Rakuten : Bank and Viber Launch Money Transfer Service Using Viber from Rakuten Bank App

Tokyo, September 26, 2016 - Rakuten Bank Ltd. and Rakuten Group's Viber Media S.a.r.l today announced the launch of 'Transfer by Viber,' a money transfer service using the Viber mobile messaging app.

With the aim of providing easy and more convenient money transfer service, Rakuten Bank launched 'MailMoney,' a service that allows the sender to transfer money without knowing the recipient's bank, branch, or account number, using the email address and name of the recipient alone in November 2002, followed by 'Transfer by Facebook,' a service that enables easy money transfers to anyone on the user's Facebook friend list, in August 2014.

MailMoney and Transfer by Facebook have been being used by a large number of customers since the services were launched, and Rakuten Bank has now decided to launch the Transfer by Viber service enabling easy money transfers to anyone on the user's Viber contact list from the Rakuten Bank app. In addition, there are plans to make it possible for users to utilize the service from the Viber app through the via the Rakuten Bank app by the end of the year.

In the Rakuten Group, efforts are being made to strengthen collaboration between Viber and other group companies in order to provide customers with more convenient services, and this latest initiative between Rakuten Bank and Viber is a part of these efforts.

No transfer fees when sending money to a Rakuten Bank account linked to a Viber account
No transfer fees are charged for sending money to those holding a Rakuten Bank account already linked to their Viber account. If the recipient has a Rakuten Bank account that is not yet linked to their Viber account, or the money is being sent to another bank account, there is a fee of 165 yen per transfer.

Money can also be transferred to non-Rakuten Bank account holders
Transfer by Viber also enables money to be sent to those without a Rakuten Bank account. By accessing a URL on Viber with the transfer notice, the recipient is able to specify a bank account for the money, and with that, the deposit procedure is complete.

Attach a message with the transfer
A message (of up to 50 characters) can be sent together with the transfer. Unlike an administrative bank transfer, adding a message is a new communication tool that can be utilized in a range of situations, such as making pre-payments for events, or settling bills when dining or travelling with a friend.

Check transaction history with ease
The transaction history can be easily checked by the sender or recipient.

For more information, please visit the Transfer by Viber site:
http://www.rakuten-bank.co.jp/transfer/viber/

* The Rakuten Bank app can be downloaded for free from App Store and Google Play.
See http://www.rakuten-bank.co.jp/nonpc/index.html for details.

* Viber can be downloaded for free from App Store and Google Play.
See http://www.viber.co.jp/download for details.

- Facebook is the trademark or registered trademark of Facebook, Inc.
- App Store is the trademark or registered trademark of Apple Inc. in the United States and other countries.
- Google Play is the trademark or registered trademark of Google Inc. in the United States and other countries.