in Japan are equipped with single magnetic card readers, which can only read one side of the magnetic strip. As a result, customers are required to swipe these cards twice to complete a transaction. This process slows down the checkout experience, creating a significant efficiency bottleneck and negatively impacting the overall customer experience.

• Efficiency and Payment Security

  Payment security remains a top priority, especially with the rise of mobile and contactless payments. Retailers face pressure to ensure secure and efficient transactions, particularly in high-traffic environments where fast checkout is essential for customer satisfaction.

• Growing Demand for Self-Service Checkout

  Due to labor shortages and changes in consumer behavior following the pandemic, there is an increasing demand for self-service and unattended checkout systems. Retailers are looking for secure, efficient solutions to meet these new consumer preferences.

Newland NPT’s Solutions and Industry Expertise

With 30 years of experience, Newland NPT is a global leader in the payment industry, offering innovative solutions that address modern consumer needs. Our products are specifically designed to meet Japan’s payment challenges, ensuring efficiency, security, and flexibility.

Our smart POS terminals, including the N950, X800, and N750, support multiple payment methods such as EMV, QR codes, E-wallets, and NFC, perfectly suited for Japan's diverse payment preferences. These devices not only provide robust payment processing capabilities but also deliver fast transaction speeds, reducing wait times and improving the overall checkout experience.

The N750, a smart PINPad specifically designed for the Japanese market, features a large full-screen display and dual magnetic heads, supporting both JIS-I and JIS-II magnetic stripe cards. This design addresses the efficiency bottleneck caused by dual-sided cards by enabling simultaneous reading of credit and loyalty cards with dual magnetic stripes. This innovation significantly enhances the checkout process, offering a faster and smoother transaction experience for both retailers and customers.

For retailers seeking self-service checkout solutions, Newland NPT offers the U2000 terminal, designed for unattended environments such as parking lots, vending machines, and gas stations. The U2000 offers quick and convenient self-service options, enhancing both operational efficiency and customer satisfaction in high-volume, self-service settings.

Security is at the core of our payment solutions. Newland NPT's rigorous quality control ensures that every product meets the highest security standards, providing peace of mind for both retailers and consumers.

We continually evolve our products to meet the dynamic needs of Japanese retailers. Whether operating in high-traffic urban areas or catering to self-service environments, Newland NPT provides a comprehensive payment solution that combines security, convenience, and efficiency.

We invite you to visit us at RTJ2025, March 4-7, at booth RT2410, where we will showcase how Newland NPT’s innovative payment technologies can help Japanese retailers address current challenges and improve business efficiency. From smart POS devices to self-service solutions, we will present advanced technologies for a variety of retail environments.

To schedule a meeting

Please contact us at: takane.n@newlandnpt.com