Net Protections, Inc. (headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Shin Shibata, “Net Protections”) is pleased to announce that it has commenced receiving client referrals for its B2B payment service, 'NP Kakebarai,' through Sumitomo Mitsui Card Company, Limited (headquartered in Koto-ku, Tokyo; President: Takeya Sasaki, “Sumitomo Mitsui Card”) as of July 2026.
This milestone represents the first concrete outcome of the basic business alliance agreement signed with Sumitomo Mitsui Card in February 2026, and the subsequent referral initiative launched in May of the same year.
Background and Overview
In February 2026, Net Protections and Sumitomo Mitsui Card entered into a basic business alliance agreement with a shared vision: to create high-value B2B services and deliver exceptional value to a broad corporate clients. As the first concrete step of this collaboration, Sumitomo Mitsui Card officially launched its referral program for 'NP Kakebarai' on May 25, 2026.
We are pleased to announce that we commenced receiving client referrals through this program. In the B2B market in Japan, the complexities of credit assessments for new trading partners and the heavy administrative burden of billing and collections often become bottlenecks, preventing companies from expanding their sales channels and focusing on core business activities.
To address these challenges, Sumitomo Mitsui Card introduced 'NP Kakebarai' to the client. Recognizing the significant value of 'NP Kakebarai,' which empowers business growth by enabling credit sales for new accounts via our proprietary credit-screening model and fully outsourcing billing operations, the client embraced the solution, leading to this milestone achievement.
Future Outlook
Looking ahead, Net Protections and Sumitomo Mitsui Card plan to scale the referral program for 'NP Kakebarai,' helping broader corporate clients expand their trading networks, boost sales, and drive overall business growth.
Beyond this referral initiative, we are committed to driving new synergies by combining the robust customer bases and solutions of both companies. This includes pursuing marketing collaborations with 'Trunk,' the SMBC Group's comprehensive digital financial service for corporate clients.
Net Protections remains dedicated to accelerating the digitalization of B2B transactions by enhancing payment convenience and significantly reducing administrative workloads for businesses.
Related press releases
・Net Protections Signs MOU for Business Alliance in B2B Payments with Sumitomo Mitsui Card
・Net Protections Announces Launch of 'NP Kakebarai' Referral Program by Sumitomo Mitsui Card
About NP Kakebarai
NP Kakebarai is a Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) service for B2B transactions. Merchants can streamline their payment and settlement operations and focus on their main business because it manages all the settlement operations from credit screening, invoicing, to payment collection between merchants and their clients. It also covers non-payment risks. Furthermore, its unique credit screening system that does not rely on conventional credit bureau has a credit approval rate of 99%*1 including sole proprietors, which can be expected to expand sales channels and increase sales. Buyers can improve their cash flow by using NP Kakebarai.
For more information about NP Kakebarai:https://np-kakebarai.com/
(Japanese only)
(*1) As of March 31, 2026.
About Net Protections, Inc.
Company Name:
Net Protections, Inc.
(Net Protections Holdings, Inc. [Code: 7383, the Prime Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange] Group)
Representative: Shin Shibata, CEO
Website: https://corp.netprotections.com/en
Business Description: Provision of Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services
Founded: January, 2000
Capital: JPY 100 million
Head Office: Sumitomo Fudosan Kojimachi First Building 5th Floor, 4-2-6
Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan
About Sumitomo Mitsui Card Company, Limited
Company Name ：Sumitomo Mitsui Card Company, Limited
Representative：Takeya Sasaki, President佐々木 丈也
Website ：https://www.smbc-card.com/
Busines：
Credit card services,Debit, prepaid, and other payment services,Loan services,Guarantee services,Shopping credit services,Transaction services,Other ancillary businesses
Established：December 1967
Capital：
34,000,003,000 yen (As of March, 2026)
Head Office：
SMBC Toyosu Building, 2-2-31 Toyosu, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0061, Japan
Direct any inquiries regarding this release to:
Net Protections PR
Email: pr@netprotections.co.jp
