Binance announced this week that its Binance Pay wallet now lets international tourists visiting Japan spend cryptocurrency at millions of PayPay-supported merchants across the country. The integration, which went live in late September, allows travelers to scan a merchant’s PayPay QR code or present their own payment code and settle directly from their Binance account balance with zero gas fees, according to the company. The move gives crypto holders a way to spend digital assets at everyday merchants without converting to cash first.
How paying with Binance Pay works in Japan
At checkout, Binance Pay automatically converts the customer’s crypto into Japanese yen, removing the need to manage foreign exchange separately or open a local bank account. Transactions settle in real time through Hivex’s payment network, which Binance said connects the platform to PayPay’s merchant rails. Users can pay by presenting their PayPay payment code for the merchant to scan, or by scanning the merchant’s own PayPay QR code and entering the amount. Both paths draw directly from the customer’s Binance balance.
Tourist-only access and a launch incentive
The feature is available exclusively to visitors who have completed Binance identity verification, and Binance said it is not offered to residents of Japan. To mark the launch, eligible tourists can claim a limited-time 10% instant discount when they pay with Binance Pay at PayPay merchants. The company framed the rollout as a travel convenience, letting visitors use crypto for everyday spending at convenience stores, restaurants, supermarkets and transit stations without carrying cash or downloading a separate local payment app.
Extending an existing Binance-PayPay relationship
The launch builds on a partnership that began in 2025, when PayPay acquired a 40% stake in Binance Japan, and follows Binance Pay’s broader effort to roll out QR crypto payments across more than ten countries by the third quarter of 2026, which the company outlined earlier this year. PayPay is Japan’s largest mobile payment service, accepted at millions of locations nationwide, and Binance framed the tie-up as a way to give international visitors a crypto-native spending option on one of the country’s most widely adopted QR networks. Binance Pay is only available to eligible users in supported countries who complete identity verification.
