STORES Online Store Adds 'atone' Buy Now, Pay Later Service as Payment Method
STORES Inc. has integrated the 'atone' buy now, pay later payment service into its 'STORES Online Store' platform starting March 27, 2026. This addition aims to prevent lost sales opportunities and increase revenue by catering to shoppers who prefer deferred payments or do not use credit cards.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: March 28, 2026 at 15:53
- 🔍 Collected: March 28, 2026 at 21:59 (6h 6m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 15, 2026 at 05:55 (415h 56m after Collected)
STORES Inc. (hereinafter 'STORES'), provider of the online store creation service 'STORES Online Store,' will begin supporting the 'atone' buy now, pay later service provided by Net Protections, Inc. starting March 27, 2026.
With this integration, merchants using STORES Online Store can now add atone as a payment option. This allows them to accommodate shoppers who do not hold credit cards or those who prefer to pay later, which is expected to boost sales by preventing opportunity loss.
■ Background
In the domestic e-commerce market, the scale of the buy now, pay later (BNPL) market is increasing year by year, estimated at approximately 1.53 trillion yen in fiscal 2023 (+21.5% year-on-year) and projected to expand to approximately 2.8 trillion yen by fiscal 2028. Movements toward using BNPL services in conjunction with other methods are also being observed, not only among demographics like the youth and homemakers who do not hold credit cards, but also among credit card holders who use these services when shopping online (*1). STORES Online Store has been expanding its range of payment options to maximize sales opportunities for merchants and has now added support for atone.
(*1): Yano Research Institute, 'Survey on the Online Payment Service Market (2025)'
■ What can be achieved with 'atone' support
1. Revenue growth by preventing opportunity loss
By accommodating the needs of shoppers who find entering credit card information cumbersome or prefer to pay later, merchants can prevent cart abandonment during the checkout process, thereby expecting increased sales.
2. Easy to add with no introduction burden
There are no monthly or fixed fees (*2). It can be added from the STORES Online Store management screen without the need for separate introduction procedures or development.
(*2): Payment processing fees apply to the payment amount per order.
3. Peace of mind without the risk of non-payment
STORES works in conjunction with Net Protections, Inc. to provide a comprehensive service covering payment guarantees, remittance management, and dunning procedures for shoppers. Merchants can use it with peace of mind without worrying about non-payment.
■ atone service overview
- Supported service: STORES Online Store
- Start date: March 27, 2026
- Eligibility: Merchants currently using STORES Online Store
- Costs: Please check the fee rates here.
- Usage method and conditions: Please see here for details.
- Notes:
- Recurring subscriptions (subscription purchases) are not eligible for this payment method.
- Depending on the results of credit screening, this service may not be available.
■ About atone
'atone' is a buy now, pay later payment service that can be used for both online and brick-and-mortar stores. Shoppers can pay for their purchases after shopping without the need for bank account or credit card registration or top-ups, making it immediately available. On the other hand, online merchants that introduce atone can prevent 'cart abandonment'—where shoppers leave just before completing a transaction—leading to a reduction in lost sales. For physical stores, it enables the promotion of cashless payments without losing shoppers who have credit cards but do not use them. Since it also incorporates a point program, it contributes to acquiring new customers, increasing repeat rates, and raising average purchase value.
https://atone.be/
■ About STORES Online Store
STORES Online Store is a service that allows anyone to easily create a full-scale online store. We provide high design capabilities to express the store's unique personality, intuitive usability even for first-timers, and simple pricing plans tailored to different sales styles.
https://stores.fun/ec
■ About STORES
STORES Inc. aims for an economy driven by commitment and passion under the mission 'Just for Fun.' We provide a wide range of products that support store operations for small and medium-sized businesses, primarily in retail, food and beverage, and service industries. Through 'STORES' products based on customer data, we support the sustainable sales growth of merchants and realize a society overflowing with unique and diverse businesses. For details, please visit https://www.st.inc.
With this integration, merchants using STORES Online Store can now add atone as a payment option. This allows them to accommodate shoppers who do not hold credit cards or those who prefer to pay later, which is expected to boost sales by preventing opportunity loss.
■ Background
In the domestic e-commerce market, the scale of the buy now, pay later (BNPL) market is increasing year by year, estimated at approximately 1.53 trillion yen in fiscal 2023 (+21.5% year-on-year) and projected to expand to approximately 2.8 trillion yen by fiscal 2028. Movements toward using BNPL services in conjunction with other methods are also being observed, not only among demographics like the youth and homemakers who do not hold credit cards, but also among credit card holders who use these services when shopping online (*1). STORES Online Store has been expanding its range of payment options to maximize sales opportunities for merchants and has now added support for atone.
(*1): Yano Research Institute, 'Survey on the Online Payment Service Market (2025)'
■ What can be achieved with 'atone' support
1. Revenue growth by preventing opportunity loss
By accommodating the needs of shoppers who find entering credit card information cumbersome or prefer to pay later, merchants can prevent cart abandonment during the checkout process, thereby expecting increased sales.
2. Easy to add with no introduction burden
There are no monthly or fixed fees (*2). It can be added from the STORES Online Store management screen without the need for separate introduction procedures or development.
(*2): Payment processing fees apply to the payment amount per order.
3. Peace of mind without the risk of non-payment
STORES works in conjunction with Net Protections, Inc. to provide a comprehensive service covering payment guarantees, remittance management, and dunning procedures for shoppers. Merchants can use it with peace of mind without worrying about non-payment.
■ atone service overview
- Supported service: STORES Online Store
- Start date: March 27, 2026
- Eligibility: Merchants currently using STORES Online Store
- Costs: Please check the fee rates here.
- Usage method and conditions: Please see here for details.
- Notes:
- Recurring subscriptions (subscription purchases) are not eligible for this payment method.
- Depending on the results of credit screening, this service may not be available.
■ About atone
'atone' is a buy now, pay later payment service that can be used for both online and brick-and-mortar stores. Shoppers can pay for their purchases after shopping without the need for bank account or credit card registration or top-ups, making it immediately available. On the other hand, online merchants that introduce atone can prevent 'cart abandonment'—where shoppers leave just before completing a transaction—leading to a reduction in lost sales. For physical stores, it enables the promotion of cashless payments without losing shoppers who have credit cards but do not use them. Since it also incorporates a point program, it contributes to acquiring new customers, increasing repeat rates, and raising average purchase value.
https://atone.be/
■ About STORES Online Store
STORES Online Store is a service that allows anyone to easily create a full-scale online store. We provide high design capabilities to express the store's unique personality, intuitive usability even for first-timers, and simple pricing plans tailored to different sales styles.
https://stores.fun/ec
■ About STORES
STORES Inc. aims for an economy driven by commitment and passion under the mission 'Just for Fun.' We provide a wide range of products that support store operations for small and medium-sized businesses, primarily in retail, food and beverage, and service industries. Through 'STORES' products based on customer data, we support the sustainable sales growth of merchants and realize a society overflowing with unique and diverse businesses. For details, please visit https://www.st.inc.