Kofu has opened merchant recruitment for a fifth round of premium shopping vouchers, with residents due to pay JPY5,000 for JPY10,000 of local spending value. The municipal issuer began accepting participating businesses on October 13, 2026; consumer applications and spending will follow in November and December. [S1]

The City of Kofu plans 148,000 PayPay digital units and 160,000 paper booklets. Each carries the same JPY10,000 face value and 100% premium on the purchase price. Together, those allocations would represent JPY3.08 billion of spending value if fully issued, a calculation from the planned quantities rather than an observed sales total. [S1]

The data behind the story

Planned units in Kofu’s fifth voucher round

The municipal issuer’s allocation for the fifth programme, with each digital unit or paper booklet carrying JPY10,000 of spending value.

JPY10,000 units
Source
Kofu City: fifth premium voucher programme

These are planned allocations for the December 16, 2026 to April 30, 2027 use period, not purchased or redeemed vouchers. Every unit costs JPY5,000. A paper booklet consists of smaller JPY500 vouchers; the chart counts whole booklets, not individual slips.

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Planned units in Kofu’s fifth voucher round (JPY10,000 units)
CategoryPlanned allocation
PayPay digital units148,000 JPY10,000 units
Paper booklets160,000 JPY10,000 units

Residents must choose either digital or paper vouchers, with applications scheduled for November 2-25. The maximum is three units or booklets per person, costing JPY15,000 for JPY30,000 of value. That ceiling is not a guaranteed allocation: the official FAQ allows the purchase limit to be adjusted or a lottery to be held if applications exceed supply. The scheme is not first come, first served. [S1][S3]

Purchase and use are scheduled to begin on December 16, 2026 and end on April 30, 2027. Successful digital applicants will receive a voucher code and buy through PayPay. Successful paper applicants will receive an exchange postcard and pay cash at a designated city post office. These are alternative distribution routes within the same round, rather than separate benefits a resident can combine. [S1][S2]

The choice also affects redemption. Digital balances can be spent in JPY1 increments, while paper vouchers are denominated in JPY500 and do not provide change. Shops may accept digital vouchers, paper vouchers or both. The official guidance therefore directs applicants to check the relevant acceptance list before choosing a format. [S2][S3][S4]

For businesses, the fifth round preserves registration from the fourth: existing participating merchants do not need to submit a new application, although the city provides a route to withdraw. New entrants can apply, and digital acceptance requires a merchant contract with PayPay. Under the programme terms, paper-voucher settlement passes through local branches of Yamanashi Chuo Bank; digital settlement follows PayPay’s procedures. [S1][S4]

That continuity reduces repeat enrolment for existing shops while retaining two payment and settlement channels. It does not establish that the two formats have identical merchant coverage or economics. The reviewed fifth-round documents disclose planned quantities and operating rules, but no completed sales, redemptions or independently measured increase in retailer revenue. The preceding fourth round is a separate issue and cannot supply results for this one.