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What is the best debit card in Japan for foreigners?

By on August 21, 2017

A debit card is a card on which the price is immediately deducted from the bank account when paying for goods or services. It is issued by a financial institution with a deposit account, and it can be withdrawn immediately because it is linked online to a bank account.  You can also use it with Paypal.  Paypal does not accept VISA prepaid gift cards but only debit cards issued by banks.

While Credit Cards offer a ‘pay later’ scheme, Debit cards can not be used unless there is a balance in a cardholder’s account.  Payment is immediate like cash or personal checks, so you cannot possibly go into debt.

It is getting more and more popular these days due to the fact that screening  is not needed (except for some cards) and because the age to which applications can be made is set lower than credit cards.  Therefore, if your 15 or 16-year old teen would like to manage his/her own money, a cash-debit card is a good place to start.

Compare the different debit cards that can be issued in Japan. Each card varies in type, and there is also a difference in bank fees. We compared the different debit cards in Japan and the ease of use for foreigners so you don’t have to:

SEVEN BANK  (JCB DEBIT CARD)  Annual Fee   Free
Points  :  You earn NANACO points for every usage
Age Limit   16 years and over          ENGLISH WEBSITE       International Money Transfer available.
Apply online:

People who often use convenience stores benefit from having points accumulated.
In addition, it is the most profitable card in total when considering taking out cash, because ATM withdrawal fee is free  every day from 7 am to 7 pm .

 

RAKUTEN
(VISA DEBIT CARD, JCB DEBIT CARD)
Annual Fee  Free
Points :  You earn RAKUTEN SUPER POINTS for every usage
Age Limit:  16 years and over
Apply online     NO ENGLISH WEBSITE

This is the debit card that achieves the highest return rate. Recommended for those who want to pay everything with card. It is slightly inferior to Seven Bank etc in terms of  ATM commission.

AEON  (JCB DEBIT CARD)
Ranking by popularity
Annual Fee   FREE  with shopping insurance
Points:  You earn actual points for every usage
Age Limit:  15 years and over
Apply online in Japanese

ENGLISH WEBSITE

 

About Ted Tanaka