QUO
QUO CARD Co., Ltd. is a Japanese gift card issuer founded in 1987 that operates a dual-format prepaid product — physical QUO Card and digital QUO Card Pay — serving individual consumers, corporate clients, and municipalities for gifting, promotional campaigns, employee benefits, and welfare subsidy distribution in Japan.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What QUO does
QUO CARD Co., Ltd. (株式会社クオカード), founded in 1987 and headquartered in Tokyo, is a Japanese gift card issuer operating a dual-format prepaid payment product: the physical QUO Card (denominations 300-10,000 yen, plus free-value options) accepted at convenience stores, drug stores, bookstores, home centers, and restaurants nationwide, and QUO Card Pay (launched 2018), a smartphone-based digital gift delivered via email or messaging apps and redeemed by barcode/QR at a broader merchant set including fashion, electronics, supermarkets, and dining. The platform is built on conventional prepaid issuance and barcode/QR payment infrastructure with no disclosed API, SDK, or AI/ML components, and accepts payments through convenience stores, Loppi terminals, fax orders, and dedicated e-commerce stores (quocard.jp and pay.quocard.jp).
The company operates a hybrid go-to-market model serving three primary segments: individual consumers purchasing through direct online stores and physical retail; corporate clients via sales-led bulk orders, custom designs, and quotation-based campaigns for promotional incentives, employee benefits, and shareholder rewards; and municipalities via a dedicated sales team and a limited-use QUO Card Pay variant for subsidy and welfare programs with merchant-category restrictions. Revenue is generated through one-time unit sales of cards and digital codes (face value plus production costs for physical cards; flexible 1-yen increments from 50 yen to 100,000 yen for QUO Card Pay), supplemented by corporate bulk contracts and authorized reseller channels (12+ partners including WELBOX, Benefit One, and SB Gift). Distribution is augmented by an authorized dealer network and benefit-service platform integrations. Approximately 1 billion QUO Cards have been issued since 1987, with 92.5% brand awareness among Japanese consumers.
QUO firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- QUO
- Legal name
- QUO CARD Co., Ltd.
- Website
- https://quocard.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- QUO CARD Co., Ltd. is a Japanese gift card issuer founded in 1987 that operates a dual-format prepaid product — physical QUO Card and digital QUO Card Pay — serving individual consumers, corporate clients, and municipalities for gifting, promotional campaigns, employee benefits, and welfare subsidy distribution in Japan.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
QUO industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Prepaid Gift Cards
- NAICS
- Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (45942)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Gift Card Processing, Issuance Platforms & Aggregators (FSAMANAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Card Issuing Platforms (Issuer Processing) (FSAGABAD), Virtual Prepaid & Single-Use / Tokenized Cards (FSAMANAJ), Government Benefit & EBT / Social Program Cards (FSAMANAF)
Keywords
Where QUO is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
QUO business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- QUO Card Sales: Sale of physical prepaid gift cards through online stores, convenience stores, and authorized dealers. Revenue generated from card face value minus production costs.
- QUO Card Pay Digital Sales: Sale of digital gift codes through QUO Card Pay online store. Codes can be customized and delivered digitally via email or messaging apps.
- Corporate/Bulk Sales: B2B sales to corporations for promotional campaigns, employee benefits, shareholder rewards, and point exchange programs. Volume pricing and custom designs available.
- Municipal/Government Sales: Sales to municipalities and local governments for subsidy programs, childcare support, and public benefit initiatives. Includes specialized limited-use gift cards.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | QUO Card Standard Denominations |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | QUO Card Pay Flexible Pricing |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Corporate Bulk Orders |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels9 records
Marketing channels7 records
QUO product offering
Product offeringCore offering
QUO issues and sells prepaid gift cards in two formats: a physical QUO Card (launched 1987) accepted at convenience stores, drug stores, bookstores, home centers, and other retailers nationwide, and a digital QUO Card Pay (launched 2018) delivered via email or messaging apps and redeemed via barcode at participating stores. The company serves individual consumers for personal gifting, corporations for promotional campaigns and employee benefits, and municipalities for welfare and subsidy programs, with approximately 1 billion cards issued since founding.
Product overview
QUO offers two gift card products: QUOカード (physical gift card) and QUOカードPay (digital gift card). QUOカードは a card-type gift certificate usable at convenience stores, bookstores, drug stores, home centers, cafes, and other retailers nationwide, with denominations from 300 yen to 10,000 yen and custom design options. QUOカードPay is a smartphone-based digital gift that can be sent via email or messaging apps, usable at even wider retail categories including fashion, electronics, and dining, with denominations from 50 yen to 100,000 yen. Both products serve individual consumers, corporate clients (for campaigns, incentives, employee benefits, shareholder rewards), and municipal governments (for welfare programs, subsidies, and community services). QUOカード launched in 1987 with approximately 1 billion cards issued; QUOカードPay was introduced as a digital alternative.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- おもいやりQUOカード: 社会貢献型QUOカード，将部分收益捐赠给公益社团法人国土绿化推进机构的「緑の募金」活动，用于国内森林整备和儿童森林环境教育。
- 株式会社クオカード
Products and services
- QUO Card (Physical Gift Card) A physical prepaid gift card (gift certificate) usable at convenience stores, bookstores, drug stores, home centers, cafes, and other retailers nationwide. Available in standard denominations of 300, 500, 700, 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, 5,000, and 10,000 yen, plus free-value options. Original custom designs available from 5 cards (Happymade Card). No expiration date and no registration required for recipients.
- QUO Card Pay (Digital Gift Card) A smartphone-based digital gift card usable at convenience stores, drug stores, fashion retailers, electronics stores, supermarkets, and restaurants. Denominations range from 50 yen to 100,000 yen per code in 1 yen increments (minimum order 1,000 yen per transaction). Can be redeemed via barcode display without app installation; dedicated app available for multi-code management.
Quantifiable outcome
- 92.5% consumer brand awareness in Japan
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use QUO
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
QUO technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
QUO partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Anri Co., Ltd. (株式会社アンリ)minorAuthorized QUO Card Pay sales partner offering digital gift solutions to consumers and businesses through their service platform.
- Orica Supply / Sigal Gift Co., Ltd. (株式会社シーガルギフト)minorAuthorized QUO Card Pay sales partner operating the Orica Supply platform.
- Cardmates Co., Ltd. (株式会社カードメイツ)minorAuthorized QUO Card Pay sales partner.
- Cosmics GC System Co., Ltd. (コスミックGCシステム株式会社)minorOperates Galileox Local QUO Card Pay platform featuring regional specialty gift cards.
- Incom Japan Inc. (インカム・ジャパン株式会社)minorOperates Kiigo platform for individual consumers (Kiigo) and B2B services (Kiigo for B2B) as authorized QUO Card Pay sales partner.
- Dawn Japan Co., Ltd. (ダウジャパン株式会社)minorOperates Giftto platform as authorized QUO Card Pay sales partner.
- Raksul Ltd. (株式会社ラクスル)minorOperates novelty gift platform offering QUO Card Pay through Raksul's novelty product catalog.
- SB Gift Co., Ltd. (SBギフト株式会社)minorOperates LINE Gift shops featuring QUO Card Pay at Seven-Eleven, Welcia, Sundrug, Sugi Pharmacy, and QUO Card Pay official shops.
- E-Well Co., Ltd. (株式会社イーウェル)minorWELBOX benefit service platform offers QUO Card Pay to corporate employee benefit members.
- Reru Club Co., Ltd. (株式会社リロクラブ)minor福利厚生俱楽ubenefit service platform offers QUO Card Pay to employee benefit members.
- Benefit One Inc. (株式会社ベネフィット・ワン)minorベネフィット・ステーション platform offers QUO Card Pay to corporate employee benefit members.
- Resol Life Support Co., Ltd. (リソルライフサポート株式会社)minorライフサポート俱楽ubenefit service platform offers QUO Card Pay to members.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
QUO competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- nanaco (Seven & i Holdings): Closed-loop prepaid gift card / e-money issued by Seven & i Holdings and accepted across 7-Eleven, Ito-Yokado, and group retailers in Japan. Directly comparable as a Japan-domestic prepaid gift instrument competing for the same retail and consumer wallet.
- WAON (Aeon Group): Closed-loop prepaid gift card / electronic money issued by Aeon Financial Service and accepted across Aeon Group retail. Directly comparable as a major Japan-domestic prepaid gift instrument with similar consumer and merchant economics.
- 図書カード (Toshokan Card / 日本図書普及): Established Japanese book voucher / gift certificate widely used for gifting and accepted at bookstores nationwide. Comparable as a category-specific Japanese gift voucher competing for the same consumer gifting occasions.
- Vプリカ (LifeCard): Visa-branded virtual prepaid card available in Japan with online issuance and digital delivery. Closely comparable to QUO Card Pay as a digital-first prepaid instrument with no physical card requirement.
Broad incumbents
- JCBプレモカード: Prepaid gift card issued by JCB, one of Japan's largest card networks. Comparable as a network-issuer prepaid gift instrument, though JCB's broader payments portfolio gives it incumbent advantages in merchant reach.
- Edy (bitWallet / Rakuten): Long-running Japanese digital prepaid electronic money accepted across convenience stores and online. Comparable as a Japan-domestic prepaid payment instrument competing for similar retail and consumer use cases.
- LINE Pay (LINE Yahoo): Mobile payment and digital gift / stamp service integrated into the LINE messaging app. Comparable as a Japanese digital gifting and payment instrument with social-distribution advantages.
- PayPay (Z Holdings / SoftBank): Japan's dominant QR-code mobile payment platform with 60M+ users. Comparable as a digital payment instrument competing for consumer wallet share and merchant acceptance, though broader in scope than gifting.
Emerging players
- バンドルカード (Bandai Namco / カンム): Virtual prepaid Visa card available in Japan with instant digital issuance. Comparable to QUO Card Pay as a digital-first prepaid card targeting online and retail spending.
- Kyash: Mobile wallet and prepaid Visa card app for peer-to-peer payments and online spending in Japan. Comparable as a digital-first prepaid instrument targeting consumer and corporate payment use cases.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
QUO social profiles
Digital presenceQUO financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
QUO leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
QUO funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
QUO M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about QUO
What does QUO do?
QUO issues and sells prepaid gift cards in two formats: a physical QUO Card (launched 1987) accepted at convenience stores, drug stores, bookstores, home centers, and other retailers nationwide, and a digital QUO Card Pay (launched 2018) delivered via email or messaging apps and redeemed via barcode at participating stores. The company serves individual consumers for personal gifting, corporations for promotional campaigns and employee benefits, and municipalities for welfare and subsidy programs, with approximately 1 billion cards issued since founding.
Is QUO a public or private company?
QUO is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was QUO founded?
QUO was founded in 1987.
Where is QUO based?
QUO is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does QUO make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. QUO Card Sales are the primary driver. The others are QUO Card Pay Digital Sales, corporate/Bulk Sales and municipal/Government Sales.
Who are QUO's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are nanaco (Seven & i Holdings), WAON (Aeon Group), 図書カード (Toshokan Card / 日本図書普及) and Vプリカ (LifeCard). Broad incumbents are JCBプレモカード, Edy (bitWallet / Rakuten), LINE Pay (LINE Yahoo) and PayPay (Z Holdings / SoftBank). Emerging players are バンドルカード (Bandai Namco / カンム) and Kyash.
Does QUO have an API?
No public API is recorded for QUO.
What industry is QUO in?
QUO's product category is Prepaid Gift Cards. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMANAL, Gift Card Processing, Issuance Platforms & Aggregators, with a secondary code of FSAGABAD, Card Issuing Platforms (Issuer Processing). Its NAICS code is 45942.