SoftBank-backed Japan mobile payment company PayPay added compatibility for Alipay Hong Kong and South Korea wallet Kakao Pay, allowing its merchant network to process transactions from a wider number of international travellers.

PayPay, a joint venture between SoftBank and affiliate Yahoo Japan, already offers compatibility with Alipay wallets tied to accounts in mainland China.

Users of any of the Japanese brand’s partner wallets will be able to make payments at retailers using the company’s existing QR code system.

In a statement, PayPay said it would continue to increase the range of payment features it offers as part of its aim to establish “a world where anyone can feel free to go shopping anywhere in Japan without any cash in hand”.

The company is one of a number competing to lead Japan’s mobile payments revolution, an initiative in-line with aims by the government to reduce reliance on physical currency.

Between launch in October 2018 and February 2020, PayPay had already signed up more than 25 million users and developed a sizable merchant footprint covering small and large businesses in Japan.

Earlier this month, it added overdraft facilities to a limited group of users with the intent to rollout to its wider base by the end of the year.