DLsite uses digital bank to circumvent payment processor censorship that banned Steam games

Much of the focus has been on marketplaces like Steam banning NSFW games. However, Japanese sites have already encountered payment processor censorship. DLsite sells independent games and manga, some of which feature adult content. After refusing to accept Visa and Mastercard limitations, it has now created its own payment method.

As reported by Automaton, Minna no Ginko Payment connects to Minna no Ginko, a domestic digital bank. Buyers can link bank accounts to viviON IDs, facilitated by the store’s parent company. Unfortunately, despite the site’s global popularity, the option is not available outside of Japan.

In 2024, DLsite opted to drop Visa and Mastercard, rather than remove digital games, comics, and videos with adult content. That left Japanese buyers with few checkout methods. International users had to find even more complicated workarounds. Steam and itch.io have since faced a similar situation after pressure from payment processors led to banned games.

Censorship has led to less ways to pay for games

The controversy escalated in August after Steam stopped offering PayPal in many countries. Valve explained that the banks that work with PayPal requested its removal. The result was that gamers were no longer able to pay using a long list of currencies. Valve said it was exploring alternative payment processors, but has yet to provide an update.

Critics blame Collective Shout for influencing credit card companies to censor mature-themed games. The activist group argues that it targets works that glorify the abuse of women. Still, opponents point to the organization’s campaign against Detroit: Become Human. They believe that their actions are politically motivated, rather than aimed at illegal content.

It’s unclear whether Steam and itch.io will follow the same approach as DLsite. Valve ceased support for Bitcoin in 2017, another digital currency, due to concerns about fraud, high fees, and volatility. Visa and Mastercard are also dominant forces in e-commerce. Both have faced accusations of anti-competitive practices against competitors that may be less accepting of censorship.