What Blue Alliance does

Blue Alliance Co., Ltd. (ブルーアライアンス株式会社) is a Tokyo-headquartered private company founded in 2006 that operates the Blue Card (ブルーカード/blca), a regional common point-of-loyalty program covering ten Japanese prefectures (Nagano, Hokkaido, Aichi, Yamagata, Niigata, Yamaguchi, Ehime, Oita, Fukuoka/Kitakyushu, and Hyogo). The company serves local retail and service businesses — home centers, bookstores, department stores, GMS, shoe stores, apparel, optical shops, and taxi companies — through a franchise model built on a "one area, one sector, one company" exclusivity rule that prevents intra-network competition and converts competitors into mutual referral partners. Its flagship technology is Base7, a proprietary ASP-delivered integrated CRM comprising seven modules (distributed integrated database, member management, franchisee management, point data management, purchase data management, member communication, advertising management, and data extraction/analysis), which supports point issuance, member tracking, POS-integrated purchase history, and targeted DM campaigns including biannual Bluka Coupon mailings.

The business monetizes through a layered model: Blue Card sales to regional operating companies and franchisees, per-store monthly base operating fees, a 1% point issuance transaction fee (doubled for bonus promotions), Bluka Coupon redemptions settled against fee billing (500 yen per voucher), one-time hardware sales of point terminals (105,840-216,000 yen), optional POS data integration and customized analytics add-ons, and white-label CRM/house-card operation services for non-franchise enterprises. Distribution is executed through regional operating subsidiaries (now consolidated under Bulka Co., Ltd. since November 2019, with Shinshu Communications retained as the founding Nagano operator), an associate/partner referral program for consultants and accounting firms, direct franchisee recruitment via the corporate website, and dedicated recruitment of experienced professionals to serve as regional operating company presidents. Quantified performance in Nagano includes approximately 500,000 effective members, ~486 franchisee stores, 38-45% household penetration, 605 billion JPY in annual transaction volume, point redemption rates of 94-97% (versus an industry average near 80%), and a 99% open rate on biannual Bluka Coupon mailings.

Name

Blue Alliance

Legal name

ブルーアライアンス株式会社

Website

https://bluealliance.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Blue Alliance operates the Blue Card regional loyalty point platform across ten Japanese prefectures, serving local retail and service SMBs through an exclusive one-area-one-sector franchise model powered by its proprietary Base7 CRM system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Loyalty Program Management

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Private-Label & Store Card Schemes (FSAMAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Memberships, Clubs & Loyalty Subscriptions (CRAFAIAE)

Keywords

• Regional loyalty program
• Point card services
• Customer management system
• Franchise retail network
• CRM platform services

Headquarters

HQ city

Shibadaimon

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Blue Card issuance and sales to franchisees: Blue Alliance sells Blue Card cards to regional card operating companies, which in turn sell cards to franchisee stores. Franchisee stores collect a 300 yen membership fee (tax included) from members at the time of enrollment.
2. Franchise monthly base operating fee: Franchisees pay a monthly base operating fee per store, calculated on a per-store variable basis with an established cap. This is a recurring revenue stream from franchisee store operations.
3. Point issuance transaction fee: A 1% transaction fee on point issuance (doubled for bonus promotions) is charged to franchisees. Redeemed points are settled on the 10th of the month following use and netted against fees owed.
4. Point voucher settlement: Franchisees redeem Blue coupons at 500 yen per voucher on a monthly basis, which is offset against their fee billing.
5. CRM solution services for non-franchise clients: Customized CRM tools and house card operation services are provided to client enterprises outside the Blue Card franchise network, leveraging the same Base7 platform.
6. Optional promotion and analytics add-ons: Optional paid services include single-item purchase history data integration, customized reports, and targeted promotional campaign execution for franchisees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Blue Alliance operates the Blue Card (ブルーカード/blca) regional common point-card loyalty program, marketed as "local production-local consumption of points," under which consumers enroll once and earn/redeem points across non-competing local retail and service businesses within a prefecture. The program is supported by the proprietary Base7 (ビーセブンス) seven-module integrated customer management system that handles member, franchisee, point, purchase, communication, advertising, and analytics functions, plus Bluka shopping vouchers (500 JPY) mailed bi-annually to redeemable members. The platform is delivered to local retail/service franchisees and select non-franchise clients via a franchise/ASP model.

Product overview

Blue Alliance operates a regional loyalty platform centered on the ブルーカード (Blue Card/blca) point card system and the base7 integrated customer management system. The Blue Card is a regional common point program that aggregates local businesses across multiple industries under a one-area-one-industry model, enabling cross-merchant customer referral within prefectural economic zones. Points earned at participating stores are redeemable as ブルカ券 (Bluka Coupon) shopping vouchers, mailed semi-annually to members. The base7 system provides the technical backbone for member management, point tracking, purchase data analysis, and promotional capabilities. The platform is distributed through regional operating subsidiaries (地域コミ) established in each prefecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• base7: Proprietary integrated customer management system developed by Blue Alliance to support the Blue Card nationwide expansion. The system consists of 7 functional modules (B0-B7) including member management, franchise management, point data management, purchase data management, member communication, advertising management, and data extraction analysis.

Products and services

• Blue Card (ブルーカード/blca) — Regional Common Point Card Regional common point card loyalty program for consumers enabling point accrual at participating local businesses across multiple industries within a prefecture; operates under a one-area-one-industry franchise structure to enable cross-merchant customer referral within the regional economy.
• Base7 (ビーセブンス) — Integrated Customer Management System Proprietary seven-module (B0–B7) ASP-delivered CRM platform covering distributed integrated database, member management, franchisee management, point data management, purchase data management, member communication, advertising, and data extraction/analytics; licensed to franchisees and provided as a customized CRM/house-card service to non-franchise enterprises.
• Bluka Coupon (ブルカ券) 500 JPY shopping vouchers mailed semi-annually to members who have accumulated 500+ points, redeemable at participating franchisee stores and accompanied by personalized discount coupons from merchants.
• Associate Partner Program (アソシエイト・プログラム) Referral/affiliate program that lets regional professional firms and individual consultants earn transaction-based revenue share by introducing local retail/service businesses as Blue Card franchisees.
• Point Terminal Hardware Suite (Fixed / Mobile / Touch-screen)

Quantifiable outcome

• Point redemption rate of 94-97% in the Kita-Shinshu region (vs. industry average of ~80%), representing 14-17x the effectiveness of standard point programs.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature12 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Shinshu Communications (株式会社信州コミュニケーションズ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 June 1986Established June 7, 1986 in Nagano. The founding and most successful regional operating company for Blue Card. Manages Blue Card operations in Nagano Prefecture with a network of ~486 franchisee stores, ~500,000 members, and 605 billion JPY in annual transaction volume. Jointly managed by Blue Alliance and local shareholders including Heiando, Watahan, Schoomart, Shinetsu Broadcasting, Naga-no Tokyu Department Store, Aoki Holdings, and others. Blue Alliance holds equity; Director Seki Takayuki serves as Representative Director.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Eikyufu (イキフー / 福岡共通ポイント): Regional common point card program operated across Fukuoka Prefecture by local merchants. Closely comparable to Blue Card: same regional-exclusivity franchise model, same merchant-funded loyalty approach, same focus on local economic circulation. The most direct structural analogue in Japan.

Broad incumbents

• T-Point / V-Point (CCC Marketing / Sumitomo Mitsui Card): Japan's largest nationwide loyalty point program, originally operated by Culture Convenience Club and now merged with Sumitomo Mitsui Card's V-Point. Operates at national scale with millions of members across diverse retail categories, representing the competitive ceiling that Blue Card's regional model differentiates against.
• Ponta (Loyalty Marketing, Inc. / Mitsubishi Corporation): Major Japanese multi-partner loyalty program with national reach across convenience stores, retail, and services. Backed by Mitsubishi Corporation. Comparable in that it pools diverse merchants into a single point currency, but operates nationally rather than regionally.
• Rakuten Points (Rakuten Group): Super-app points currency earned across Rakuten's e-commerce, fintech, and mobile ecosystem. Comparable as a multi-merchant loyalty scheme with high engagement, though anchored to a digital platform rather than physical regional retail.
• d-Point (NTT Docomo): Japan's largest loyalty program by member count, anchored to NTT Docomo's mobile subscriber base and increasingly accepted at convenience stores and major chains. Comparable in multi-merchant point-currency model and member scale; competes for the same regional SMB merchant relationships.
• WAON (AEON Group): Retail-anchored e-money and loyalty program run by AEON, Japan's largest GMS operator. Comparable in that it pools diverse retail formats under a single point/wallet, though concentrated within AEON's own merchant ecosystem.
• nanaco (Seven & i Holdings): Retail-anchored loyalty and e-money program operated by Seven & i Holdings across 7-Eleven, Ito-Yokado, and York Benimaru. Comparable as a retail-network-driven loyalty scheme but vertically integrated rather than multi-merchant.
• Payback (PAYBACK GmbH): Multi-merchant coalition loyalty program operating in Germany and several other countries, pooling retail, fuel, and consumer services under one point currency. Comparable in coalition-program mechanics and merchant-network approach, but operating at national/international scale rather than prefecture-level.

Emerging players

• Stamp Me: Mobile-first digital loyalty stamp card platform for SMBs and regional merchants. Comparable in target customer (local/regional SMBs) and product function (digital loyalty/stamp management), though globally distributed rather than Japan-focused.
• Fivestars: SMB loyalty and customer engagement platform widely used by local retailers in the US. Comparable in serving local SMBs with point/CRM tools, though delivered as a SaaS product rather than as a co-branded multi-merchant regional scheme.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries11 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 Blue Alliance