Apple Wallet Docomo d POINT contactless rewards card launching February 18

Apple, Apple Pay, CASHLESS, Docomo, Mobile and Contactless Payments, NFC
  • Only Apple Pay: fine print says no bonus d POINT with plastic d POINT

Apple Japan recently tweaked the Apple Pay web page artwork. Instead of 3 iPhone Apple Pay images there are now 4, one of which features the PONTA contactless rewards card. Why would Apple feature it only now when Apple has ignored PONTA since the October 2018 launch? Now we know why: the Apple Pay version of Docomo d POINT Card is launching February 18. Twitter user Ballpen caught a few early bird launch campaign posters outside a LAWSON store showcasing Apple Pay d POINT with a NFC mark, just like PONTA. The launch campaign will run from February 18 to April 17 offering 7X bonus d POINT when using Apple Pay at LAWSON.

The LAWSON POS is built around the Panasonic JT-R600CR reader that is Apple Pay savvy and supports the VAS protocol. Apple Wallet Ponta at LAWSON uses VAS (NFC A) for reading and linking reward card information with a purchase. Docomo d POINT Apple Pay will also use VAS but there is more to it. Docomo d POINT has a far larger Godzilla sized market footprint than PONTA, and Docomo is looking to streamline its siloed payment services: d CARD (plastic), iD (NFC FeliCa), d POINT rewards card and the new d BARAI QR Code payment system into an intelligently integrated service package that can best SoftBank PayPay market performance.

Docomo announced in November that it would merge some d Barai functions into iD with an updated iOS app at some point. It looks like that app is coming February 18 that adds the user d POINT Card to Wallet. The real question is how it works on the updated LAWSON POS system and plugs into iD payments. Do we say ‘Apple Pay’ at checkout like we do for PONTA points, ‘iD’ or something else? Tune in for details in tomorrow’s press release. Now if only JRE POINT would go Apple Pay, I’d be finally free from plastic reward cards cluttering up my real wallet.

UPDATES
Apple Pay Docomo d POINT Card is live, it works just like PONTA at LAWSON, say ‘Apple Pay’ at checkout then select d POINT or PONTA on the checkout touchscreen. There is a Wallet notification UI bug that displays the PONTA icon instead of d POINT when adding points but they are added correctly.

Published