August 20, 2026, 8:00 a.m. (JST)
[Japan] Satoshi Tsurumi, Executive Officer at V Point Marketing—the operator of the “V Point” program—spoke in an interview about the company’s efforts to become the No. 1 choice among “V Point” users.On April 22, 2024, “V Points”—operated by the SMBC Group—merged with “T Points,” operated by the Culture Convenience Club (CCC) Group, to become one of Japan’s largest universal loyalty programs with approximately 86 million members.Furthermore, starting March 24, 2026, the company will begin enabling the mutual exchange of “V Points” and “PayPay Points,” aiming to solidify its position as the preferred universal rewards program by enhancing customer convenience.
Building the service capabilities to earn the reputation that “If you’re going to collect points, collect V Points”
Mr. Tsurumi stated, “Looking back over the past three or four years, we lost major partners during the T-Point era, and it was pointed out that we were beginning to fall behind compared to other companies’ loyalty programs.However, with the integration of our points system with the SMBC Group set to begin in April 2024, and following a capital reorganization, we have declared our intention to once again aim for the No. 1 position as the SMBC Group’s V Points,” he stated.
When the V-Point concept was unveiled in April of the 24th year, the policy stated, “We aim to create a system where users can freely earn and use points in an open format, unbound by any specific economic ecosystem.”
Mr. Tsurumi said, “When we say ‘No. 1,’ we don’t mean competing to be the best within the ecosystem of shared loyalty points. Rather, we aim to be the No. 1 shared loyalty program chosen by users—one that earns the reputation of being ‘the point to earn’—by enhancing value through customer benefits and convenience.”
Comprehensive Financial Service “Olive” Becomes the Growth Engine for V Points
Since the V-Point integration in 2024, there has been a growing trend toward adopting V-Points, particularly in the restaurant industry. The Zensho Group, which operates Sukiya, Nakau, and Hama Sushi, introduced V-Points in April 2024, and Freshness Burger has been offering the V-Point service at its stores nationwide since June 2026.
Mr. Tsurumi stated, “I believe we are starting to see the results of our sales efforts promoting ‘V-Points through Sumitomo Mitsui Card,’ including our integrated sales operations with Sumitomo Mitsui Card and the promotion of personnel exchanges with the SMBC Group.”
Furthermore, as a result of V Points becoming a common rewards program across the financial group, integration with financial services is progressing.For example, with Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group’s “Olive,” users can earn up to 8% back in V Points at any time by making Visa Contactless payments with their smartphones at participating convenience stores and restaurants; by combining various conditions, it is even possible to earn up to 20% back in points (up to 23% at 7-Eleven).
Launched in March 2023, “Olive” is a comprehensive financial service that integrates functions such as bank accounts, card payments, personal finance, online securities, and online insurance within a single app.Even after the service’s launch, the company has continued to enhance its services and features in response to user feedback, introducing services such as a fixed-amount automatic deposit service, an account rank switching function, family card issuance, and additional payment modes.Mr. Tsurumi states, “The release of the ‘Olive’ financial product has been a major growth driver for V Points. As its versatility increases, the annual number of points issued is undoubtedly growing.”
Additionally, at SBI Securities, users can earn “V Points” through credit card savings using the Sumitomo Mitsui Card and by holding mutual funds (Investment Trust Mileage).Accumulated points can be used at a rate of 1 point = 1 yen to purchase mutual funds or domestic stocks (V-Point Investing). Mr. Tsurumi notes, “As interest in investing grows, the number of V-Point users is also increasing. In particular, young people in their 20s and 30s stand out among the new generation of users.”
Partnership with PayPay,
the giant of code-based payments, sends shockwaves through the shared points landscape
Mitsui Sumitomo Financial Group and SoftBank’s PayPay have entered into a comprehensive business partnership in the digital sector.Integration between the comprehensive financial app “Olive” and PayPay is underway; the mutual exchange of V Points and PayPay Points began in March 2026, and as of July of the same year, transfer (withdrawal) fees for sending funds from PayPay balances to Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation accounts have been waived.
The aim of this partnership between “Sumitomo Mitsui Card,” a leader in Japan’s cashless industry, and “PayPay,” which holds the No. 1 market share in Japan’s code-based payment market, is to further enhance the value of “V Points” and “PayPay Points” and enable their use in a wide range of scenarios.With the spread of cashless payments, consumers are placing greater importance not only on how easily points can be earned but also on being able to use them in ways that suit their individual needs. This mutual exchange initiative is designed to meet these needs.
Mr. Tsurumi stated, “We are aiming for a seamless world, such as enabling users to spend their PayPay balance within the Olive app, and we want users to be able to use their points however and whenever they like,” indicating that this marks the dawn of a new era in the competition among universal point programs. The company plans to continue expanding the concept of “a universal point program chosen by users, from the user’s perspective.”
Eager to Leverage AI for Marketing and Further Integration with Financial Services
As a long-standing player in the common points industry, V-Point prides itself on having a distinct advantage in marketing services that leverage cutting-edge technologies such as AI. The company plans to continue offering competitive marketing services even in the AI era.
Furthermore, the company is eager to develop services where points can be utilized in new areas of digital services, such as policy support from local governments, shareholder benefits, and corporate employee benefits. Mr. Tsurumi stated, “I am confident that the SMBC Group as a whole can achieve even greater growth in the financial sector.We also aim to expand the range of services associated with our ‘stera’ payment platform, such as ‘credit card fare payment.’ By combining the capabilities of the entire SMBC Group with V-Point, we intend to solidify our position as the No. 1 loyalty program of choice,” Mr. Tsurumi said, expressing his determination.
