Tokyo, Japan – December 16, 2024 – Mapbox, a leading digital map development company, has been fully integrated into the recent revamp of the "Usable Stores" feature in the "au PAY" smartphone payment application. This integration provides users with a more seamless and efficient experience when searching for participating stores on the app's map interface.

Since September 2022, Mapbox has supplied backend services to the "au PAY" app, converting location addresses into latitude and longitude coordinates. The latest update extends the Mapbox technology to the app's user interface and search functionalities, enabling users to effortlessly locate participating stores on high-performance, visually appealing maps.

Key improvements:

• Enhanced map performance: Previously, selecting "Usable Stores" displayed a list of logos. Now, an interactive map appears, offering smoother zooming and panning operations.
• Automatic store display: Users no longer need to tap "Search in this area" after moving the map; participating stores automatically populate based on the displayed region.
• Category-based search: Users can filter searches by categories such as "Gourmet," "Shopping," and "Fashion," with Mapbox's technology enhancing this functionality.

"We have been exploring UI/UX improvements to make finding participating stores on 'au PAY' more user-friendly but faced technical and cost challenges. Consulting with Mapbox allowed us to achieve the desired functionality affordably," said au PAY Representative.

Mapbox remains committed to supporting the "au PAY" app by delivering high-performance mapping and location technology, enhancing the overall user experience.