LY Communications

LINE Corporation (“LINE”; Location: Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo; Representative Director, President, and Chief Executive Officer: Takeshi Idezawa) and its Fukuoka-based subsidiary, LINE Fukuoka Corporation (“LINE Fukuoka”; Location: Hakata Ward, Fukuoka; Representative Director, President, and Chief Executive Officer: Noritaka Ochiai) are pleased to announce today’s release of the addition of the “COVID-19 Related Special Cash Payment” (特別定額給付金案内) Feature and chatbot to the Fukuoka City Official LINE account. The feature aims to answer questions Fukuoka City residents may have when applying and ensure smooth transfer of the special cash payment, which is a part of the “Emergency Economic Measures for Response to COVID-19.”

■About the Special Cash Payment Support Feature
If you tap “Special cash payment” (特別定額給付金について) on the top menu of the Fukuoka City Official LINE account (LINE ID: @fukuokacity), a chatbot will display a list of questions and guide you to the information you need.

■What the feature aims to accomplish:
（１）Support available anytime to reduce concerns and questions for residents so they can get their payment smoothly
Through the “Special cash payment” button available on the account homepage, a chatbot will guide people to the answers to their questions and allow them to smoothly find the support they need based on their situation. This feature lets residents easily find the answers to their questions 24 hours a day, from the documents needed and the deadline to apply, to how to apply if the head of household is away long term or if their current address is different from their registered address. We expect that by reducing residents’ concerns and questions via LINE will reduce the burden of providing support for application related inquiries, and allow people to get their payments quicker.

（２）Curbing special cash payment fraud by being an easily accessible source of application related information
Municipal governments have reported cases of phishing emails related to the payment posing as official government institutions providing assistance, however all notices about the special cash payment from the city will be sent through the mail, on the city’s homepage, or through its official LINE account. By making the account a source of information, residents can quickly and reliably access the application homepage and the information posted on the Fukuoka City homepage.

（３）Support for overseas residents in Fukuoka
Language support is also planned to be offered for overseas residents living in Fukuoka by making the same feature available in English, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Vietnamese, and Nepalese. (Planned to be available by the end of May)

Support won’t stop with this feature, we plan to expand features and add new information based on the condition and needs of residents.

■Visualization of the Special Cash Payment Support Feature in use

Details about how to use the feature will be posted on the site below in the near future. (Sorry, only available in Japanese)
https://note.com/smartcity

Moving forward, LINE Fukuoka will continue to proactively undertake initiatives utilizing LINE’s technology and know-how to support daily life and solve the everyday problems residents face that accompany COVID-19.

<About LY Communications’s initiatives in response to COVID-19 spread in Fukuoka City>
■Other COVID-19 related features introduced to Fukuoka City’s Official LINE account
A “Novel Coronavirus Information Compilation” feature was added to the account’s “living information” (生活情報) section on February 21. A chatbot guides you to the information you need such as the symptoms of infection, contact information for a consultation if you’re worried about your symptoms, and how to protect yourself from the virus, based on information from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. Additionally, you can receive push notifications with related information by selecting ” infectious diseases (COVID-19)” (感染症 (コロナ)) in the account’s “Information Delivery” (受信情報) settings.

■Online lectures for students whose classes are canceled
The “LINE SMART CITY MEETUP for STUDENTS” was held to offer students who are stuck at home with nothing to do free online lessons and provide them with a place to communicate and learn. https://note.com/smartcity/n/n0a1a37824909

■Participation in an initiative with representative delivery services in Fukuoka City aiming to provide support for restaurants and residents in voluntary self-isolation
LINE Fukuoka participated as the representative planner in a Fukuoka City led initiative to recruit delivery services and support residents in voluntary self-isolation. The project aims to solve issues in the restaurant industry and daily life for residents that are related to COVID-19. This initiative offers a coupon or points worth JPY 500 to customers who order delivery that meets the conditions, as well as offering free registration for Fukuoka restaurants on LINE Delima and other delivery services during the period.
https://lycomm.co.jp/en/pr/news/2020/041817