Credit card outage hits convenience stores, other merchants across Japan

Japan experienced widespread disruption on July 16 as a major system outage prevented credit card payments at numerous convenience stores and other merchants. The failure began around 8 a.m. local time, with major credit card issuers like Mitsubishi UFJ NICOS and Sumitomo Mitsui Card scrambling to identify and resolve the issue.

The widespread problem impacted daily transactions for many consumers. Beyond retail, the outage extended to transportation services. East Japan Railway reported that users of its Mobile Suica app faced temporary difficulties when attempting to purchase commuter passes and conduct other transactions that relied on the service's credit card payment function.

Companies involved are actively investigating the root cause of the system failure. The incident highlights the reliance on digital payment systems and the significant impact that technical glitches can have on commerce and daily life.