Hokuriku launches touch payments on public transit

Hokuriku Railroad, the Hokuriku Railroad Group, and Hokuriku Financial Holdings will start a boarding service using touch payment-compatible cards (credit, debit, prepaid) or smartphones with registered cards by utilizing the “stera transit” solution for public transportation provided by Sumitomo Mitsui Card.

This will be available from March 16, 2024, the opening day of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension, in the Kaga area and parts of the Kanazawa area. Additionally, in the Kaga area, the partners will run a “Touch Payment-only 1 Ride for 100 Yen” campaign to coincide with the service launch.

Touch payment-compatible cards with international brands such as Visa, JCB, American Express, Diners Club, Discover, and UnionPay can be used. Customers can use them in the same way as transportation IC cards by touching the dedicated terminal when boarding and alighting.

This initiative will be implemented in co-creation with the “Super Cashless Region” project promoted by Hokuriku FHD and Visa Worldwide Japan as a cashless promotion in the region.

Future Plans

Originally, the partners planned to expand the coverage area to the entire prefecture (Hokuriku Railroad Group buses and rail lines) by fiscal year 2025, but in light of the damage caused by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, the plan to introduce it to bus routes in the Noto region, excluding the Noto limited express buses, is currently undecided.

The launch of the boarding service using digital tickets based on two-dimensional codes sold through the “Norimatsushi Kanazawa” digital transportation app operated by the Kanazawa MaaS Consortium, and the expansion of the service area for the Hokuriku Railroad Group’s IC card “ICa,” are scheduled for fiscal year 2024 or later.

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