（Original Video in Japanese was published on the FINOLAB CHANNEL on Nov. 21, 2025 by Makoto Shibata）

This article delves into the details and specific advancements of the expanding use of My Number and the My Number Card in the financial sector, as explained in FinTech Topics #122.

The Foundation of the My Number System and the Significance of the Card

While often confused, the roles and functions of the My Number and My Number Card are clearly distinct.

Firstly, the My Number is a 12-digit number assigned to every resident in Japan, including foreign nationals. Once assigned, this number never changes and serves as a “Common ID for Administration,” utilized in administrative fields such as taxation, social security, and disaster response.

On the other hand, the My Number Card is a plastic identification card with an IC chip on which the My Number is printed. The card contains basic information such as the holder’s name, address, date of birth, gender, and photograph. Furthermore, the embedded IC chip stores an electronic certificate containing this basic information. It is important to note that the IC chip does not contain highly sensitive personal information such as tax records or medical history.

Regulatory Relaxation Driving Expansion of Use

When the My Number system launched in 2016, its use was severely restricted to statutory matters in social security, tax, and disaster response, imposing major constraints on private businesses. However, deregulation of the scope of use has been gradually advanced to promote the system and enhance convenience.

A significant development was the promulgation of the revised law in June 2023, which legally explicitly authorized the My Number Card for use as a health insurance card. Moreover, the Digital Agency has signaled a direction to expand the card’s use for identity verification beyond the traditional administrative-only framework to encompass private-sector applications.

Behind this expansion is the strict control over the use of the My Number itself, while simultaneously promoting the use of the electronic certificate on the My Number Card for identity verification, and exploring the future use of the IC chip’s empty space to store various information. Therefore, the discussion must distinguish between the use of the My Number and the use of the My Number Card as a means of identity verification.

Concrete Examples of Advancing Use in the Financial Sector

The My Number Card is already being utilized in various ways within the financial sector and public procedures:

Field	Usage Type/Service	Description/Example
Myna Point	Point reduction for cashless payments	A system where My Number Card holders use a registered cashless payment service (QR payment, electronic money, etc.), and receive points from the national government.
Deposit Account Numbering System	My Number notification to financial institutions & account linking	A system introduced in 2025 that links deposit accounts to the My Number. It is also possible to register other financial institution accounts (e.g., other bank accounts).
Public Fund Receiving Account Registration System)	Account registration for receiving public payments like benefits	A system for registering deposit account information along with applications for public payments, such as benefits, pensions, and child allowances, to simplify the application process.
eKYC	Identity verification using the My Number Card’s IC chip	A method used by financial institutions and payment service providers to conduct online identity verification (eKYC) using the My Number Card’s IC chip (electronic certificate and recorded data) and facial photographic information.
Facial Recognition Payment – PoC	Utilization of My Number Card’s facial photo data	Proof-of-concept experiments are underway to use the facial photo data linked to the My Number Card for face authentication payments at stores (e.g., NEC or regional payment and collaboration experiments).
Local Government Cashless Payment	Using cashless payments as a payment method for administrative procedures	An increasing number of local governments are enabling cashless payments for resident registration procedures, certificate issuance, etc., via the Myna Portal or related services (QR payment, credit card, etc.).

The Japanese Approach Contrasted with International Examples

Looking at how national individual numbers are used overseas, there is a fundamental split between the approach where the ID number is used as the payment address and the approach where identity verification is done, but the national individual number itself is not used as the primary ID for payment.

Country/System	ID/Number System	Payment/Financial Linkage & Status	Key Notes / Points of Interest
India – Aadhaar + UPI (Unified Payment Infrastructure)	Aadhaar (National identification number linked to biometrics)	UPI is an instant payment interface linked to bank accounts. Research proposing an Aadhaar-based wallet method is also emerging.	UPI has a very high adoption rate and is considered a success story for payment infrastructure. However, the Aadhaar number is not fully adopted as the payment ID; the concept of an Aadhaar-based virtual wallet is still in the research proposal stage.
Singapore – PayNow	NRIC (National Registration Identity Card, etc.) or mobile number	PayNow is an interbank real-time payment platform that links to the mobile number or NRIC (ID). The ID is actually used as one of the payment keys.	The ID is actually used as one of the payment keys.
Malaysia/ASEAN Countries – QR System	ID systems exist in each country (varies by country)	Systems aimed at standardizing QR payments among member countries, such as the ASEAN Integrated QR Code Payment System.	The main purpose is the integration of the payment infrastructure, rather than a direct link to the ID number. However, the possibility of linking with ID authentication in the future is also being considered.
Ghana – e-zwich	Proprietary smart card (supported by banks and the state)	A national payment and remittance system using its own smart card. Allows payment/transfer between payment, bank, and non-bank entities.	Features include linking the smart card with biometrics and fingerprints.

In this international comparison, Japan’s ID usage adopts an approach where the My Number itself is for limited use, and identity verification is conducted outside of the number’s direct utilization. This aims to balance the strict control over the number’s use with the convenience provided by the card.

Latest Private Sector Utilization Solutions

In tandem with regulatory relaxation and technological advancement, private companies are rapidly introducing innovative services based on the My Number Card.

1. Digital Wallet Integration: Myna Wallet and Myna Pay
   • “Myna Wallet”, developed by startups, links the My Number Card to a digital wallet to provide secure payments and ID verification, also looking toward Web3 integration. The related “Myna Pay” envisions a world where payment is possible simply by possessing the My Number Card. These trademarked services are expected to expand into regional resident discounts and preferential services by leveraging the card’s ID verification capability.
     
2. Regional Currency and Transportation Payment Linkage
   • Regional Currency “Amakusa no Sari”: A regional currency established by a joint venture involving SBI Holdings and Kyushu Electric Power, which has introduced a mechanism for payment using the My Number Card. This is an example of linking regional currency with a public ID.
   • stera transit: A transportation payment platform by Sumitomo Mitsui Card that partners with an eKYC provider. It offers a system for smooth use of public transportation by performing ID verification with the My Number Card.
     
3. Authentication Platform: VeriMe
   • Following the ability to register and use the My Number Card on iPhones, Panasonic Connect announced the “VeriMe” authentication platform for companies and local governments. This service allows for integration with payments, ID verification, and various applications, with expectations for broad future use.

Conclusion: Expansion of Private Use and Future Outlook

In the financial industry, the use of the My Number Card for identity verification and related payment solutions is steadily increasing.

Under the current policy, the My Number number itself is not permitted to be used as a payment address, and this policy is expected to be maintained. However, the My Number Card is seeing increased convenience through links like the health insurance card, and the scope of private-sector use, such as electronic authentication for ID verification, is significantly expanding.

As a result, innovative payment solutions like “Myna Wallet” are emerging, and it is anticipated that practical use cases will continue to increase.