Visa to Launch First Nationwide Contactless Transit Campaign in Japan: 'Ride with Visa!' Offers 30% Cashback across 46 Railways

Visa Worldwide Japan (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Seethant Kitney) will launch the 'Ride with Visa! Touch to Save Campaign' from Friday, May 1, to Sunday, May 31, 2026. This initiative marks Visa's first nationwide expansion of its transit-focused efforts, previously limited to specific regions, and is the first nationwide campaign to promote contactless riding in Japan.

Covering 46 railway operators, the campaign offers cashback for fares paid via Visa contactless payments. Alongside this, Visa will deploy a massive marketing campaign including TV commercials and transit advertisements to provide a seamless, secure, and convenient cashless experience in public transportation. This is the second phase of Visa's 'Nationwide Cashless Promotion Project.'

During the campaign period, users who register for 'Visa-wari' and use their registered Visa card for transit at participating operators will receive 30% cashback. The maximum cashback is 600 JPY per card. Payments made through smartphones and wearable devices like smartwatches are also eligible.

In conjunction with the nationwide rollout, Visa will implement multi-faceted marketing strategies. TV commercials will air in the Greater Tokyo, Kansai, and Fukuoka areas, while digital and transit ads will appear along participating lines nationwide. To celebrate the launch of contactless service on Tokyo Metro, parts of the Marunouchi and Ginza line trains will feature special interior wrapping. Additionally, Nagatacho Station will feature unique station advertisements punning the station name as 'Naga-Touch-cho' to raise awareness.

Visa contactless payments have expanded primarily in daily shopping. This nationwide transit campaign aims to spread this trend to public transportation, allowing users to experience the convenience of contactless payments during their travels. Visa remains committed to providing safe and smooth payment experiences for daily commuting, driving further adoption of contactless technology.