TOKYO, Sept. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Coda, a global leader in digital content monetization headquartered in Singapore and Digital Garage, operator of Japan’s No. 1 third-party payment platform[1] AppPay, today announced a strategic partnership to accelerate revenue growth for games publishers through out-of-app monetization and distribution solutions. The collaboration gives Japanese publishers a proven pathway to global growth and provides international publishers with a seamless entry into one of the world’s most important gaming markets.
Around the world, game publishers are moving beyond closed app store ecosystems. Players want more choice and value, while publishers seek stronger direct connections with their communities. Regulatory changes are accelerating this shift. In Europe, the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which took effect in March 2024, designates Apple and Google as gatekeepers and requires them to allow alternative payment methods and third-party marketplaces. In the United States, antitrust scrutiny and landmark cases have fueled debate on app store competition. South Korea’s Telecommunications Business Act amendment (2021) became the first law to require support for alternative billing systems, while Japans’s Act on Promotion of Competition for Specified Smartphone Software will come into effect in December 2025.
These changes are creating a more open environment where publishers can adopt out-of-app and web-based monetization models. By selling content directly, publishers avoid the high fees charged by primary app stores. The savings can be reinvested into new user acquisition, loyalty programs, new content, and more competitive pricing, delivering greater value to players.
At the center of this model is Coda’s Merchant of Record (MoR) framework, which allows publishers to scale globally with confidence. Acting as the legal seller in each market, Coda manages payments, compliance, fraud protection, tax settlement, and billing across more than 65 markets and over 400 payment methods. This simplifies operations for publishers and allows them to focus on creating content while Coda ensures seamless global execution.
The partnership with Digital Garage combines Coda’s international scale with AppPay’s trusted domestic reach. Japanese gamers will benefit from a broader catalogue of international titles, more payment options, and loyalty programs that enhance player experiences. For Japanese publishers, the collaboration offers a clear pathway to global expansion, with Coda providing the MoR model and Digital Garage adding domestic services such as marketing, multilingual support, website development, and analytics. For global publishers entering Japan, AppPay offers a familiar and reliable platform backed by Digital Garage’s payments infrastructure, which handles more than ¥7.5 trillion annually, enabling secure and efficient entry into the market.
AppPay, launched in 2023, has already been adopted by more than 40 titles and is trusted by Japanese gamers. Powered by Digital Garage’s financial technology expertise, it provides publishers with competitive transaction fees and diversified local channels. Coda brings over a decade of experience in out-of-app monetization, supporting more than 300 publishers worldwide and connecting with over 200 million paying users through Codashop and Custom Commerce webstores. Together, Coda and Digital Garage create a single, intelligent route into and out of Japan, bridging domestic trust with global reach.
Shane Happach, CEO of Coda, said:
“Japan has always been one of the world’s most influential gaming markets. Partnering with Digital Garage’s AppPay lets us deliver more choice and value to players here, while giving Japanese studios a simple way to reach global audiences. With Coda’s Merchant of Record model and AppPay’s trusted platform, publishers can expand internationally without the complexity and keep their focus on creating great games.”
Junichi Sakishima, Executive Officer, Head of App Business Division, Digital Garage, Inc. commented:
“Japan is the third largest gaming market in the world and Japanese entertainment content is more popular globally than ever. The collaboration between Digital Garage and Coda, the leading players in their respective markets, will further drive growth of game publishers and content owners and stakeholders by building a platform that creates new business opportunities globally beyond payments.”
About Digital Garage
Digital Garage, Inc. is the leading payment service provider in Japan. With the corporate purpose of “Designing ‘New Context’ for a sustainable society with technology,” Digital Garage operates payment business services for various comprehensive payment platforms in Japan. Digital Garage also runs a marketing business providing one-stop solutions in both the digital and real worlds, as well as a startup investment and development business for approaching promising startups and technologies in Japan and overseas. Digital Garage is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market (TSE Prime: 4819). For more on Digital Garage, visit garage.co.jp/en
About Coda
Coda is a global leader in digital content monetization. We’re trusted by 300+ publishers—including Activision, Electronic Arts, and Riot Games—to grow their audiences and revenue worldwide. Our out-of-app solutions include Custom Commerce, a fully customizable web store; Codapay, which enables seamless direct payments through a single API integration on publishers’ websites; Codashop, the go-to marketplace for millions of gamers to purchase in-game content; and Distribution, which extends content reach through a network of trusted commerce partners. Founded in 2011, Coda is headquartered in Singapore with a team of 400+ Codans around the globe. Coda is backed by Apis Partners, Insight Partners, and Smash Capital, and has been named an APAC High Growth Company (2023) by Financial Times, one of Granite Asia‘s NextGenTech 30 (2024), a payments leader on Fortune’s Fintech Innovation Asia list (2024), and listed among The Straits Times Fastest Growing Fintechs (2024). For more on Coda, visit coda.co.
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[1] No.1 by number of titles introduced among third-party payment services in Japan (Digital Garage survey, September 2025). |
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SOURCE Coda
