Customers in Tohoku Electric Power’s network service area (six prefectures constituting the Tohoku region plus Niigata) can use their smartphone to settle their electricity bills by scanning the barcode on their bill
TOKYO – October 30, 2018 – LINE Pay Corporation, operator of the LINE Pay smartphone digital wallet service available through the LINE messaging app, announces that Tohoku Electric Powers Co., Inc. ("Tohoku Electric Powers") will accept electricity bill payments with LINE Pay’s Scan Bill from today.
Tohoku Electric Power supports LINE Pay through Densan System Co., Ltd.’s collection agency service. It is the third power company to support LINE Pay after TEPCO and Kyushu Electric Power.
Starting today, Tohoku Electric Power customers residing in the company's network service area that spans seven prefectures – Aomori, Akita, Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima, and Yamagata of the Tohoku region, plus Niigata – can pay their electricity bills using LINE Pay's Scan Bill feature.
Scan Bill enables users to settle public utility bills and mail order invoices with their LINE Pay account balance at anytime, just by scanning the barcode printed on the bill. Scan Bill helps to reduce overdue invoices by eliminating the need for users to prepare cash and visit stores to pay their bills. This makes the service useful for both payers and beneficiaries.
Because payments made with Scan Bill count towards LINE Pay's My Level user incentive program *1, users can save on their utility fees and mail orders by settling them with Scan Bill. With Tohoku Electric Power, users receive a specified amount of LINE Points for settling their electricity bills with LINE Pay, and can use the Points to pay off their future bills *2.
Important notes
* A payment processing fee may apply at the user's expense for invoices issued by certain collection agencies. Users will be informed during the payment process if any fees will be charged.
*1: My Level is a tiered incentive program that classifies users into four different levels based on the monthly LINE Pay usage rate. Each level is represented by a different colored badge, and users receive various incentives based on their badge color. Payments made with Scan Bill count towards measuring a user’s LINE Pay activity rate to determine his or her level. Users are rewarded a specified amount of LINE Points for settling bills with Scan Bill. Some LINE Pay merchants that support Scan Bill allow users to settle their bills with the LINE Points they have collected, making the service even more convenient and beneficial for users. Please note that details regarding the My Level incentive program may change in the future.
*2: Not all LINE Pay merchants accept payments with LINE Points.
In order to use LINE Pay and Scan Bill, users must agree to the LINE Pay Terms of Use from the Wallet tab in the LINE messaging app. Then, once users add funds to their LINE Pay account balance via bank transfer or by topping up their account at a convenience store, they can start settling bills with Scan Bill from the Wallet tab.
LINE Pay will close the distance between people, money, and services by eliminating the current pain-points – time, effort, fees, and more – of circulating money. The company also aims to become a leader in the mobile FinTech industry as the world moves increasingly towards a cashless, walletless society.
How to use Scan Bill
1) On your smartphone, access the Wallet tab in LINE, and tap Scan Bill
2) Read the instructions and tap Next to launch the Code Reader
3) Scan barcode on invoice
4) Confirm invoice details displayed on screen
5) Choose to settle amount
6) Enter passcode (PIN)
7) Payment complete (A confirmation message will be sent to your LINE app)
Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc. Overview
Company Name: Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc.
Location of Head Office: 1-7-1 Honcho, Aoba-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi
Representative: Hiroya Harada, President
Capital: JPY 251.4 billion
Established: May 1, 1951
Network Service Area: Prefectures in Japan including Aomori, Iwate, Akita, Miyagi, Yamagata, Fukushima, and Niigata
LINE Pay Corporation Overview (as of May 11, 2018)
Company Name: LINE Pay Corporation
Head Office: JR Shinjuku Miraina Tower 23F, 4-1-6 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Representative: Yongsu Ko, Representative Director and Chief Executive Officer
Capital: JPY 3.6 billion
Established: May 9, 2014
Primary Business:
- Issuance, sales, and management of e-money, other electronic monetary value, and advance payment methods, provision of digital payment systems, and funds transfer
- Sales and operation of LINE@
- Service development
- Advertising agency
LINE Pay merchants accepting payment by invoice: https://line.me/ja/pay/merchant (Japanese only)
LINE Pay Corporation is a registered member of the following organization and has obtained the following registrations in association with the launch of its business:
- Issuers of Prepaid Payment Instruments for Third-Party Business (Registration number: the Director of the Kanto Finance Bureau 00669, Registration date: October 1, 2014)
- Funds Transfer Service Providers (Registration number: the Director of the Kanto Finance Bureau General 00036, Registration date: October 1, 2014)
- Japan Payment Service Association (http://www.s-kessai.jp, Admission date: August 6, 2014)