SoftBank Group (9984) no longer offers a shareholder benefit programme. Its final round in 2019 gave discounts on selected phone and home internet bills.
This scheme has endedThe 35th programme in 2019 was SoftBank Group’s last. SoftBank Corp (9434), the mobile and broadband operator, has a separate shareholder benefit. Its FAQ says that holding 100 SoftBank Group shares (9984) does not qualify.
How the bill discounts changed
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SoftBank Group cited fair returns
SoftBank Group’s board approved ending the programme after considering how to return profits fairly to shareholders. The same announcement proposed a two-for-one share split and a dividend forecast that the company said doubled the annual payout in effect. The 35th programme was the last.
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Otosan gifts gave way to bill discounts
Before the 2013 change, qualifying new mobile subscribers could choose a ¥10,000 shopping voucher or goods featuring Otosan, the talking dog father in SoftBank’s Shirato family adverts. The adverts had begun in June 2007.
SoftBank replaced that offer with six months free of the White Plan’s ¥980 monthly basic fee, including tax, for eligible new contracts. The change applied from the round for holders of at least 100 shares on 31 March 2013.
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Mobile cashback arrived by postal money order
SoftBank added mobile phones to the existing Yahoo! BB benefit. Qualifying shareholders who took out a new mobile contract could receive ¥10,000 cashback for one line, paid by postal money order. They had to buy a handset at the New Super Bonus sales price; corporate lines were excluded.
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Free months of Yahoo! BB and BB Phone
The 2003 terms waived selected Yahoo! BB 12M/8M broadband and BB Phone monthly charges for one month at 100 to 999 shares, or three months at 1,000 or more. NTT line charges, BB Phone calls and tax still had to be paid.
What shareholders got
The final programme reduced bills for selected SoftBank and Y!mobile mobile plans and home internet services for six months. Holders could combine all three parts of the programme.
Phone and tablet bills
SoftBank phone users received up to ¥1,000 off each month; SoftBank tablet and Y!mobile phone users received up to ¥500. These amounts excluded tax. The discounts covered communication charges, with handset instalments excluded. Each shareholder name could receive the SoftBank discount on one phone line and one tablet line, plus the Y!mobile discount on one phone line.
Home internet bills
Eligible fibre plans gave ¥950 to ¥1,450 off each month, depending on the service and home type. Eligible ADSL plans waived the basic fee, worth ¥372 to ¥1,490 a month. SoftBank Air gave ¥1,000 off the monthly basic fee. All amounts excluded tax. The fibre and Air offers applied to versions labelled “ver エンジョイネット” (Enjoy Net versions); the internet benefit covered one line per person.
Who qualified
You needed at least 100 SoftBank Group shares (9984) on 31 March 2019.
A service contract mattered too
The final round covered shareholders or their families. A family mobile discount still required the shareholder to hold a qualifying contract with the same operator and meet its family conditions. For home internet, the installation address had to match the shareholder register. SoftBank Group’s FAQ said overseas residents could not use the benefit because its group services were then available only in Japan.
Shares held through a broker
Shares had to be registered in your own name.
Previous claim process
Applicants used the eight-digit shareholder number on the year-end dividend statement posted on 19 June 2019. They applied through the shareholder website; shops did not accept applications. Some users of the preceding round qualified for automatic renewal under the final round’s conditions.
Dates
The former terms did not specify any minimum holding period.
- Qualifying ownership date
- Former claim deadline
- Expiry
- The final programme gave six months of discounts. SoftBank mobile discounts ran from the billing month after application, starting with the August 2019 bill at the earliest.
- Scheme ended
Practical notes
SoftBank Corp’s PayPay benefit
On 1 July 2015, the former SoftBank Corp became SoftBank Group, while SoftBank Mobile became SoftBank Corp. Earlier references to a SoftBank Corp shareholder programme therefore refer to today’s SoftBank Group. The linked SoftBank Corp page covers the current PayPay programme for 9434 shares.