After the cancellation of Bitcoin consumption tax, more than 260,000 stores in Japan officially opened Bitcoin payment

Just three months after Recruit Lifestyle announced that it had partnered with Japanese bitcoin exchange Coincheck to enable over 260,000 retail stores to accept bitcoin payments, the company finally announced this week that its shopping app is now officially ready to support bitcoin. Immediately afterwards, the 334 eyewear stores using the app announced that they would begin accepting bitcoin payments on July 10.

Air Regi Starts Processing Bitcoin Payments

As reported in April this year, Recruit Lifestyle has reached a cooperation with Japanese Bitcoin exchange Coincheck to help its "Air Regi Mobile Payment" shopping app accept Bitcoin payments.

On Monday, just three months after the partnership was announced, Recruit Lifestyle finally announced that the Air Regi app will begin offering bitcoin payment options on July 3. The announcement came two days after Japan’s new consumer law came into effect, eliminating the 8% consumption tax on bitcoin.

Currently, about 260,000 Japanese commercial infrastructures, restaurants, drug stores and other retail locations use this tablet-based POS system. Coincheck said in April that by summer this year, Bitcoin will become a payment option in all stores using this exclusive app. The exchange explained:

“Consumers who hold Bitcoin will be able to pay in Bitcoin by scanning the QR code on the Air Regi app.”

First batch of 334 optical shops

On Monday, a chain of eyewear stores with 334 branches across Japan announced that all stores will begin accepting Bitcoin on July 10. The eyewear chain is called Megane Super and the store uses the Air Regi app.

Over 260,000 stores coming soon

Kagayaki Kawabata, Coincheck’s international business developer, confirmed that these optical shops are the first of more than 260,000 stores to accept Bitcoin payments using the Air Regi app. He also said:

“A number of other stores are also preparing for Air Regi Bitcoin payments… and we will work with Recruit Lifestyle to expand the number of stores that accept Bitcoin, in addition to the 260,000 stores that already use Air Regi.”

In addition to the partnership with Recruit Lifestyle, Coincheck is also signing up merchants directly to accept Bitcoin. Recently, 5,000+ new stores have accepted Bitcoin payments provided by Coincheck, including a famous capsule hotel, a real estate management company in Akihabara, and Kai Corporation, which owns five special restaurants in Japan.