Credit Saison Keeps Innovating: Launches Brazil Online Bank and Instant Digital Lending in Japan
In a dual-pronged strategy to combat a saturated domestic market and capitalize on global FinTech adoption, Japanese financial services group Credit Saison has announced a major expansion of its international footprint alongside a targeted new product launch in Japan.
The Tokyo-based credit card issuer confirmed this week that it plans to launch a full-scale online banking business in Brazil later this year, while simultaneously rolling out a new digital-first credit card in Japan designed to meet the immediate liquidity needs of consumers facing inflationary pressures.
Chasing Growth in Latin America
Facing a "graying economy" and limited growth prospects at home, Credit Saison is doubling down on its strategy to tap into emerging markets. According to regulatory filings, the company’s Brazilian subsidiary has applied to the central bank for a Credit, Finance and Investment Company (SCFI) license. Approval is expected as early as this year.
The move aims to service the "unmet demand" for financing among Brazil's small and midsize businesses (SMEs) and low-income households—segments that have historically lagged in access to capital despite Brazil's roughly 10% annual credit balance growth.
Credit Saison is not entering the market blind. Since entering Brazil in 2023 via loans to local FinTechs, the company has seen its local loan balance nearly double year-over-year to 15.4 billion yen ($99 million) as of September 2025. By securing a nonbank license to lend directly to consumers and handle fixed-term deposits, Saison aims to significantly boost profitability.
The company views Brazil’s robust digital infrastructure—specifically the central bank’s "Pix" payment system, which is used by 80% of the population—as a massive tailwind. The strategy mirrors Saison's successful expansion in India, where its loan balance has already swelled to 330 billion yen.
"In the two years since entering Brazil, we have been able to gain a certain amount of knowledge about local credit know-how and business practices," said Kosuke Mori, Saison's head of global business, signaling the company’s readiness to scale.
Addressing Inflation at Home
While the international division chases scale, the domestic division is pivoting toward speed and liquidity. The company launched the "SAISON CARD Digital Sugukari" (Immediate Borrowing), a smartphone-based digital card specifically architected for cash advances.
This product launch is a direct response to Japan's changing economic environment, characterized by rising prices and a squeeze on disposable income.
"There is a growing need for short-term, small-amount financing," the company stated in its release. Leveraging proprietary credit scoring, the new service offers issuance in as little as five minutes and cash transfers to user accounts in tens of seconds, 24 hours a day. With a lending limit of up to 500,000 yen and an automatic revolving payment structure, the product targets the niche of "immediate cash needs" that traditional cashless payments cannot satisfy.
A Broadening Portfolio
These 2026 developments represent the latest evolution in Credit Saison’s long-term transformation from a traditional card issuer into a "Comprehensive Life Services Group."
The foundation for this diversification was strengthened earlier in the decade. In April 2022, the company began offering "Housing Loan Guarantees" to financial institutions, leveraging its "A+" credit rating and expertise from its Flat 35 mortgage business. That move allowed Saison to deepen relationships with over 400 financial partners, shifting its role from a competitor to a guarantor and infrastructure provider.
By combining high-yield lending in growth markets like Brazil and India with specialized, tech-driven financial tools in Japan, Credit Saison appears to be successfully re-engineering its business model to reduce reliance on traditional domestic credit card fees.
Norbert Gehrke
