Line Buys Stripe-Like Japanese Startup WebPay To Boost Its Payments Service

Line, which is owned by Korean internet giant Naver but operates as a Japanese company, is one of a number of messaging services to embrace payments as it seeks to move beyond merely providing a platform for chat. The Line Pay service can be used for peer-to-peer cash transfers — just like Snapchat’s payments service — but Line appears to see its true potential as a facilitator of online-to-offline commerce and a method to overcoming online/mobile payment hurdles. With an Uber-rivaling taxi service in Tokyo, a fledgling grocery delivery service in Southeast Asia, and plans for a global music streaming service, Line is focused on building out its suite of services and Line Pay is an important component of that.

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