Coupa, Sumitomo Mitsui Card, and Visa Collaborate to Digitalize B2B Payments: Launching "Coupa Virtual Card" with JPY Support in Japan

Driving Operational Efficiency, Enhanced Governance, and Improved Cash Flow for B2B Transactions

TOKYO – April 14, 2026 – Coupa K.K. (hereinafter “Coupa”), Sumitomo Mitsui Card Co., Ltd. (hereinafter “Sumitomo Mitsui Card”), and Visa Worldwide (Japan) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter “Visa”) are pleased to announce the launch of the payment solution "Coupa Virtual Card" in Japan.

This initiative is powered by the "Visa Virtual Card Solution" as its technological foundation. It is made possible through the strategic collaboration of Sumitomo Mitsui Card, which handles credit card issuance, and Coupa, the leading platform for autonomous spend management that optimizes corporate spending through the power of AI.

Furthermore, this is a pioneering initiative utilizing a JPY-denominated payment scheme in collaboration with a domestic financial institution (Sumitomo Mitsui Card). It represents a groundbreaking effort to modernize B2B payments optimized for Japanese business practices.

Through this initiative, the three companies will contribute to streamlining payment operations, strengthening governance, and improving cash flow for Japanese enterprises.

Coupa is the leading platform for autonomous spend management, serving more than 3,200 organizations worldwide. Leveraging its $9.5 trillion dataset and a network of over 10 million buyers and suppliers, Coupa enables enterprises to optimize spend, reduce risk, and automate operations — driving measurable business value.

In recent years, as corporate activities have become more complex and the importance of cost management has grown, traditional manual processes and procurement management using multiple disparate systems have led to challenges such as inefficient processes and cumbersome expense reporting. Against this backdrop, the adoption of procurement management systems has gained significant attention. Coupa, in particular, has been chosen by many companies for its ability to automate and centralize procurement processes, reduce administrative burdens through faster approval flows and efficient expense management, and enable accurate data management and cost reduction.

Furthermore, Japan is currently seeing a strengthened regulatory environment and initiatives aimed at fostering a fair trading environment and promoting the digitalization of B2B payments, such as the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Japanese Bankers Association’s push to abolish the use of promissory notes by fiscal 2026. In this context, expectations are rising for "Coupa Virtual Card" as a modern alternative to traditional bank transfers and paper-based notes.

Coupa Virtual Card is part of the Coupa Pay portfolio and enables the instant issuance of single-use or restricted-use virtual card numbers for B2B payments. The solution supports payments in approximately 200 countries and more than 140 currencies worldwide. Coupa was also recognized as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape for Worldwide Embedded Payment Applications 2024–2025 Vendor Assessment (doc #US51793524, December 2024).

Through this collaboration among Coupa, Sumitomo Mitsui Card, and Visa, this globally recognized technology is now seamlessly available for transactions denominated in Japanese yen.

The introduction of Coupa Virtual Card delivers significant business value to both buyers and suppliers beyond operational efficiency.

Benefits for Buyer Organizations:

• Governance and Security: Improved spend visibility and reduced out-of-pocket expenses through pre-approved payments; elimination of fraud risk with single-use and restricted-use virtual cards
• Cash Flow Optimization: Improved working capital management through extended payment terms enabled by card-based transactions
• Automation: Automated invoice-to-payment reconciliation, reducing manual processes

Benefits for Supplier Organizations:

• Accelerated Cash Flow: Faster access to funds compared to traditional bank transfers 
• Stronger Buyer Relationships: Enhances partnerships by providing payment options that align with buyer needs and preferences

Coupa, Sumitomo Mitsui Card, and Visa will continue to promote the digital transformation of B2B payments, contributing to stronger corporate governance and improved operational efficiency for enterprises in Japan.

About Coupa
Coupa is the leading platform for autonomous spend management. Celebrating its 20 year anniversary, Coupa uses its trusted, community-generated, $9.5 trillion dataset to bring evidence-based intelligence and autonomous AI agents to a network of 10M+ buyers and suppliers on a unified platform.  Coupa  seamlessly automates the purchasing and transaction process for buyers and suppliers alike, powering the #1 business trade network. With Coupa, you’ll make margins multiply™. Learn more at coupa.co.jp and follow us on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).

About Sumitomo Mitsui Card
Since its founding in 1967, Sumitomo Mitsui Card has been a leading comprehensive payment provider driving the advancement of cashless payments in Japan. In today’s increasingly diverse and complex payment landscape, the company addresses the needs of both consumers and businesses, striving to create an accessible and user-friendly environment and to realize a truly cashless society.

About Visa
Visa is a world leader in digital payments, connecting consumers, merchants, financial institutions, and governments in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. Visa’s mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable, and secure payment network, enabling individuals, businesses, and economies to thrive. Visa believes that inclusive economies uplift everyone, everywhere, and sees access as foundational to the future of payments.
For more information, visit Visa.com or www.visa.co.jp.

Media Contacts

Coupa K.K.
Sachie Otsuki, Japan Cloud PR
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +81-80-5526-1851
Midtown Tower 18F, 9-7-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Sumitomo Mitsui Card Company, Limited
Public Relations Office, Corporate Planning Department, Sumitomo Mitsui Card Co., Ltd.
Tel: +81-3-6365-0511

Visa Worldwide Japan Co., Ltd.
Public Relations: Hamada, Kawamura
Tel: +81-3-3210-1650

Visa PR Office (Platinum Inc.)
Iwasaki, Arao, Saito, Kawasaki, Hariya
Tel: +81-3-5572-6072
Email: [email protected]