Fuchu City Launches Fuchu Pay to Boost Local Commerce

Finovalley in partnership with the Musashino Fuchu Chamber of Commerce and Industry is introducing a new digital local currency called Fuchu Pay. The purpose is to inject local commerce with a new life, to retain the money within the city, and to make the residents’ daily activities more convenient.

Fuchu Pay runs on Finovalley’s MoneyEasy platform and works as a cashless payment tool across Fuchu City’s commercial areas. Finovalley handles the system and service, while the chamber of commerce operates it as the issuing authority.

The move comes as local shops face growing pressure from big stores and online services, weakening the connection between residents and neighborhood businesses. Fuchu has already experimented with digital gift certificates called Fuchu Ticket, which built a base of citizen and business participation. Fuchu Pay is meant to go further, letting residents pay digitally for everyday shopping, dining, and events, while linking points and promotions to support local stores on a regular basis.

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The service is simple. Users register via a smartphone app, top up at a bank ATM, and pay at around 500 participating stores in the city. The system also offers point redemption tied to events to encourage visits to local shops and prevent spending from leaking to other areas.

Fuchu Pay is designed to reduce the burden on local businesses while pushing digital transformation. For local government, it digitizes support measures like premium gift certificates and grants, improving operational efficiency and services for residents. For business owners, it reduces cash handling and acts as a first step toward digital store management and sales promotions.

To encourage adoption, a campaign will run from December 1 to December 15, 2025, offering 30% points back on purchases at Fuchu Pay stores, up to 3,000 points per person. Other point campaigns are also planned.

Looking ahead, Finovalley and the chamber aim to expand digital payments and information sharing across Fuchu City, make local business management safer and easier, and build a sustainable local economy connecting residents, businesses, and the city government.

MoneyEasy, the platform behind Fuchu Pay, makes launching digital community currency quick and low cost. Users pay via smartphone app using QR codes, and local governments can easily run premium gift programs and administrative points for citizen activities. The platform is designed to boost efficiency in community programs and support sustainable local economies.