Paying Tokyo utility bills at the konbini, slip by slip

A utility barcode can support an app payment and still need cash at a store counter. Choose who will scan it: you in the bill-payment app, or the cashier. The accepted payment methods depend on that choice.

For example, TEPCO lists PayPay for scanning a bill yourself. Lawson's bill counter accepts cash only. At Lawson, you'll still need cash for that counter service, even if you have money available in PayPay.

Scope and source check: 8 September 2026. This guide covers convenience-store payment in Japan, using Tokyo utility examples. The issuer, contract and particular slip control accepted stores, methods and deadlines. Not every first bill arrives on paper, and a bank account is not required for cash payment of an accepted slip.

Check the whole slip

First confirm that you owe the money. An envelope in your mailbox is not enough. If utilities are included in your housing payment, ask the manager before paying separately.

The 払込票 (haraikomihyō — payment slip) identifies the bill and its payment options. Keep it intact while choosing how to pay.

Before walking to a store, find:

• The company, account name and service address.
• The billing period and 金額 (kingaku — amount).
• The 支払期限 (shiharai kigen — payment deadline), plus any separate last date for paying with the slip.
• The barcode or payment number, and the list of accepted stores.
• Any note about an earlier payment or automatic debit.

If the name belongs to someone else, ask the issuer or housing manager to identify the account. If two notices cover the same period, check whether one replaces the other. Do not pay both to clear the paperwork.

The payment deadline tells you when the bill is due. If a separate date tells you how long the store can accept the slip, do not treat it as permission to pay late. Follow the bill's due date.

Bring the complete document. TEPCO's payment-slip instructions say not to separate the bill, meter notice and payment sections before taking them to the counter. A meter-reading notice by itself may describe usage rather than request payment.

Choose a listed store and bring cash

Look at the accepted-store list on the back of the slip or in the issuer's payment screen. Check the slip even if you've paid a different bill at the same store before. Lawson's instructions explicitly ask you to check that Lawson is listed.

Cash is the straightforward choice for an accepted counter payment. Cashless rules differ from those for groceries:

A Suica balance or credit card that works for lunch may not work for the bill. You do not need to open a new payment app just to pay an accepted paper slip in cash.

If a cashier declines your app as payment, ask whether the bill itself was accepted. You may only need the counter's accepted payment method. If you choose the issuer's supported app instead, stop the counter payment first and follow the app's bill instructions. FamilyMart's in-app service also has its own eligibility rules.

Pay at the register and keep both receipts

Hand the intact slip to the cashier. Say 「この払込票を支払いたいです」, meaning “I'd like to pay this bill.” Check the company and amount shown before confirming payment.

Keep the returned customer section and the till receipt. 7-Eleven's payment guidance tells you to retain the payment documents and warns that completed payments cannot be refunded at the counter. If the amount or account is wrong, stop before paying and contact the issuer.

Photograph the documents and store the originals together. Keep them until the issuer confirms the payment and any dispute is resolved.

If you paid through an app, look there for proof. TEPCO's app instructions say no receipt is issued and direct you to the app's payment notice. They also warn against paying the same slip again at a bank or convenience store. Keep the paper with that payment record; an unstamped slip is not proof that the bill is unpaid.

If a reminder arrives after you paid, compare its billing period with your receipt. Contact the issuer with the payment date, amount and account number. Do not automatically pay a second time while waiting for its records to update.

A rejected or late slip needs the issuer

Separate a rejected payment method from a rejected bill. If the cashier can read the bill but cannot take your app, changing the payment method may solve it. If the barcode itself is rejected, ask about the paper, accepted-store list or last date the store can accept the slip. A different branch cannot necessarily solve an expired bill.

For TEPCO, the payment-slip support page directs people with missing slips or overdue payments to its recovery instructions. Have the customer number, service address and billing period ready. For gas, water or another electricity company, contact the company printed on that bill.

Do not use an estimated grace period as a new deadline. Late charges, further notices and service interruption depend on the company and contract. If you receive a disconnection notice, contact the issuer promptly even if you think a payment is already processing.

Rent needs its own payment instruction

Use a convenience store for rent only when your landlord or billing company supplies an accepted payment slip or supported payment number. An invoice containing bank-transfer details is not automatically a convenience-store bill.

Check the lease or ask the billing contact which method to use. Confirm whether utilities are included and who handles any final bill after moving out. Changing to automatic debit is a separate setup task; keep following the current payment instruction until the company confirms the change.