If you are a developer selling into or out of Japan, Google is legally required to verify your identity and collect specific declarations to comply with Japan's Payment Services Act (PSA) and Installment Sales Act (ISA).
This guide explains how to complete verification so you can keep your global payouts active and uninterrupted.
Compliance requirement process
To comply with Japanese regulatory requirements, follow the steps below to complete your verification. There are two distinct requirements (PSA and ISA) that must be completed if you meet the criteria.
Complete Payment Collection Authorization (PSA)
- Who must complete this:
- Developers located outside Japan selling to users in Japan
- Developers based in Japan selling to users outside Japan
(Does not apply to domestic sales within Japan)
- What you are doing: Authorizing Google to act as your payment collection agent.
Timeline & Consequences: Make sure to complete the authorization by the deadline stated in your invitation. If not completed on time, Google will place a global hold on all your earnings across all regions until it is completed.
What to do:
- Check your email, Play Console, or Payments Center for an invitation.
- Click the link to open the Authorization page.
- Select Continue to submit your authorization.
Submit additional developer disclosures for Installment Sales Act (ISA)
To comply with requirements from Japanese Payment Service Providers (PSPs), Google must collect specific business information and legal declarations from you.
- Who must complete this: Any global developer who sells into Japan.
- When you will be notified: Existing sellers will be notified immediately upon the policy launch. New sellers will be notified after they make their very first sale to a buyer in Japan.
What to do:
- Follow the instructions in the notification sent to your Play Console, Payments Center, or email.
- Click the link to open the Google Payments verification page.
- Provide the details below based on your account type:
For Individuals
- Confirm identity: Provide your full name and address.
- Declare legal actions: You must answer two mandatory Yes/No questions regarding your legal history over the last 5 years:
- Act on Specified Commercial Transactions: Has your organization been subject to punishment or an administrative action under this law?
- Consumer Contract Act: Has a court found your organization liable under this law?
For Organizations
- Confirm business: Provide your organization’s registered legal name and address.
- Confirm representative: Provide your name and date of birth as the organization's Authorized Representative.
- Enter Japanese Corporate Number (Corporate ID): If your organization has a 13-digit Corporate Number issued by the National Tax Agency of Japan, select Yes and enter it. If you do not have one (e.g., you are a foreign business or a specific type of partnership), simply select No.
- Declare legal actions: You must answer two mandatory Yes/No questions regarding your legal history over the last 5 years:
- Act on Specified Commercial Transactions: Has your organization been subject to punishment or an administrative action under this law?
- Consumer Contract Act: Has a court found your organization liable under this law?
Provide high-quality details for "Yes" disclosures
If you select Yes to either of the legal questions (meaning you have a past administrative action or lost civil litigation), you are legally required to explain the incident.
Critical quality requirement:
Your explanation must be thorough and include the following:
- Date of judgment or administrative action: The exact date the action was issued.
- What happened: Details on what and how the violation occurred (e.g., exaggerated advertising, consumer misrepresentation, or unjust terms).
- People involved: Details of who was involved.
- Where it occurred: The specific platform or surface (e.g., app, website, ad, or Terms of Service).
- Steps taken to prevent it from happening again: Specific steps taken to avoid future violations (e.g., system improvements, employee training, or enhanced review processes).
Your responses will be manually reviewed to ensure they meet the regulatory standard.
Resolve any submission issues
If your submission is incomplete or incorrect, you will receive an email detailing exactly what you need to fix.
- The most common issue: You selected Yes to a legal disclosure, but did not provide all 5 required details (date, what happened, people involved, location, and prevention steps).
- How to fix it: Carefully read the feedback in your notification email, update your incomplete details, and resubmit the form.
After successful completion
- For the PSA consent: Your status will update immediately after you click Continue and provide consent in the Play Console or Payments Center.
- For the ISA disclosures: Our team must manually review your submitted information. Once the review is complete:
- You will receive a confirmation email with the final outcome.
- If your payouts were blocked due to missing information, the global block will be lifted.
- Your account status in the verification portal will officially update to Verified.
FAQ
What happens if I don't complete these requirements?
- Payment Services Act (PSA): If you miss the deadline, a global disbursement block will be placed on your account. You will not receive any payouts from any region globally until you complete the consent.
- Installment Sales Act (ISA):
- New developers: Your global payouts will be blocked the moment you earn money from a buyer in Japan for the first time if you haven't completed the disclosure.
- Existing developers: To minimize immediate disruption, you are granted a temporary grace period and won't face an immediate block. However, you must still complete it and will receive recurring reminders until you do.
Does this apply to developers located outside of Japan?
Yes. These laws apply based on where your customers are, not just where your business is physically located.
- ISA generally applies to sales made into Japan.
- PSA applies to sales into and out of Japan (e.g., selling from Japan to other countries, or selling from abroad into Japan).
Can I still do business on Google Play if I answer "Yes" to a legal disclosure?
Yes. Having a past administrative action or judgment does not automatically ban you from Google Play. However, you must provide complete, truthful details about the event and prove your remediation efforts to pass the verification review.
What if I make a mistake or a post-audit reveals inaccurate information?
If a compliance check reveals that you incorrectly answered No when you should have answered Yes, or that you provided false information, Google will restart your verification process. You will receive an email requiring you to accurately resubmit your details to maintain uninterrupted access to Google services.