Challenge

Since launching ChargeSPOT in April 2018, INFORICH has achieved widespread adoption thanks to the convenience of renting and returning mobile batteries anywhere. The service now boasts an impressive market presence, with approximately 47,330 of Japan’s 51,120 battery stations installed across train stations, airports, commercial facilities, and convenience stores. Beyond ChargeSPOT, the company is developing additional platforms, including CheerSPOT, a support platform that connects fans and artists, and ShareSPOT, which allows users to access various sharing services from a single app.

Despite this success, two payment challenges emerged. First, INFORICH’s previous payment provider charged fixed fees per transaction, which proved costly given the high volume of small-value rentals typical of battery sharing. Second, ChargeSPOT’s post-usage payment model requires users to register payment methods up front, but they are charged based on actual usage time. This meant that failed payments resulted in outstanding balances.

“While the payment failure rate was [low], the monetary amounts involved were quite large. In particular, since going public, we have received pointed comments from our auditing firm and have been asked to take measures,” says Takuya Hirose, group CPO at INFORICH.

The search for a new payment solution became urgent when their previous provider experienced a large-scale system failure.

Solution

INFORICH first implemented Stripe Connect for ShareSPOT, their unified app that allows users to access various sharing services, including bicycles, umbrellas, and coworking spaces, from a single platform. Since ShareSPOT requires revenue distribution with multiple service partners, Stripe Connect’s marketplace functionality proved essential.

“There is no other payment service that provides the functionality to manage the platform and distribute proceeds from the sales, so it is pretty much irreplaceable. Without Stripe Connect, I don’t know how we would have implemented it, and there was no room to consider other options,” explains Hirose.

Building on this success, INFORICH then considered expanding Stripe to their core ChargeSPOT service. After A/B testing against competing payment providers, Stripe demonstrated a significantly lower payment failure rate. The implementation process was streamlined thanks to comprehensive documentation available in both Japanese and English, allowing their overseas development team to integrate the system smoothly and achieve stable operations.

Results

Payment failures were reduced by 20%

After adopting Stripe, payment failures dropped 20%. The platform’s clear documentation made it simple to implement additional optimizations, while the comprehensive test environment allowed the development team to quickly verify changes before deployment, which was particularly well-liked by staff.

Expansion to eight countries around the world

Stripe’s international capabilities proved invaluable as INFORICH expanded into Australia, Europe, and other regions. Rather than researching and integrating separate payment providers for each market, the company could rely on Stripe’s unified platform.

“A major advantage is that instead of having to look into individual payment services for each and every country, you can decide to use Stripe,” notes Hirose.

Looking ahead, INFORICH reorganized in April 2025 to accelerate global growth. While ChargeSPOT remains their core offering, the company continues exploring new opportunities, including advertising services.