Japanese streaming service U-NEXT has announced that it has “temporarily suspended” the use of Visa and Mastercard credit card payments for adult content, becoming the latest Japanese business to discontinue support for Western credit cards for erotica.
U-NEXT is a Japanese subscription-based video streaming service that offers a wide range of content, including movies, TV dramas, and anime. In addition to its standard portfolio, U-NEXT also operates an adult-centric service called H-NEXT.
Through H-NEXT, U-NEXT provides an extensive collection of JAV (Japanese adult videos), with the option for users to download titles for offline viewing.
Visa and Mastercard have been exerting significant influence on foreign companies over the past few years, but this pressure has recently intensified. Just a week ago, FANZA, a subsidiary of DMM, halted Visa card payments, following their termination of a contract with Mastercard two years prior.
Western payment processors have specifically targeted businesses associated with adult material, with platforms like Fantia and DLSite suspending Visa and Mastercard payments after unsuccessful attempts to comply by altering “problematic” search terminologies.
Both Visa and Mastercard are global entities committed to ESG agendas, which include reducing ones own carbon footprint, eradicating women and promoting diversity in the workplace. However, this also means these companies are restricting their own customers from spending on content that contradicts their values, particularly pornography.
In response, various Japanese companies have chosen to eliminate these foreign payment processors from their services rather than censor or curate their offerings. The dominance of Visa and Mastercard persists, supported by influential entities such as BlackRock.
Interestingly, tobacco companies, some of the most heinous and destructive corporations in the world often have some of the highest ESG scores.
Visa and Mastercard’s restrictive policies are not limited to Japan. For instance, Gumroad chose to comply with these payment processors and abruptly informed its content creators that adult content would no longer be allowed, giving them just one day’s notice.
Unlike Gumroad, Japanese corporations have shown resilience. As Western entities push harder to enforce their standards by demanding the removal of adult material, Japanese consumers increasingly turn to domestic providers like JCB.
It is encouraging to see Japanese companies collectively resist Western financial influence. They are willing to discard monopolized payment platforms to preserve the integrity of their content and maintain control over their offerings.
[Important] Regarding the Application Process for H-NEXT Unlimited Viewing Service
Thank you for always using U-NEXT.
Until now, U-NEXT has been offering some of the unlimited viewing content through its “Monthly Plan,” including H-NEXT unlimited viewing titles. However, due to various circumstances, starting June 21, 2024, H-NEXT unlimited viewing content will be provided as a separate “H-NEXT Unlimited Viewing Service.”
When viewing this content, it will be offered as a 31-day pack purchase, and you will need to follow the on-screen instructions to add the service. However, for customers already using the monthly plan, there will be no additional cost, so please rest assured.
Important Points
- Payments for the “H-NEXT Unlimited Viewing Service” via Visa/MasterCard credit cards are temporarily suspended. During this suspension period, if you register a Visa/MasterCard credit card, you will not be able to use H-NEXT, so please be aware of this.
- For more details about the temporary suspension, click here.
We apologize for any inconvenience this sudden announcement may cause, and we appreciate your understanding and cooperation. We look forward to your continued patronage of U-NEXT.
This isn’t entirely the case for U-NEXT. Subscribers using Visa or Mastercard will no longer be able to access H-NEXT or adult material. U-NEXT has opted to separate H-NEXT and U-NEXT into two distinct services. Subscribers will need to manually add H-NEXT to their account, which will be available as a 31-day pack purchase at no extra charge.
New users registering with Visa or Mastercard will not be able to access H-NEXT. However, those with an existing subscription or those using other supported processors like American Express, which has also attempted to prohibit explicit material in the past, or Japan’s own JCB, will still be able to access adult content moving forward so long as you’re using any other payment method.
