Ecosystem Builders: Bank & Securities Account Linkage at Rakuten
Rakuten Bank's and Rakuten Securities' Money Bridge service, connecting customers’ Rakuten Bank and Rakuten Securities accounts, has surpassed 6 million accounts as of September 2025.
Rakuten Bank and Rakuten Securities began offering Money Bridge to improve the convenience of services for private asset building and management. Anyone with both a Rakuten Bank and Rakuten Securities account can apply for a Money Bridge account free of charge. Once setup is complete, users can use the automatic deposit and withdrawal (sweep) function, which saves them the trouble of transferring funds manually between accounts. In addition, a preferential interest rate is applied on ordinary deposit accounts, while Rakuten Points are awarded for transactions made using Rakuten Securities. This user-friendly and efficient system, combined with the ability to earn Rakuten Points, has been embraced by Rakuten members, leading to the milestone of 6 million Money Bridge accounts.
In addition to Money Bridge, Rakuten Bank and Rakuten Securities launched Securities-Backed Loans in June 2025. This new collaborative service leverages the Rakuten Ecosystem by allowing customers to borrow funds from Rakuten Bank using domestic listed stocks held at Rakuten Securities as collateral. As a result of these initiatives, Rakuten Bank surpassed 17 million accounts at the end of May 2025, solidifying its position as Japan's largest digital bank, and Rakuten Securities surpassed 12.5 million general securities customer accounts at the end of June 2025, marking the largest number of non-consolidated securities accounts (based on disclosed information) among Japanese securities companies. Many customers are attracted by the convenience of these entirely online fintech services, which never require a visit to a physical location.
Going forward, Rakuten Bank and Rakuten Securities are committed to effectively utilizing the strengths of the Rakuten Group to deliver innovative and convenient services that surpass those offered by traditional digital banks and online securities companies.
About Money Bridge
Money Bridge is a free service that anyone with both a Rakuten Bank and Rakuten Securities account can apply for. Once setup is complete, users can use a sweep function that automatically transfers funds between the two accounts. This eliminates the need for users to manually make deposits and withdrawals, resulting in a more seamless transaction experience.
- When making transactions using Rakuten Securities, insufficient funds are automatically withdrawn from the Rakuten Bank account’s deposit balance.
- Funds from the Rakuten Securities account are automatically deposited to the Rakuten Bank account in the evening after each business day. These funds are automatically deposited into an account with a preferential interest rate.
Furthermore, users can earn Rakuten Points when using Rakuten Securities by applying for the Happy Program, provided by Rakuten Bank.
Norbert Gehrke
