Japan Remit Finance

What Japan Remit Finance does

Japan Remit Finance Co., Ltd. (JRF) is a Tokyo-headquartered fintech operating a money transfer platform that serves foreign workers and students residing in Japan. The company was established on September 26, 2011 under the legal entity name Japan Remit Finance Co., Ltd., and is registered as a Money Transfer Service provider (Kanto Financial Bureau Director General No. 00024) and Prepaid Payment Service provider (No. 00737) with JPY 150,756,000 in shareholder capital. Its services enable international remittance to 166+ countries and domestic money transfer to Japanese bank accounts, with the JRF Wallet mobile app (available in 8+ languages) serving as the primary digital interface, complemented by JRF eCO Card and JRF Black Remit Card prepaid products and integration with over 13,500 Lawson Bank ATMs and the Yucho Bank ATM network for physical cash-in and cash-out.

The platform's revenue model is transaction-fee based, charging ¥280-300 per ATM deposit/withdrawal and service fees on international transfers with compliance caps of ¥1M per transaction, ¥2M monthly, and ¥8M annually. Distribution is hybrid: a self-serve mobile app, an agent network across Tokyo, Saitama, Fukuoka, and Aichi, 12 domestic branches, and 4 overseas offices in Hanoi, Manila, Seoul, and Canada. Payout corridors are enabled by partnerships with banks and mobile wallets including bKash, Nagad, eSewa, BRI, VietinBank, ACB, Union Bank Philippines, UBL, Bank of Ceylon, Peoples Bank, LBC, and others. Headcount has grown from 54 (Japan only, May 2022) to 251-500 currently.

JRF has expanded beyond pure remittance into a broader foreign-worker-focused ecosystem under the JRF Group, including JRF Pay (payment services), JRF Umart (e-commerce), JRF SmartJob (job platform), and an affiliated investment platform Sunny Proud operated by JRF Global Capital Investments Co., Ltd. (JRFGCI). JRFGCI is separately licensed for Financial Instruments Business and Lending Business and lends investor funds to the JRF remittance parent under a formal intra-group loan agreement — a structure the company discloses carries inherent conflict-of-interest risk. The founder and President Hossain MD Sarwar also serves as CEO of JRFGCI, and the company markets aggressively within diaspora communities via cultural festival sponsorships and country-specific Facebook pages across 8+ nationalities.

Name

Japan Remit Finance

Legal name

Japan Remit Finance Co., Ltd.

Website

https://jpremit.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Japan Remit Finance (JRF) is a Tokyo-licensed remittance fintech founded in 2011 that enables foreign workers and students in Japan to send money internationally to 166+ countries via a mobile app, prepaid cards, and 13,500+ Lawson and Yucho Bank ATMs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Remittance Services

NAICS

Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Currency Accounts, Wallets & FX Management (Consumer/SME) (FSAGAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cross-Border A2A & Bank Transfer Networks (FSAMAIAF), P2P Transfers & Remittances Platforms (BPAMAFAE), Cross-Border Card-Based Transfers & Multi-Currency Cards (FSAGAKAE)

Keywords

• International money transfer
• Remittance services
• Digital wallet payments
• Prepaid remittance cards
• Cross-border payments

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. International Remittance Transaction Fees: Revenue generated from international money transfer transactions from Japan to over 166 countries. Fees include service charges and exchange rate margins.
2. Domestic Money Transfer Service: Domestic money transfer services to local bank accounts within Japan.
3. ATM Transaction Fees: Fees collected from ATM deposits and withdrawals at Lawson Bank ATMs. Deposit fees: ¥280 for ¥1,000-50,000, ¥300 for ¥51,000-500,000. Withdrawal fee: ¥300 for ¥51,000-200,000.
4. Prepaid Payment Service: Prepaid card services including eCO Card and Black Remit Card with associated wallet and card management features.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Japan Remit Finance (JRF) provides international money transfer services from Japan to more than 166 countries, primarily serving foreign residents in Japan. The offering is anchored on the JRF Wallet mobile app for digital transfers, supported by prepaid cards (JRF eCO Card and JRF Black Remit Card), cash deposit access through 13,500+ Lawson Bank ATMs and Yucho Bank ATMs, domestic bank-to-bank transfers within Japan, and a network of 12 domestic branches plus 4 overseas offices. The platform supports 20+ currencies and integrates with payout partners such as bKash, eSewa, ACB, VietinBank, BRI, and MoneyGram for last-mile delivery.

Product overview

Japan Remit Finance operates a unified remittance platform centered on the JRF Wallet mobile application, supported by physical card products (eCO Card and Black Remit Card). The core offering comprises international money transfers to 166+ countries and domestic Japanese bank transfers. The ecosystem is extended through Load Money for bank-to-wallet transfers, ATM access via Lawson Bank partnership, and digital wallet functionality. The JRF Group includes sub-brands JRF Pay, JRF Umart, and JRF SmartJob, with Sunny Proud operated by affiliated entity JRF Global Capital Investments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• JRF Wallet: Mobile application for international and domestic money transfers with features including Touch ID authentication, transparent estimates, transaction tracking, and wallet balance management.
• JRF eCO Card
• JRF Black Remit Card
• Sunny Proud

Products and services

• JRF Wallet (Mobile Application)
• JRF eCO Card
• JRF Black Remit Card
• International Remittance Service
• Domestic Money Transfer
• PtoP (Peer-to-Peer) Remittance Service Peer-to-peer remittance service launched on 2022-09-27 enabling direct remittance between JRF users.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100,000 customers served over 10+ years

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ACB (Asia Commercial Bank)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVietnamese bank partner for international remittance payouts to ACB accounts in Vietnam.
• eSewacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNepal-based digital wallet partner for instant mobile wallet transfers to eSewa users.
• Global IME BankcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNepalese bank partner for remittance payouts to Global IME Bank accounts.
• Union Bank PhilippinescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPhilippine bank partner for cash payout and account deposit services.
• UBL PakistancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUnited Bank Limited Pakistan for remittance services to Pakistan.
• Bank of CeyloncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSri Lankan state bank partner for remittance payouts.
• DongA BankcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVietnamese bank partner for remittance payouts in Vietnam.
• BRI (Bank Rakyat Indonesia)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndonesian bank partner for remittance services to BRI accounts.
• VietinBankcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVietnamese state-owned bank partner for remittance payouts.
• Rupali BankcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBangladeshi state-owned commercial bank partner.
• ABL (Azerbaijan Bank)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAzerbaijan bank partner for remittance services.
• TransFastminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal money transfer network partner for expanded payout network.
• MoneyGramminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal remittance network partnership for extended service coverage.
• LBC (Luzon Broadcasting Corporation)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPhilippine remittance and courier network partner for cash pick-up services.
• bKashcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBangladesh's largest mobile financial services partner for instant wallet transfers.
• Peoples BankcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSri Lankan bank partner for remittance payout services.
• NagadcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBangladesh digital financial service partner for mobile wallet transfers.
• Lawson BankcoreTechnology or IntegrationATM partnership providing access to 13,500+ Lawson Bank ATMs across Japan for JRF Card deposits and withdrawals, enabling lower ATM fees for customers.
• SMBC (Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation)coreTechnology or IntegrationRelationship bank for banking services and transaction settlement.
• Mizuho BankcoreTechnology or IntegrationRelationship bank for banking services and transaction settlement.
• Mitsubishi UFJ BankcoreTechnology or IntegrationRelationship bank for banking services and transaction settlement.
• Yucho Bank (Japan Post Bank)coreTechnology or IntegrationJapan Post Bank for ATM deposits, withdrawals, and banking services integration including Yucho Direct internet banking.
• Bankey Inc (Japan)coreTechnology or IntegrationSystem integration partner enabling Load Money service for real-time bank-to-wallet transfers.
• JRF Global Capital Investments Co., Ltd.coreOthersSeparate group entity offering investment services. Funds from investment projects are lent to JRF for remittance business operations under formal loan agreement. Distinct entities with separate licenses.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wise: Direct peer in cross-border money transfer; serves consumers and small businesses globally with mid-market FX and low fees, including a Japan presence. Competes with JRF for the foreign-worker remittance segment with a digital-first model.
• Remitly: Direct peer focused on cross-border remittances from developed markets (including the US, UK, Canada and Japan corridor) to emerging-market recipients, targeting diaspora workers with mobile-first flows — directly overlapping JRF's foreign-worker customer base.
• Western Union: Largest global cross-border money transfer operator with deep Japan-outbound footprint and cash-pickup network across South/Southeast Asia. Competes head-to-head with JRF in the Japan-to-emerging-markets corridor.
• MoneyGram: Global money transfer network that is both a JRF partner and a competitor in Japan-to-emerging-markets remittance. Comparable customer segment, network reach and fee model.
• SBI Remit: Japan-headquartered remittance subsidiary of SBI Holdings offering online money transfer to many of the same destination countries (Philippines, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Nepal). Direct head-to-head competitor for Japan-resident foreign workers.
• WorldRemit: Digital cross-border remittance operator with mobile wallet and bank deposit payouts across Asia, Africa and Latin America. Targets the same diaspora senders as JRF, including Japan-based customers.
• Kyodai Remittance: Japan-based remittance operator focused on transfers from Japan to South and Southeast Asian countries, serving foreign workers and students. Closely comparable service scope and target customer to JRF.
• LBC Express: Philippine-headquartered remittance and courier company with extensive cash-pickup network; both a JRF payout partner and a competitor for Japan-to-Philippines remittance volume.

Emerging players

• bKash: Bangladesh's largest mobile financial services platform and a JRF payout partner; a key last-mile destination for Bangladesh-bound flows and a potential disintermediation risk if it expands sender-side capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• PayPal (Xoom): PayPal-owned Xoom offers cross-border transfers from Japan to 130+ countries via mobile app and website. Larger incumbent with broader product portfolio; competes on convenience and FX for the same JRF customer persona.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/jrfindopakbangla
• Xx.com/jrfphils

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Japan Remit Finance