What PAY does

PAY, Inc. (PAY株式会社) is a Tokyo-based payment service provider that operates PAY.JP, a developer-first online payment API targeted at Japanese startups, SMBs, and engineering teams. Established in 2018 as a 100% subsidiary of BASE Corporation (TSE: 4477), PAY's flagship product is a REST API for credit card processing with PCI DSS v4.0 compliance and 3D Secure 2.0 support, alongside an ID-based payment service (PAY ID) launched in 2016 and a merchant financing add-on called PAY.JP YELL BANK. The platform emphasizes fast integration via well-documented APIs and extensive library support, and reports annual transaction volume (GTV) exceeding 200 billion yen in 2024.

The company's revenue model is primarily transaction-based: merchants pay a percentage fee per successful charge — Visa/Mastercard from 2.59% (positioned as industry-low), with new PayPay rates of 3.5% for physical goods/services and 9.0% for digital content planned for early 2026. Distribution is entirely digital and self-serve, with developer adoption driven by API documentation, the PAY.JP MAGAZINE content hub, and heavy sponsorship of Japanese startup and developer conferences. The company is expanding its payment-method coverage (PayPay, mail-link payments) and embedding AI-assisted integration features via planned MCP server support, signaling a shift from single-method card processing toward a multi-method, AI-augmented payment platform embedded in the broader BASE Group fintech ecosystem.

Name

PAY

Legal name

PAY株式会社

Website

https://pay.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PAY, Inc. operates PAY.JP, a developer-first online payment API for Japanese startups and SMBs. A 100% subsidiary of BASE Corporation (TSE: 4477), it processed over 200 billion yen in transaction volume in 2024 and is adding PayPay, mail-link payments, and AI-assisted integration features.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Payment Processing API

NAICS

Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Payment Processors (PSP/Acquirer) (FSAMABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Merchant Payment Gateways (API/Hosted Checkout) (FSAMACAA), Recurring Billing, Subscriptions & Tokenized Payments (CRAFALAH)

Keywords

• Online payment API
• Payment processing platform
• Developer payment integration
• Credit card processing
• Fintech payment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Roppongi

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Payment Transaction Fees: PAY.JP charges merchants a percentage fee on each successful transaction processed. Fee rates vary by payment method: Visa/Mastercard from 2.59%, PayPay 3.5% for physical goods/services, and 9.0% for digital content. All fees exclude consumption tax. This is the primary revenue stream.
2. PAY.JP YELL BANK (Merchant Capital): A capital fundraising/financing service for PAY.JP merchants. While not a direct revenue stream, it strengthens merchant retention and adds a financial services layer to the platform, generating indirect revenue through deepened merchant relationships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PAY, Inc. operates PAY.JP, a developer-first online payment API service that enables seamless integration of credit card and alternative payment processing into web services and mobile applications. The platform offers simple REST APIs with extensive libraries, PCI DSS v4.0 compliance, 3D Secure 2.0 support, and industry-low transaction fees (Visa/Mastercard starting at 2.59%). The company is a 100% subsidiary of BASE, Inc., serving Japanese startups, SMBs, and developers.

Product overview

PAY株式会社 operates as a single-product SaaS company centered on PAY.JP, a developer-focused online payment service. PAY.JP is the core platform offering payment APIs for web and mobile applications. The company also provides PAY.JP YELL BANK as a merchant financing add-on and Pay ID as a consumer-facing ID payment service. Future planned additions include PayPay as a payment method, mail link payment functionality, and AI-powered features, all built on PAY.JP as the foundational platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PAY.JP: Developer-focused online payment API service enabling easy credit card payment integration for web services and mobile apps
• PAY ID
• PAY.JP YELL BANK

Products and services

• PAY.JP Developer-focused online payment API service launched on 2015-09-07 that enables seamless integration of credit card and alternative payment processing into web services and mobile applications. Offers simple REST APIs, abundant libraries, industry-low transaction fees (Visa/Mastercard: 2.59%~), PCI DSS v4.0 compliance, and 3D Secure 2.0 support.
• PAY.JP YELL BANK Fundraising service provided to PAY.JP merchants, enabling flexible and speedy access to growth capital. Part of BASE Group's financial infrastructure for startup and SME growth support.
• PAY ID ID-based payment service and consumer shopping service launched on 2016-06-27 that provides identity-verified payment processing, enabling registered users to make payments without entering card details each time. A mobile payment app version was released on 2017-06-27.

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual transaction volume exceeded 200 billion yen in 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• つくっちゃったけど、どうしよ委員会 (BASE株式会社, 株式会社CAMPFIRE, 株式会社ツFCFFF)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 January 2026A joint initiative by PAY株式会社, BASE株式会社, CAMPFIRE, and Tsucure — all companies that support the 'next step' for makers and entrepreneurs through payment, e-commerce, crowdfunding, and startup support services. The committee organizes ideation events like 'つくっちゃったけど、どうしよ会議' to foster community and creative collaboration.
• PayPay株式会社coreTechnology or Integration · 2 October 2025PAY.JP is integrating PayPay as its first alternative payment method via a new extensible API architecture. PayPay is Japan's largest cashless payment service with 70+ million registered users (as of July 2025). The integration targets early 2026 launch, with transaction fees set at 3.5% for physical goods/services and 9.0% for digital content.
• BASE株式会社 (Parent Company)coreOthersPAY株式会社 is a 100% subsidiary of BASE株式会社 (TSE: 4477). BASE provides corporate governance, shared services, and strategic direction. BASE's e-commerce ecosystem (BASE, Pay ID, YELL BANK) provides cross-selling and ecosystem integration opportunities for PAY.JP.
• PCI Security Standards CouncilcoreOthersPAY.JP's infrastructure is certified compliant with PCI DSS v4.0, the credit card brand security standard. This certification is foundational to the service's security positioning and regulatory compliance.
• 株式会社Ｅストアー, want.jp株式会社minorOthersListed as affiliated companies with whom PAY株式会社 shares personal information under their joint privacy policy, alongside BASE株式会社.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pay_jp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/payjp

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PAY