Japanese wireless operator NTT DoCoMo says it now has ten million regular users of its DCMX contactless credit card phones.
Launched in April 2006 under the Osaifu-Keitai mobile wallet brand, DCMX reached 1 million subscribers just seven months after launch. The ten million milestone was passed on Monday 24 August.
The wireless operator ascribes the rapid penetration of the platform to a large estate of reader-writer terminals at 420,000 merchant locations nationwide, as well as its customer loyalty programme.
Subscribers earn loyalty points that can be redeemed against future transactions each time they make a purchase using the phone. In addition, there are bonus point programmes at selected retailers or DoCoMo's online shopping mall.
NTT DoCoMo says over 30 million DCMX phones equipped with Sony's Felica contactless payment chips are in circulation. The phones can be locked remotely over the wireless network if misplaced or stolen.