The good news, the first truly osaifu-keitai (mobile phone wallet) service will be launched April 28th called “DCMX”. The bad news, it’s called “DCMX” and has a really silly brand logo. Yet another Docomo service that has a bad name, it sounds like a name for a video graphics card or Macromedia software. Suica is by far the best branding of any service out there recently. Docomo should learn from JR. Anyway, unlike the recently launched iD service which basically uses the IC chip in your phone as a proxy for a Visa card for Mitsui-Sumitomo, DCMX uses the iD gateway/service etc but the transaction and credit card is Docomo’s which means that your spending is included in your phone bill. In other words, Docomo has become a credit card company now. This is what we have all been waiting for. I pay my phone bill via credit card now so I accrue points on that card for my monthly payments. If DCMX let’s you accrue Docomo points when you shop, that means I get points for DCMX and for the card I use to pay the phone bill. Cool.
In the press release it says they will give credit to users 12 years old and up. How dangerous to give a 12 year old a credit card. Personally, I think they should just give this service to anyone who has a Docomo phone. I’m sure by the end of the year it will be part of the plans when you sign up.
on a similar subject, do most japanese operate their keitai in manners mode?
these days yes. that’s why the chaku-melo industry is dying.
Hey, any idea what I can do to get a suica credit card? I have a new phone with the felica chip in it, but I can’t use it because I can’t get a credit card, because I am a foreigner I suppose. I have a mortgage and a job and all that, but they still won’t give it to me, or give me a reason why. Any ideas?