INFORICH operates CHARGESPOT, a mobile battery-sharing network with kiosks across eight markets worldwide. In 2025, the company integrated Stripe Terminal into 300 kiosks across Greater Tokyo, embedding Stripe's WisePad 3 reader – a compact device that accepts contactless payments – directly into its battery stations. The integration solves a challenge unique to the battery-sharing industry: the customers who need the service most often can't access it because their phone is already dead.

"Our growth has always been defined by a paradox," says Takuya Hirose, group CPO of INFORICH. "If your phone was down to 5% battery, we were asking you to download an app and create an account just to borrow a charger. With Stripe Terminal, customers can now tap a card and rent a battery in 10 seconds – even if their phone is completely dead. That changes everything for one-time users and tourists."

Tap and go, no app required

Previously, renting a CHARGESPOT power bank required a working smartphone to access the app. With Stripe Terminal's WisePad 3 reader embedded directly in the kiosk, customers can now tap a card or digital wallet to rent a power bank without downloading an app or logging in. This removes the biggest barrier for anyone without the CHARGESPOT app.

Stripe also provides a unified back end for both online and in-person payments, allowing INFORICH to manage transaction data across its entire infrastructure from one system. Whether a user pays through the CHARGESPOT app or taps a card on a WisePad 3 reader in a transit hub, INFORICH has real-time visibility into revenue and customer behaviour across both channels.

Scaling from Tokyo to new markets

Following the successful Tokyo pilot, INFORICH plans to scale to more than 1,000 Terminal units across Japan. Beyond its current eight countries, the company aims to enter two to three new markets annually, including Italy and New York City.

Stripe's unified global infrastructure allows INFORICH to deploy the same payment logic and hardware configuration in Europe and North America as it does in Japan, reducing the engineering overhead of international expansion.

"The greatest value of this service is that it frees people from the worry of charging, regardless of location or method. Making the payment process seamless and being able to deploy the same system across countries has been a major strength for us," said Hirose. "Going forward, we want to continue expanding the service around the world with Stripe Terminal."