NTT Docomo to end dual registration under Installment Sales Act

The Kanto Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry announced in the Official Gazette dated October 13, 2026, the cessation of business for two registrations of NTT DOCOMO, INC. based on the Installment Sales Act. The targets are registration Kanto (Ku) No. 160 as a business operator concluding contracts for the handling of credit card numbers, etc., and registration Kanto (Ho) No. 43 as a comprehensive credit purchase mediation business operator; the date of business cessation for both is stated as July 1, 2026. The announcement was made under the name of Yasushi Iwata, Director-General of the Kanto Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry, and was published in the public notices column (Miscellaneous Matters) of the Official Gazette on the same date.

The Two Announced Registrations and Date of Business Cessation

• Name: NTT DOCOMO, INC.
• Location of Head Office: 2-11-1 Nagatacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
• Registration Number: Kanto (Ku) No. 160 (Business operator concluding contracts for the handling of credit card numbers, etc.)
• Registration Number: Kanto (Ho) No. 43 (Comprehensive credit purchase mediation business operator)
• Date of Business Cessation: July 1, 2026
• Date of Announcement: October 13, 2026
• Announcing Agency: Kanto Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry

Registration and Cessation Procedures Prescribed by the Installment Sales Act

The basis for the announcement is the Installment Sales Act (Act No. 159 of 1961). Regarding the business operator concluding contracts for the handling of credit card numbers, etc., a notification of business cessation based on the provisions of Article 35-17-14 was received from the person registered under Article 35-17-2 of the same Act, and the announcement was made based on the provisions of Article 35-17-13 and Article 133-12 of the Ordinance for Enforcement of the Installment Sales Act (Ministry of International Trade and Industry Ordinance No. 95 of 1961).

Regarding the comprehensive credit purchase mediation business operator, a notification of business cessation based on the provisions of Article 35 was received from the person registered under Article 31 of the same Act, and the announcement was made based on the provisions of Article 34-4 and Article 68 of the same Enforcement Ordinance. In both cases, this is a procedure where the administrative agency that received the notification from the registered business operator publicizes the fact that the validity of the registration has ended.

Implications for Mobile Payment and Installment Sales Partners

Registration as a business operator concluding contracts for the handling of credit card numbers, etc., targets operators that handle card numbers through the conclusion of contracts with member stores. Registration as a comprehensive credit purchase mediation business operator targets operators that comprehensively handle credit purchase mediation between member stores and users, rather than individual installment sales. Payments combined with mobile phone charges and the installment purchase of mobile devices have been operated under this framework.

This announcement only lists the fact and date of business cessation; there is no mention in the Official Gazette regarding the reason for cessation, successor operators, or specific handling of existing contracts and users. For business partners and users, since the presence or absence of registration determines whether they are subject to regulations under the Installment Sales Act, it will be necessary to verify the contracting entity.

Other Registration Cessation Examples Listed on the Same Day

This is not the first time a public notice of this kind has been issued. In the Official Gazette dated September 8, 2026, the cessation of operations for au Financial Service Co., Ltd. (2-3-1 Nishishinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo) regarding Kanto (Ku) No. 152 and Kanto (Ho) No. 107 was also publicized under the name of Yasushi Iwata, Director-General of the Kanto Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry, with July 1, 2026, likewise listed as the date of cessation. The fact that the same cessation date is used across multiple registrations is noteworthy as a fact indicating the timing of the business reorganization.

With the registrations handling the payment and installment functions of a major mobile carrier having concluded in the Official Gazette, businesses dealing with merchant contracts or installment payment terms must review their own contractual relationships based on the registration numbers and the date of cessation. Since public notices in the Official Gazette have the effect of externally finalizing the termination of a registration, they serve as primary information to be verified by the credit and screening departments of business partners.

Source: Official Gazette (October 13, 2026) Kanto Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry Announcement “Public Notice Regarding the Cessation of Operations of Registered Businesses Concluding Contracts for the Handling of Credit Card Numbers, etc.” and “Public Notice Regarding the Cessation of Operations of Registered Comprehensive Credit Purchase Intermediaries” (Yasushi Iwata, Director-General of the Kanto Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry). Related: Official Gazette (September 8, 2026) Similar public notice (au Financial Service Co., Ltd., Kanto (Ku) No. 152 / Kanto (Ho) No. 107).