One of the biggest frustrations for inbound foreign travelers visiting rural Japan is finding “cash-only” stores. To capture this tourist spend, merchants must deploy accessible international payment channels. We guide you through this setup.

Preferred Payment Brands for Travelers

• International Touch Payments (Visa, Mastercard): Contactless cards are standard across Europe, the US, and Asia.
• Asian QR Networks (Alipay, WeChat Pay, UnionPay): Highly preferred by Asian tourists. Merchants can accept these concurrently via unified providers like “Smart Code.”
• Apple Wallet / Google Wallet: Digital cards linked internationally.

Action Steps for Merchants

• Display Clear Payment Logo POPs: Keep accepted payment logos visible at registers so tourists don’t have to ask.
• Verify Contactless Firmware: Many existing terminal systems require only a software firmware update to support international touch payments.