App_fee_money in Japan — Terminal API, POS API and e-money

Questions
1

Title: app_fee_money in Japan — Terminal API, POS API and e-money

We are building a salon app in Japan that connects each salon’s Square
account via OAuth.

  1. Is app_fee_money on CreateTerminalCheckout supported in production for
    Japan-based sellers? (A 2024 forum answer said Terminal app fees were
    US-only, but the docs now list CreateTerminalCheckout.)
  2. Is there any way to collect an application fee on payments taken through
    the Point of Sale API (Square Reader + Square POS app)?
  3. Can application fees be collected on e-money payments (iD, QUICPay,
    transit IC) in Japan?
  4. Is the Mobile Payments SDK planned for Japan?
3

Hi! For a salon app connecting Japan-based Square sellers through OAuth:

  1. Current documentation lists app_fee_money on CreateTerminalCheckout, and the Terminal API overview includes Japan among the regions for its payment features. I recommend verifying with a small checkout before building around it. You’ll need a Japan-based Square account to receive JPY fees, and the seller must authorize the required PAYMENTS_WRITE_ADDITIONAL_RECIPIENTS scope.

  2. No. The handoff to the Square POS app does not provide an app_fee_money parameter, and you cannot add a fee afterward to that POS payment. If collecting a fee on the in-person payment is required, consider a Terminal API checkout instead.

  3. E-money app fees: I can’t confirm this, the docs outline the supported methods here.

    1. Application fees can only be collected for these specific payment methods:
      • Card payments
      • Cash App Pay payments (with source_type: WALLET)
      • Afterpay payments (with source_type: BUY_NOW_PAY_LATER)
      • ACH bank transfers (with source_type: BANK_ACCOUNT)

  4. Mobile Payments SDK: It is not currently available in Japan. I’m not aware of a public Japan launch date or commitment.

Please read and be aware of app_fee limits for Japan

4

Thank you for the detailed reply. Follow-up questions for a Japan-based salon app (OAuth, Terminal API):

  1. Has app_fee_money on CreateTerminalCheckout been confirmed to work on live (production) Japan accounts with JPY? A 2024 reply (topic 17806) said it was not supported outside the US, while the current docs list it.

  2. In Japan, which payment methods accept app_fee_money on a Terminal checkout: card (including contactless and Apple Pay), FeliCa e-money (iD, QUICPay, transit IC), and QR codes (PayPay, etc.)? What happens if app_fee_money is sent with a method that is not supported: is the payment rejected, or is the fee silently dropped?

  3. If we set device_options.payment_type to CARD_PRESENT and attach app_fee_money, and set a different payment_type without it, is that a supported pattern?

  4. Is the application fee deducted from the seller’s proceeds in addition to Square’s own processing fee (for example 2.5% for cards)? Is it shown to the seller on their statement, and is there anything special for sellers in Japan?