QR Code Payment App

A QR code payment app is a general term for apps with which you pay either by having a QR code displayed on your smartphone read at the store's register, or by scanning the store's QR code. In Japan, typical examples include PayPay, d Barai, Rakuten Pay, au PAY, and Merpay.

There are two payment methods. One is the "store scan method", in which the user presents a QR code, and the other is the "user scan method", in which the user scans the store's QR code. These apps also support sending money between individuals, and they are used for splitting bills and settling money paid on someone else's behalf.

The major QR code payment apps in Japan include PayPay (over 70 million registered users / as of July 2025), d Barai, Rakuten Pay, au PAY, and Merpay. To support multiple apps, a growing number of stores are introducing JPQR (a unified QR code).