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Origami Inc and Merpay Inc announced a basic agreement between the two companies as Origami Inc’s shares are to be acquired by Mercari Inc.

Origami Inc, which established a company in 2012, began offering the smartphone payment service Origami Pay in 2016, and has expanded its introduction to stores and services in a variety of industries and formats nationwide.

In September 2018, the company formed a capital and business alliance with Shinkin Central Bank, a central financial institution with 256 bank branches nationwide, to promote cashless operations for small and medium-sized businesses in the region.

As competition among smartphone payments providers intensifies in recent years, the company believes that combining the strengths of both Origami and Merpay will contribute to the realization of a cashless society in Japan. As a result of discussions between the two companies, Origami has reached an agreement to join Mercari Inc.

Going forward, the company plans to consolidate services of Origami Pay brand into Merpay, after a certain amount of time has passed for users and franchisees to be aware of them.

In addition, Merpay and Mercari, Origami, and Shinkin Central Bank, which signed business alliance agreements with Merpay and Mercari on January 23 2020, have announced a policy of aiming to realize a cashless society by promoting the introduction of “Merpay” to local small and medium-sized businesses.

Original Text: https://ampmedia.jp/2020/01/23/merpay-2/