Japanese convenience store chain Lawson has announced a historic proof-of-concept test for stablecoin payments at two Tokyo stores, marking the first time in Japan that stablecoin payment trials have been integrated with point-of-sale register systems. According to the latest announcement from Lawson, the company will conduct two proof-of-concept trials this month to test stablecoin payments directly through its existing point-of-sale (POS) registers without requiring separate payment terminals or QR code displays.
The first trial is scheduled for August 3 at the Lawson Takanawa Gateway City store and will test payments using JPYC, a yen-pegged stablecoin, through the HashPort Wallet provided by HashPort. A second test will follow on August 17 at the Lawson Gate City Osaki Atrium store, where participants will use MetaMask to pay with USDC, USDT or JPYC. As reported by BigGo Finance, both trials are restricted to invited participants and general customers will not be able to participate. The company had previously announced its intention to test JPYC payments at the Takanawa store in July, but this latest announcement confirmed the specific dates and disclosed the details of the additional Osaki store trial.
The payment flow works by having users display a payment barcode on their smartphone wallet, which is then scanned by the store's POS register. Transaction data, including the purchase amount, is transmitted to the wallet provider through PAYTREE, a multi-code payment gateway operated by Canal Payment Service. After the wallet provider confirms the user's balance, approval or rejection of the transaction is sent back to the POS register. According to Lawson, because the system uses existing POS registers to scan barcodes, stores do not need to install dedicated terminals or display payment QR codes. The trial is being conducted with cooperation from HashPort, Netstars, and Canal Payment Service and will assess POS system integration, settlement flows, in-store operations, and transaction processing times. NETSTARS has built the service on its proprietary cashless payment platform 'StarPay', which allows for point-of-sale integration aimed at assessing operational speed, user experience, and impact on store staff during high-volume retail hours.
Besides transaction speed, Lawson will examine day-to-day store operations, including POS integration and settlement procedures, to determine whether the system can operate smoothly in a retail environment. The company plans to run additional proof-of-concept tests during August and will consider rolling out the payment method to stores based on the results. As reported by BigGo Finance, the key question will be whether Lawson formally adopts stablecoin payments and becomes a pioneer in cryptocurrency adoption within Japan's retail sector. The ability to leverage existing POS registers offers the advantage of introducing new payment methods without significant additional investment, and the potential ripple effect on other retailers is drawing attention. NETSTARS intends to use insights gathered from this trial to refine store-level operations and promote broader social implementation of stablecoins across convenience stores and retail sectors.
The latest pilot comes as regulated stablecoin projects continue to move into commercial use across Japan. According to BigGo Finance, revisions to the Payment Services Act took effect in June 2023, legalizing the handling of stablecoins and accelerating efforts to enable their use at physical retail locations. Major banks including MUFG Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and Mizuho Bank have said they plan to begin live yen-backed stablecoin transactions during fiscal 2026. The retail adoption has also started to emerge with selected Chibo restaurant locations and dental clinics in Tokyo and Chiba announcing plans to introduce stablecoin payments using HashPort's payment infrastructure. NETSTARS previously introduced its broader Web2-to-Web3 payment initiative, 'StarPay-X', in April 2026, followed by the commercial launch of 'Stablecoin Pay' on July 13, 2026. Integrating digital currencies into legacy POS architecture is widely considered a critical hurdle for retail adoption of Web3 payments in Japan.
