Telecommunications and investment company SoftBank Group and nine affiliated firms paid digital salaries to their employees on Wednesday, in the first such initiative in Japan.

Employees asking that part of their salaries be paid to their accounts under cashless payment services received their pay through smartphone payment platform PayPay, which is operated by PayPay Corp., a SoftBank Group affiliate.

The maximum amount of money that can be received under the program is set at ¥200,000.

SoftBank Group hopes to create an environment in which other companies can also offer digital salaries to their employees.

Japan started allowing digital salary payments in April 2023. PayPay was approved as the first payment platform by the labor ministry on Aug. 9 this year. Over 300 companies have contacted PayPay since then asking about introducing digital salary payments, the company said.

An employee of mobile carrier SoftBank in her 40s was pleased to receive part of her salary through PayPay, saying, "I no longer have to add money (to the app)."

After confirming receipt of the ¥50,000 she had set herself in her PayPay account, the SoftBank employee used the app to buy a beverage from a vending machine at work. Because it was her first time, she set a modest amount compared to the ¥200,000 maximum amount she could receive through PayPay. She said, "I may increase the amount soon."

Three companies, including one under the wing of e-commerce giant Rakuten Group, have also applied to the ministry for approval as platform providers of digital salary payments.