Rakuten has posted a press release in English about “Edy Autocharge”, a new feature that was added to the company’s Edy app on Android (“Edy” is a prepaid e-money service, more info here).
With the new feature, a Rakuten user’s balance is checked every hour and once it falls beneath a pre-set value, the balance gets topped up automatically (which is pretty neat).
Here’s the full text of the press release:
bitWallet launches “Edy Autocharge” functionality
for Edy app users on Android (TM)–Automatic top-up feature is industry-first and provides greater safety and ease of use for shopping with Edy–
http://www.edy.jp/howto/charge/autocharge/index.html
bitWallet, Inc., manager of the e-money service “Edy” and member of the Rakuten Group (“bitWallet,” CEO: Yoshihisa Yamada, Head Office: Shinagawa-ku, Japan) has added “Edy Autocharge” as a new feature of its “AndroidTM Edy Application.” This online automatic top-up service will launch at 3:00 PM (JST) on 18 April 2011 (Monday), and is patent-pending.The “Edy Autocharge” service is limited to “AndroidTM Edy Application” users. Under the service, the user’s Edy balance is checked once every hour. If the balance falls below a pre-set value, it will be topped-up automatically online. This feature is an industry first.
Users will be able to take advantage of this service by providing their credit card information and setting the “autocharge values” (minimum balance, top-up amount, daily limit) beforehand. To allay an worries regarding excessive top-ups, users can also preset a daily top-up limit (from 1,000 yen to 50,000 yen)., In the event of loss or theft, users will be able to disable the “autocharge” setting via a website that can only be viewed on a computer. These features provide greater security and safety for users.
After each automatic top-up, the application, which works on AndroidTM smartphones (hereafter, “smartphones”) with the “Osaifu-Keitai” function, will send an automatic notification to the phone’s owner, allowing the user to easily verify the status of automatic top-ups to ensure round-the-clock safety and ease of use when shopping with Edy.
In addition, the “Edy Uketori (Edy Gift)” (a service that allows users to receive Edy gifts in exchange for points and miles) and “Edy Oazuke-Kino” (a service that allows users to transfer their Edy balance when changing mobile phones) services that are provided through “Edy Application” on conventional mobile phone models will also be made available on “AndroidTM Edy Application” from the same day.
bitWallet, Inc. has provided Edy services on “Osaifu-Keitai®” mobile phones since June 2004, and the accumulated total number of downloads for the “Edy Application” as of the end of February 2011 was about 12.5 million, in terms of the number of phone terminals. bitWallet, Inc. began offering the “AndroidTM Edy Application” for smartphones in January 2011; the current number of downloads for this application has exceeded 200,000, and the number of users has remained on a steady upward trend. With the anticipated expansion of the smartphone market in the future, the number of “Edy Autocharge” shoppers is also expected to increase.
To commemorate the launch of this automatic top-up service, users that complete their “Edy Autocharge” settings between April 18 and May 17 will be entered into a lucky-draw as part of the “Edy Autocharge Service Commemorative Campaign!” Each day, one lucky user will be presented with Edy value equivalent to his or her top-up amount.
Going forward, bitWallet, Inc. will continue to work toward the provision of new services and functions aimed at enhancing user satisfaction.
