Offer Online Preorder Service for Duty-Free Goods at Haneda Airport to Chinese Tourists via WeChat

July 1, 2024

NETSTARS to Offer Online Preorder Service for Duty-Free Goods at Haneda Airport to Chinese Tourists via WeChat
Enabling Preorder of Duty-Free Goods and Pickup after Immigration Procedures via WeChat

NETSTARS Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Tsuyoshi Ri; hereinafter, “NETSTARS”) has developed “Haneda Airport Duty-Free Preorder Station”, a service that allows online preordering of duty-free goods sold at Haneda Airport by Japan Airport Terminal Co., Ltd. to Chinese tourists departing from Japan, with pickup at the time of departure, via a WeChat*¹ (Weixin) mini program.*² The service will be launched on July 1, 2024 (Monday).

This service enables passengers departing from Haneda Airport to preorder duty-free goods at any time up to 24 hours prior to departure, and to pick up the preordered items at a duty-free store within the departure lobby after completing immigration procedures at Haneda Airport. Preordering duty-free goods prior to departure not only avoids the risk of desired items being out of stock in-store, but also removes the need to search for products at duty-free stores and queue to pay at the register, allowing passengers to use their time at the airport more efficiently. In addition, with a 5% discount off the duty-free price, users of the service can enjoy shopping at even lower prices than buying directly in-store.

With the number of inbound passengers anticipated to further rise going forward, Haneda Airport will provide convenience and comfort as well as meet the diverse needs of such passengers through the introduction of this service.

NETSTARS offers payment-based digital transformation (DX) services, and is developing a range of mini apps and mini programs that can be used in WeChat and other Super Apps, including this service. NETSTARS will support DX of inbound services provided by various companies in response to tourism to Japan, which has gradually recovered following the coronavirus pandemic and is predicted to increase further in future.

*1 A social messaging app with the largest user base in China (1.36 billion users).
*2 WeChat mini programs are small applications that can be used within WeChat. Unlike independent apps, mini programs do not require a download. A simplified app program can be used within the WeChat Platform as is, hence the name “mini program”.

■ How to Use the Duty-Free Goods Preorder Service

How to access by scanning a code:

Install WeChat, then launch the app. Tap the “+” button on the top-right of the screen, then select “Scan” to scan the code and access the duty-free goods preorder app. Choose your product and place a preorder, then pick up the item(s) at a duty-free store when you depart from Haneda Airport.

How to access from within the WeChat app:

■ Pickup available at the following stores (Opening hours):
Terminal 3 Departures: TIAT DUTY FREE SHOP CENTRAL (Open 24 hours)
Terminal 3 Arrivals: TIAT ARRIVAL DUTY FREE SHOP (Open 24 hours)
Terminal 2 Departures: Preorder counter (Open in accordance with preorder times)
Terminal 2 Arrivals: TIAT ARRIVAL DUTY FREE SHOP (Open 4:30–21:50 in accordance with flight times)
*For details of pickup locations, please visit the Duty-Free Goods Preorder Site on Haneda Airport’s Official Website .

■NETSTARS, Co., Ltd.
NETSTARS Co., Ltd. has been developing its gateway business since the company’s establishment in 2009, and was the first agent to introduce QR code payment service “WeChatPay” to Japan in 2015. Since then, NETSTARS has developed StarPay, a multi-cashless payment solution that enables stores to introduce and manage various cashless payments simultaneously, focusing on domestic and international QR code payment services. Currently, building on the foundation of StarPay’s technological capabilities, NETSTARS is working on the development of multifaceted services.