UC Card and Ocean Conclude Introduction Agency Agreement for Refund-Type Tax-Free System

UC Card Co., Ltd. (President and Representative Director: Kazuhisa Fukuoka, hereinafter "UC Card") and Ocean Inc. (Representative Director: Ryo Hoshino, hereinafter "Ocean") have concluded an introduction agency agreement for "Ocean Tax Refund," Ocean's refund-type tax-free system, and will officially begin handling the introduction scheme from April 2026. **Background and Purpose of the Introduction Agency Agreement** UC Card, with its diverse customer base, and Ocean, specializing in refund-type tax-free systems, aim to strengthen business promotion. They will commence introducing Ocean's refund-type tax-free system, "Ocean Tax Refund," to UC Card's member stores that conduct tax-free sales. Through this agreement, UC Card will be able to propose tax-free systems that comply with the tax exemption system changes scheduled for November 2026, in addition to its existing payment services. This is expected to promote management support for member stores (stores conducting tax-free sales) by facilitating compliance with the tax exemption system, improving operational efficiency, and expanding sales, as well as enhancing satisfaction for inbound visitors. Furthermore, through this agreement, Ocean can leverage UC Card's customer base to expand the number of duty-free shops adopting its refund-type tax-free system. Both companies will continue to explore further collaboration possibilities under a strong partnership. **Inbound Tax-Free Market Size and Market Trends Towards the November 2026 System Change** Inbound consumption in 2025 is projected to reach approximately 9.5 trillion yen, a new record high, with shopping accounting for about 30% of that amount. Duty-free sales at department stores also hit a record high, and the number of duty-free shops nationwide has expanded to over 60,000. Moreover, the "5th Basic Plan for the Promotion of a Tourism Nation," approved by the Cabinet in March 2026, sets targets of 60 million inbound visitors by 2030, with 40 million of them being repeat visitors. Under this policy, which aims for two out of three inbound visitors to be repeaters, the quality of the tourism experience that makes them want to "visit Japan again" is more important than ever. Shopping is a core part of this experience, and smooth tax-free procedures are essential for attracting repeat visitors. In November 2026, the tax exemption system will undergo a major shift from "in-store immediate tax exemption" to a "refund method," with all duty-free shops nationwide switching to the new system simultaneously without a transition period. Briefings by the National Tax Agency and related associations are being held one after another, and the industry as a whole is rushing to respond. However, even businesses actively attracting inbound visitors often do not fully grasp the specific impact of the system change. With only about seven months remaining until implementation, staff training on the new system, establishment of guidance flows, and construction of refund operations are urgent tasks. **** **"Ocean Tax Refund" Details** "Ocean Tax Refund" is a next-generation tax-free service fully compliant with the new tax exemption system (refund method) starting in November 2026. **** * **Zero Introduction Cost** No initial fees or monthly fixed costs whatsoever. Member stores can comply with the new system without incurring costs. * **Supports Inbound Visitors Worldwide** Multilingual support and the world's first (according to Ocean's research) "Tax-Free LINE Mini App" provide a smooth tax-free experience regardless of nationality. * **Simple and Secure Tax-Free Operations** Utilizes AI and OCR technology to automate everything from purchase information management to application data creation. It is a simple and secure tax-free operation platform under the new system. Details of "Ocean Tax Refund" here: https://ocean.inc/service **Company Profile** **Company Name:** UC Card Co., Ltd. **Representative:** Kazuhisa Fukuoka, President and Representative Director **URL:** https://www2.uccard.co.jp/ **Business Activities:** Operations related to credit card handling, operations related to UC Group management, collection agency services, administrative calculation agency services, and other related incidental operations. **Founded:** June 1969 **Capital:** 500 million yen **Location:** Daiba Frontier Building, 2-3-2 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo 135-8601 **Company Name:** Ocean Inc. **Representative:** Ryo Hoshino, Representative Director **Corporate Website URL:** https://www.ocean.inc **Service Website URL:** https://service.ocean.inc/ **Founded:** May 2024 **Capital:** 138.04 million yen (including capital reserve) **Location:** Fujiya Building 5F, 2-6-5 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061 **Tax Exemption Approval Transmission Business Number:** 1-0100-0124-5294-0140-0001 **** Ocean Inc. Public Relations E-Mail **Keywords:**