Rakuten Card rolls out “simplified” English language app

Japan’s financial institutions are discovering the underbanked foreign residents as a potential area for growth. After Credit Saison has just launched its “SAISON JP Life Assist” portal, Rakuten Card released “Rakuten Card Lite,” the first English language app from the credit card company focused on the international community in Japan. This has come alongside players like Digital Wallet Corporation (Smile Remittances), Sony Bank, and GIG-A (had to abandon its first implementation with Kiraboshi’s UI Bank, but is working on an alternative) who have targeted this segment explicitly.

Rakuten Card developed the app, which is available on both Android and iOS platforms, as part of Rakuten Group’s commitment to provide more inclusive services and address the growing need for multilingual options in Japan. By launching a simplified version of the existing Rakuten Card app, the company aims to leverage a shorter development cycle and offer Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Korean language support in the future.

Rakuten Card’s new app offers users several features, including the ability to:

• Register for the member-exclusive online service Rakuten e-NAVI
• Check billing amounts, usage statements, available credit limits and account settings
• Access Rakuten Card’s English language FAQ on the Rakuten Card website
• Personalize app UI and UX with selectable color themes

The app leverages Rakuten AI to translate users’ credit card statements. Going forward, the company aims to further enhance translation accuracy using Rakuten’s AI technology and develop the app in line with the Rakuten Group’s inclusion efforts.

In addition, Rakuten Card is promoting synergies with Rakuten Pay, with plans to incorporate major features of its app into the Rakuten Pay app. Going forward, the company will continue to expand its efforts to digitalize credit cards, helping the industry to evolve past the physical plastic cards it has traditionally centered on.

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