NETSTARS to Strengthen Cross-Border Payment Infrastructure with Dandelion, Whose Payment Network Spans More Than 200 Countries and Territories
Dandelion’s services are planned for use in outbound payments under “JPQR Global,” helping enable a smoother payment experience overseas
NETSTARS Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Tsuyoshi Ri; “NETSTARS”) announced that, effective November 10, 2026, it has entered into a service agreement with Dandelion Payments, Inc. (Headquarters: California, U.S.; Executive VP and CEO, Euronet’s Cross-Border Payments Segment: Juan Bianchi; “Dandelion”), which operates a payment network spanning more than 200 countries and territories, as part of an initiative to further strengthen its cross-border payment infrastructure.
Dandelion, part of the Cross-Border Payments Segment of Euronet Worldwide (NASDAQ: EEFT), a U.S. NASDAQ-listed electronic payments and financial services company. Dandelion provides financial institutions, payment service providers, and other businesses with an international payments infrastructure connecting bank accounts, mobile wallets, and cash pickup locations.
Under this initiative, Dandelion is expected to handle settlement through its services for certain countries and territories where its network will be utilized in the outbound payment functionality that “JPQR Global” aims to introduce in the future. NETSTARS participates in JPQR Global as the designated switching system operator. By connecting JPQR Global with the unified QR code payment standards of other countries, the initiative aims to create an environment in which travelers from Japan can use the payment services they normally use in Japan when making payments overseas.
About JPQR Global
“JPQR Global” is a framework designed to enable interoperability between Japan’s unified QR code payment standard, “JPQR,” and unified QR code payment standards overseas. It was first introduced at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan in July 2025. International visitors can use the QR code payment services they use in their home countries at participating stores in Japan. JPQR Global is currently connected with Cambodia and Indonesia, with additional QR code payment services in other Asian countries planned to be added progressively.
NETSTARS built the “JPQR Switching System” and participates in the initiative as its system operator. NETSTARS provides a single access point between switching operators that manage unified payment standards in each country and acquirers in Japan, while also undertaking settlement between overseas switching operators and domestic acquirers.
Background to the Service Agreement
In addition to Japan inbound payments, JPQR Global is preparing to introduce Japan outbound payments that would enable users from Japan to use participating Japanese QR code payment services overseas and pay via local unified QR codes. Outbound payments require a mechanism to promptly convert Japanese yen into the currency of the destination country and remit funds to local merchants through local payment service providers.
Dandelion operates a payment network spanning more than 200 countries and territories and supports settlement in multiple currencies. Under the service agreement, NETSTARS plans to use Dandelion’s services for JPQR Global outbound payments in the future. In countries and territories where Dandelion’s services are used, settlement through its payment network is expected to help establish the settlement infrastructure required for outbound payments, with the aim of providing travelers from Japan with a more convenient payment environment overseas.
The countries and territories in which Dandelion’s services will be used will be determined in the future based on connectivity requirements and other conditions. Dandelion will not be responsible for settlement in all countries and territories connected to JPQR Global. Settlement arrangements with each country and territory will be determined based on agreements with the relevant parties in the partner countries.
Looking Ahead
As the operator of the JPQR Global switching system, NETSTARS will continue to support the expansion of connections and user environments and contribute to the development of payment infrastructure that seamlessly connects Japan with overseas markets.
About Dandelion
Dandelion is the largest real-time, cross-border payments network in the world, offering built-in settlement, compliance, and ongoing support. Dandelion’s global disbursements network, built through direct-to-local connections nearly 40 years, delivers payments to 200 countries and territories.
Through a single API integration or Swift instruction, Dandelion enables financial institutions to reach 4.1 billion+ bank accounts, 160 mobile wallets and 3.5 billion mobile wallet accounts, and 630K cash pickup locations.
Dandelion is part of the cross-border payments segment of Euronet (NASDAQ: EEFT), a global leader in payments processing and cross-border transactions. Visit www.euronetworldwide.com for more information.
About NETSTARS Co., Ltd.
Since its founding in 2009, NETSTARS has operated a payment gateway business. In 2015, the company introduced a QR code payment service for inbound visitors to Japan for the first time in the Japanese market. It has since developed “StarPay,” a service that enables merchants to introduce and manage multiple domestic and international QR code payment services through a single platform. Building on StarPay’s technology, NETSTARS is currently expanding into a broader range of services.
Website / Inquiries: https://www.netstars.co.jp/en
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