IT Journalist Junya Suzuki is working hard again today…
The Mizuho Suica Apple Pay card released just a year ago was an odd product. It was a Mizuho branded virtual Suica card linked to a Mizuho Bank account created in the iOS Mizuho Wallet App, a card that lived exclusively in Apple Pay Wallet without a plastic counterpart. Android users did not get Mizuho Suica, they got the JCB Smart Debit card instead and that remained an Android exclusive…until today.
The Mizuho JCB Smart Debit card joined Mizuho Suica in Apple Pay Wallet today without any fanfare or press release. The JCB Smart, as in smartphone only, Debit card works on the QUICPay+ payment network. Just like Mizuho Suica, users create the JCB Smart Debit card in Mizuho Wallet which adds it to Apple Pay Wallet. Apple Pay compatible Japanese issue plastic debit cards are still missing, but the virtual Mizuho JCB Smart Debit card is an indication that they should be arriving soon. Hopefully it also means that other major Japanese payment cards missing from Apple Pay, such as WAON, nanaco, Rakuten Edy, will join soon Apple Pay with the upcoming iOS 13 release.
Japanese Twitter users are scratching their heads about the stealth update, and Android users are apparently not getting Mizuho Suica in the bargain. Mizuho and is holding a press conference shortly, hopefully it will clear up the questions. I’ll update any details that come out of it to this post.
UPDATE
And the details…
- JCB Smart Debit is FeliCa/EMV dual mode for use with FeliCa QUICPay in Japan and EMV JCB Contactless/JCB Speedy internationally. Readers report that JCB Contactless also works where the Apple Pay Discover is accepted for payment.
- Startup campaign: 20% cashback and Mizuho Suica recharge cashback, entry required via the Mizuho Wallet app, running 8/29~12/15
You must be logged in to post a comment.