A person may not engage in electronic payment services unless they are registered by the Prime Minister.

①A person seeking to obtain the registration referred to in the preceding Article (referred to as a "applicant for registration" in paragraph (2) of the following Article and Article 52-61-5) must submit a written application for registration stating the following particulars to the Prime Minister:

②The following documents must be attached to the written application for registration referred to in the preceding paragraph:

①If an application is filed for a registration referred to in Article 52-61-2, the Prime Minister must register the following particulars in the electronic payment service providers register, except when the Prime Minister refuses the registration pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) of the following Article:

②When the Prime Minister registers the particulars pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the Prime Minister must notify the applicant for registration to that effect without delay.

③The Prime Minister must make the electronic payment service providers register available for public inspection.

①The Prime Minister must refuse the registration if the applicant for registration falls under any of the following items, or if a written application for registration referred to in Article 52-61-3, paragraph (1) or its attached document contains a false statement on material particulars or lacks a statement of material facts:

②If the Prime Minister refuses the registration pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the Prime Minister must notify the applicant for registration to that effect by indicating the reason for the refusal, without delay.

①Except in the case specified by Cabinet Office Order, if a particular set forth in any of the items of Article 52-61-3, paragraph (1) changes, an electronic payment service provider must file a notification to that effect with the Prime Minister pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order, within 30 days from the day on which the change occurred.

②Upon accepting a notification under the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the Prime Minister must register the particular that has been notified in the electronic payment service providers register.

③If the business content or business methods that an electronic payment service provider has stated in the documents set forth in Article 52-61-3, paragraph (2), item (iii) change, the electronic payment service provider must notify the Prime Minister of this change without delay, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order.

①If an electronic payment service provider comes to fall under any of the cases referred to in the following items, the person specified in that item must file a notification to that effect with the Prime Minister, within 30 days from the day on which this occurred:

②If an electronic payment service provider comes to fall under any of the items of the preceding paragraph, the registration of the electronic payment service provider ceases to be effective.

①When performing an action set forth in any of the items of Article 2, paragraph (21) (excluding the actions specified by Cabinet Office Order that are prescribed in that paragraph), an electronic payment service provider must explain the following particulars to users in advance, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order, except in cases specified by Cabinet Office Order:

②Pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order, an electronic payment service provider must take the measures of providing users with information to prevent them from mistaking electronic payment services for the services conducted by banks, for ensuring the proper handling and safe control of the information on users that the electronic payment service provider has acquired in connection with the electronic payment services, for ensuring the precise execution of electronic payment services when the electronic payment service provider entrusts the services to a third party, and other measures for ensuring the sound and appropriate management of electronic payment services.

①Before performing an action set forth in any of the items of Article 2, paragraph (21) (excluding the actions specified by Cabinet Office Order that are prescribed in that Article), an electronic payment service provider must conclude a contract for electronic payment services with the bank referred to in each of those items, and conduct electronic payment services related to that bank in accordance with the contract.

②The following particulars must be provided for in the contract referred to in the preceding paragraph:

③When a bank and an electronic payment service provider conclude a contract referred to in paragraph (1), they must publicize the particulars set forth in the items of the preceding paragraph in the content of the contract using the internet or by any other means without delay, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order.

①A bank must establish standards for particulars required of an electronic payment service provider in concluding a contract referred to in paragraph (1) of the preceding Article, and must publicize the standards using the internet or by any other means, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order.

②The particulars required of an electronic payment service provider that are referred to in the preceding paragraph are to include the measures that should be taken by the electronic payment service provider that is the counterparty to the contract referred to in paragraph (1) of the preceding Article for ensuring the proper handling and safe control of the information on users that the electronic payment service provider acquires in relation to electronic payment services, and other particulars specified by Cabinet Office Order.

③When concluding a contract referred to in paragraph (1) of the preceding Article, a bank must not treat an electronic payment service provider that meets the standards referred to in paragraph (1) in an unreasonably discriminatory manner.

An electronic payment service provider must prepare and preserve books and documents concerning electronic payment services, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order.

Each business year, an electronic payment service provider must prepare a written report on its electronic payment services and submit it to the Prime Minister, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order.

①If the Prime Minister finds it to be necessary for ensuring the sound and appropriate management of electronic payment services by an electronic payment service provider, the Prime Minister may ask the electronic payment service provider to make a report or submit materials on the status of their business or property.

②If the Prime Minister finds it to be particularly necessary for ensuring the sound and appropriate management of electronic payment services by an electronic payment service provider, the Prime Minister may, to the extent necessary, request a person that conducts transactions with the electronic payment service provider related to its electronic payment services or a person that the electronic payment service provider has entrusted with its electronic payment services (including a person further entrusted by that entrusted person (including entrustment at two or more degrees of separation from the original entrustment); the same applies in the following paragraph and paragraphs (2) and (5) of the following Article) to make a report or submit materials on the status of business or property of the electronic payment service provider.

③A person conducting transactions with an electronic payment service provider related to its electronic payment services or a person that an electronic payment service provider has entrusted with its electronic payment services may refuse to make a report or submit materials pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph if the person has legitimate grounds for doing so.

①If the Prime Minister finds it to be necessary for ensuring the sound and appropriate management of electronic payment services by an electronic payment service provider, the Prime Minister may have relevant officials enter the business office, office, or any other facilities of the electronic payment service provider, have those officials ask questions about the status of their business or property, or have them inspect the service provider's books, documents, and any other articles.

②If an entry into facilities is to be made, and questioning or inspection is to be conducted, pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, when the Prime Minister finds it to be particularly necessary, the Prime Minister may, to the extent necessary, have relevant officials enter the facilities of a person conducting transactions with the electronic payment service provider that are related to electronic payment services or of a person that the electronic payment service provider has entrusted with its electronic payment services, have those officials ask questions about any particulars that are required to be asked in relation to the questioning or inspection of the electronic payment service provider, or have them inspect their books, documents, and any other articles.

③In the cases referred to in the preceding two paragraphs, the relevant official must carry an identification card, and must present it if a person concerned requests them to do so.

④The authority under paragraphs (1) and (2) must not be construed as being granted for criminal investigation purposes.

⑤The provisions of paragraph (3) of the preceding Article apply mutatis mutandis to the questioning and inspection of the person conducting transactions with an electronic payment service provider that are connected with its electronic payment services or of the person that the electronic payment service provider has entrusted with electronic payment services, pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (2).

If the Prime Minister finds it to be necessary for ensuring the sound and appropriate management of electronic payment services by an electronic payment service provider, the Prime Minister may order the electronic payment service provider to change their business content and business methods and order other measures that are necessary for supervision, to the extent necessary.

①If an electronic payment service provider falls under any of the following items, the Prime Minister may revoke the registration referred to in Article 52-61-2, or order the suspension of all or a part of their services during a designated period of no longer than six months:

②If the Prime Minister is unable to ascertain the location of the business offices or offices of an electronic payment service provider or is unable to ascertain the whereabouts of an electronic payment service provider (if the electronic payment service provider is a corporation, the whereabouts of the officer representing the corporation), the Prime Minister may, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order, issue public notice of that fact and revoke the registration of the electronic payment service provider referred to in Article 52-61-2, if no application is made by the electronic payment service provider after 30 days have passed since the day of the public notice.

③The provisions of Chapter III (Adverse Dispositions) of the Administrative Procedure Act do not apply to a disposition under the provisions of the preceding paragraph.

In the following cases, the Prime Minister must cancel the registration of an electronic payment service provider:

The Prime Minister may certify a general incorporated association that has been incorporated by electronic payment service providers and that satisfies the following requirements, as a person that conducts the services prescribed in the following paragraph (hereinafter referred to as "certified services" in this Section), upon application by the general incorporated association, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Order:

A certified association of electronic payment service providers is to perform the following services:

①A certified association of electronic payment service providers must make its membership list available for public inspection.

②A person that is not a certified association of electronic payment service providers (excluding a person certified under the provisions of Article 85-9 (Certification of Certified Association of Electronic Payment Service Providers for Shinkin Banks) of the Shinkin Bank Act and any other person specified by Cabinet Order as being similar to them) must not use a word in their name which is likely to be mistaken for a certified association of electronic payment service providers.

③A person that is not the association member of a certified association of electronic payment service providers (excluding a person that is a member of a certified association of electronic payment service providers for Shinkin banks prescribed in Article 85-10 (Services of Certified Association of Electronic Payment Service Providers for Shinkin Banks) of the Shinkin Bank Act and any other person specified by Cabinet Order as being similar to them) must not use a word in their name which is likely to be mistaken for an association member of the certified association of electronic payment service providers.

A certified association of electronic payment service providers must be able to provide users of electronic payment services with the information which has been provided by the Prime Minister pursuant to the provisions of Article 52-61-29 that contributes to protecting users of electronic payment services.

①If a user of electronic payment services files an application with a certified association of electronic payment service providers to resolve a complaint related to the electronic payment services which an association member conducts, the certified association of electronic payment service providers must provide consultation and necessary advice to the user who filed the application, and investigate the circumstances concerning the complaint, as well as notify the association member of the content of the complaint and ask the relevant association member to promptly process the complaint.

②If a certified association of electronic payment service providers finds that it is necessary for resolving a complaint in relation to the application filed under the preceding paragraph, it may request the relevant association member to provide a written or oral explanation or submit materials.

③If a request referred to in the preceding paragraph is made by a certified association of electronic payment service providers, an association member must not refuse the request without legitimate grounds.

④A certified association of electronic payment service providers must fully inform its association members of any application filed that is referred to in paragraph (1), the circumstances concerning the complaint, and the outcome of its resolution.

①Having obtained information on acts that an electronic payment service provider has performed which result in insufficient user protection or any other information specified by Cabinet Office Order as information necessary in order to protect the interests of users of electronic payment services, an association member must report that fact to the certified association of electronic payment service providers.

②If a certified association of electronic payment service providers is requested by an association member to provide information prescribed in the preceding paragraph that the certified association holds, it must provide the association member with that information unless it has legitimate grounds not to do so.

①It is prohibited for an officer or employee of a certified association of electronic payment service providers, or a person that has held one of those positions (referred to as a "former or current officer or employee" in the following paragraph), to divulge or misappropriate any confidential information learned in the course of duty.

②A former or current officer or employee of a certified association of electronic payment service providers must not use any information learned in the course of duty other than for the purpose of providing the information for use in certified services (if the certified association of electronic payment service providers is a general incorporated association that has obtained the certification referred to in Article 85-9 (Certification of Certified Association of Electronic Payment Service Providers for Shinkin Banks) of the Shinkin Bank Act and the former or current officer or employee is a former or current officer or employee engaged in the services prescribed in Article 85-10 (Services of Certified Association of Electronic Payment Service Providers for Shinkin Banks) of that Act that are conducted by the general incorporated association, including those services or other services specified by Cabinet Order as being similar to them).

In addition to the particulars set forth in the items of Article 11, paragraph (1) (Contents or Recorded Particulars in the Articles of Incorporation) of the Act on General Incorporated Associations and General Incorporated Foundations and the provisions of the articles of incorporation prescribed in Article 52-61-19, item (ii), a certified association of electronic payment service providers must provide in its articles of incorporation that if an association member violates this Act, an order that is based on this Act, a disposition that is based on this Act or on the order, or the rules referred to in Article 52-61-20, item (iii), the certified association of electronic payment service providers will order the suspension or restriction of the association member's rights provided for in the articles of incorporation, or expel the association member from the certified association of electronic payment service providers.

①The Prime Minister may, to the extent necessary for the enforcement of this Act, order a certified association of electronic payment service providers to make a report or submit materials that are to serve as a reference on the status of their business or property, or have relevant officials enter the office of the certified association of electronic payment service providers, have those officials ask questions about the status of their business or property, or have them inspect its books, documents, and any other articles.

②In the case referred to in the preceding paragraph, the relevant official must carry an identification card, and must present it if a person concerned requests them to do so.

③The authority under paragraph (1) must not be construed as being granted for criminal investigation purposes.

①Upon finding that the operation of certified services needs to be improved, the Prime Minister may order a certified association of electronic payment service providers to take necessary measures to improve the operation, to the extent necessary for the enforcement of this Act.

②When the operations of a certified association of electronic payment service providers have violated this Act, an order that is based on this Act, or a disposition that is based on this Act or the order, the Prime Minister may revoke its certification or order the suspension of all or part of its services during a designated period of no longer than six months.

In response to a request by a certified association of electronic payment service providers, the Prime Minister may provide a certified association of electronic payment service providers with the information on the service providers that is specified by Cabinet Office Order as information that contributes to certified services, to the extent necessary to ensure that the certified association of electronic payment service providers properly performs certified services.

Cabinet Order prescribes technical replacements of terms for applying this Act to an electronic payment service provider that is a foreign corporation or an individual that has an address in a foreign country, and other necessary particulars for the application of the provisions of this Act to the foreign corporation or individual.