Softbank, Credit Saison to issue credit cards

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese wireless operator Softbank Corp. (9984.T) and credit card issuer Credit Saison (8253.T) plan to team up to issue credit cards linked to customers' mobile phone accounts, a person familiar with the deal said on Thursday.

Mobile phone customers of Softbank would be able to accumulate points when spending with the credit card, which they can use to pay for mobile music downloads and other mobile phone-related fees, the source said, after the Nikkei business daily reported on the plan.

Japanese mobile phone operators have been speeding efforts to add financial services to help retain customers and expand into e-commerce as subscriber growth has slowed and competition has fueled price cuts.

NTT DoCoMo Inc. (9437.T), the country's top carrier, already has credit cards embedded into some handsets. It also owns a 34 percent stake in Sumitomo Mitsui Card Co.

KDDI Corp., the No. 2 operator, has allied with the banking unit of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group. (8306.T) to set up a mobile phone-based bank to offer shopping and other services via handsets.

Softbank is the smallest of Japan's three wireless operators, while Credit Suisse is the country's biggest listed credit card issuer.