Okinawa Water Buffalo Carts to Accept Contactless Payments

Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–Payments for popular water buffalo cart rides on southernmost remote islands in Japan will become smoother thanks to a contactless technology. From Oct. 23, contactless payments by credit and debit cards as well as smartphone apps will be accepted at the ticket counter for the roundtrip rides across the shallow sea between the Iriomote and Yubu islands in Okinawa Prefecture, Bank of The Ryukyus, a Naha, Okinawa-based regional bank, and other companies involved, including Sumitomo Mitsui Card Co., said Tuesday. The new payment option capitalizes on Sumitomo Mitsui’s contactless settlement system for public transportation, making it unnecessary to purchase tickets in advance or to pay in cash. The cart operator’s ticket counter work is, thus, expected to become less burdensome and more efficient. Another Tokyo-based credit card firm JCB Co. and transportation equipment maker Odawara Auto-Machine Mfg. Co. are also taking part in the first project in the country to make oxcart ride payments contactless, the bank, the project leader, said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]