Around the world with PayPay vol. 22 FROM INSIDE

Around the World with PayPay is a series of articles featuring our global workplace, with people gathered from approximately 40 countries around the world.

The article consists of two parts: “FROM OUTSIDE” (published every first Thursday of the month) focuses on a comparison between Japan and the interviewee’s home country. “FROM INSIDE” (published every second Friday of the month) focuses on experiences within PayPay.

Continuing on from the last issue, we’ve sat down with Marius Eikenes from Norway.

*The Japanese version of the article is available here.

How are payments done in your country?

Payments in Norway have mostly always been done by debit cards. Around ten years ago Norway replaced the “magnetic stripe” cards with the “IC chip” cards, and since then they’ve been the most used payment method. This is around the same time Japan introduced Suica, so I think Japan was very much ahead at this point in time. Around five years ago Norway started doing the normal contactless credit card payments that’s becoming more common around the world, and this is now the most widely used payment method. As of 2020 it’s actually a requirement for stores to accept this type of payment.

As for app payments, Norway has an app called “Vipps.” Vipps initially was just a “person to person” service for sending money to peers. It now offers in-store payments as well. Vipps is not nearly as good as PayPay, but it does work. The problem is that not a lot of stores accept it yet.

Why did you join PayPay?

In short, I applied for a job at PayPay because it looked like a great place to work. When I was looking for a job in Japan, I set a very high standard for the companies I chose to apply for. PayPay turned out to be the company I wanted to work the most. What I was looking for in a company was a modern place to work that is packed with highly skilled people, an environment where I could grow my skills and a working culture which allows for a good work-life balance. PayPay had all these conditions, so I was quite happy when I got the offer.

What’s the best thing about working at PayPay?

There are many good things about working at PayPay. For me I would have to say the best thing is the freedom to work from anywhere. I never was the office going type even at my previous job. I went to the office because I really wanted to chit chat with my colleagues. I personally think making people commute just to do the same job in a different place is a waste of time and energy for employees and the company.

How is a normal working day for you at PayPay?

I usually wake up at around 9, go through a quick “morning routine,” have an occasional snack, and begin work around 10. I start with checking emails, mentions, main Slack channels, and check what’s on the task list for the day. Lunch time varies depending on meetings, how hungry I am, and when I feel like taking it. I work on my tasks and daily necessities like code reviews and helping team members in between meetings. At 4 p.m. we have our daily team update meeting. After this I continue on my tasks and try to complete them as much as possible before the day is over.

What do you think was the biggest positive impact of PayPay in Japan?

The biggest positive impact of PayPay is the fact that it’s speeding up cashless payments significantly. While living here I have seen a lot of stores that only accept cash and PayPay, which means that if PayPay didn’t exist the only alternative would have been cash. PayPay is definitely a welcome addition to a person like me who dislikes carrying cash (especially coins), so I hope PayPay becomes available in every single store in the future!

Hope you enjoyed reading about Marius!

Don’t forget to check out past issues too.

*The recruitment status is current at the time of the interview.

Special Thanks : Marius / Author: Naoko / Managing Editor: Kye
* Employee affiliations are as of the time of the interview.