瞬間移動で消える現金、不安と期待のないまぜ　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　気ままなリライト８０

キャッシュレス経済圏で稼ぐ　デジタル給与が追い風 - 日本経済新聞

In a digital era when the landscape of financial management is transforming the tangible exchange of coins and notes into a simple tap on the smartphone screen, a fast-paced shift towards digital transactions is amplifying a sense of emotional satisfaction in digital currencies and enhancing blind faith in the glitch-free internet connectivity, among an increasing number of individuals overconfident about an unfettered E-Life. With a welcoming trade-off between convenience and privacy, riding on this wave of cashless transactions, reputable digital service providers are harnessing the power of user transaction data and personal information to deliver efficient and user-friendly services, reinforcing their commitment to reducing potential cybersecurity threats.

With an increasing proportion of the digital adept generation, the significant benefits digital transactions offer via credit cards, electric money have swept away the tactile experience of visible, physical money that makes spending feel more anonymous, untrackable for those concerned about digital data-driven despotism. According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the proportion of cashless transactions in the total transactions soared to 36 % in 2022, a sharp increase of 20 % from the decade preceding 2022. Starting from April, multiple choices of receiving monthly pay were available to company employees via various service providers in addition to traditional banking options. The ongoing adoption of those digital payment methods is projected to significantly expand the cashless transaction market. According to the Yano Research Institute, the market is expected to reach an impressive 153 trillion yen by fiscal 2025, showing a robust growth of 55% from fiscal 2020.

With food-service and hospitality sectors enthusiastic about adopting digital transaction systems to magnetize customers and guests valuing the convenience, speed and security of digital transactions over the inefficiency of stressful traditional manual ones, GMO Financial Gate has emerged as a competitive player in the domestic cashless transaction market, appealing to businesses and consumers alike with their digital system, Stella. Co-developed with Mitsui-Sumitomo Card and Visa Worldwide Japan, Stella is operating as a transaction bridge between credit card users, electric money users, QR cord users and the e-commerce companies managing those various digital tools. GMO has set its transaction fee below the market average, from 3 % to 2%. This strategy is targeting medium and small-sized businesses contemplating the cost-effective adoption of such systems, without compromising the integrity in security for cost reduction. Bolstered by Stella's soaring sales and substantial revenue from transaction-related service charges, GMO Financial Gate is projected to reach unprecedented heights in its overall performance from October 2022 to September 2023. Sales are expected to climb to a record 13.6 billion yen, a year-on-year increase of 32%, while operating profits are forecast to hit one billion yen, a significant year-on-year increase of 38%.

Robot Payment, an emerging digital service provider, has been captivating a broad spectrum of businesses with its versatile digital system, purpose-built for subscription services. The promising innovation has been adopted by nearly 7,000 businesses, spanning from major publishers to prescription pharmacies. It has optimized the management of their subscribers by streamlining transactions, customer profile management, and rebilling processes. In 2022, the system was enhanced with an additional feature enabling the in-depth analysis of the correlation between subscriber characteristics and sustained membership. This refinement was aimed at reinventing their marketing tactics, improving subscriber retention, and broadening their target market scope. The system’s sales are forecast to hit 2 billion yen, marking a 20 % year-on-year increase, from January 2023 to December 2023. That is expected to result in a net profit of 69 million yen, compensating a 29 million yen debt incurred as the advertising expenditure in the previous year.

Secure, a provider of surveillance systems, is poised to cut drastically the labor cost by launching a fully automated, cashier-less retail outlet. This futuristic project, co-designed with Eye-Fi, a U.S.-based data storage company, is set to begin trials in June. It operates on the premise that each customer is a digital native, comfortable navigating the waters of technology. This forward-thinking odyssey, exclusive to credit card and smartphone users, features an AI-powered virtual store clerk hovering vigilant round-the-clock, offering a service devoid of human emotional intervention. Through the watchful eyes of the AI, manifested as state-of-the-art camera monitoring, every item placed in the shopper's cart is tallied. The AI clerk serves as a digital hawk, ensuring no customer flutters away unnoticed with unpaid items. Just a moment before the customer says good-by to the AI clerk at the exit gate with an appreciation for the hassle-free, inhospitable shopping experience, the exact payment is withdrawn from the customer’s digital wallet. It looks like masterful digital pickpocketing skills are demonstrated.