Japan to phase in cashless traffic fine payments from July 2027
Offenders would pay processing fees of several hundred yen for each cashless transaction, while payments at bank and post office counters would remain free.
People fined for minor traffic offenses in Japan, including cyclists, would gain cashless payment options under a National Police Agency plan scheduled to start in July 2027, agency officials said. Introduction of the system would proceed in stages nationwide.
Credit cards, smartphone payment services, internet banking and payments through convenience stores are among the anticipated options. Currently, offenders must visit a bank or post office counter during business hours to settle their fines.
The proposal would add a QR code to each blue ticket, the notice used for traffic violations. Users would scan it to access a website, then enter details handwritten on the ticket, specify the amount owed and select a payment option. An email or another notification would confirm completion.
The agency intends to appoint a contractor through competitive bidding to process payments and run the system. Selection criteria will include transaction charges and the choice of payment methods. Those charges will fund operators’ costs and provide their revenue, without adding costs for police or cutting fine receipts.
The plan is intended to make paying fines easier and lessen the workload for financial institutions. A trial in Akita and Shimane prefectures, running since June 2021, already permits bank transfers using ATMs or internet banking.
Traffic fine proceeds pass through state coffers before allocation to local governments as special grants for measures such as road signs. In fiscal 2025, approximately 3.85 million traffic fine cases accounted for around ¥38 billion.
