DLsite’s reported bank-linked payment option connects an account at Japan’s Minna no Ginko to a viviON ID, but a report says it is unavailable outside Japan. It followed DLsite’s 2024 suspension of Visa, Mastercard and American Express. Steam’s separate payment-related game removals provide context, but available sources do not show that Steam caused DLsite’s change—or that DLsite’s payment setup could be adopted by Steam.
What payment method did DLsite add?
In an October 7, 2025 report, Notebookcheck, citing Automaton, said DLsite introduced Minna no Ginko Payment. The service reportedly links an account at Minna no Ginko, a Japanese digital bank, with a viviON ID. The report said the option was unavailable outside Japan. This description comes from the reporting; the cited material does not establish broader availability or provide an official product announcement.
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Why did DLsite stop accepting Visa and Mastercard?
DLsite’s official notices establish the timing and status of the suspensions, but do not explain why the card brands were suspended. They do not say a processor demanded censorship or identify a specific advocacy group or content category as the cause. Calling the episode “payment processor censorship,” as Notebookcheck does, is that publication’s interpretation—not a stated reason in DLsite’s notices.
- April 3, 2024: DLsite announced that Visa and Mastercard would be temporarily suspended from 18:00 Japan Standard Time that day. Its notice included an April 4 update.
- April 4, 2024: The update said American Express would also be suspended, from 18:30 JST.
- April 22, 2024: DLsite said it had negotiated over resuming the brands, but restarting card payments was difficult at that time. It asked customers to use other payment methods or buy points.
These dates and the company’s stated next steps are documented in DLsite’s April 3–4 notice and its April 22 follow-up.
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- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
- This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
Can users outside Japan use Minna no Ginko Payment?
Not according to Notebookcheck’s October 7, 2025 report, which said the option was unavailable outside Japan. That means it should not be treated as a universal replacement for the suspended card brands. The cited reporting does not establish whether availability has changed since publication.
What does DLsite’s payment change have to do with Steam?
The connection is context, not a demonstrated cause-and-effect relationship. Notebookcheck grouped DLsite’s reported payment change with payment-related game removals affecting Steam and itch.io. Separately, a Steam Support search excerpt for its “Purchasing Issues” page said that in early July 2025 PayPal told Valve its acquiring bank would immediately stop processing Steam transactions in certain currencies. The support page text was not available in the cited material, so the affected currencies and further details cannot be established here.
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- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
- This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
The cases involve different intermediaries and actions: DLsite announced card-brand suspensions and later reportedly offered a bank-linked option, while the Steam excerpt concerns PayPal and its acquiring bank processing transactions in certain currencies. Both illustrate how storefront payments can depend on card networks, banks and processors. The available sources do not show that Steam’s game removals prompted DLsite’s move, explain a shared decision, or establish that DLsite’s payment method could work for Steam.
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- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
- This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
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- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
- This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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