Solution to your Japanese credit card problem

[Samurai_Jerk]

I was able to get a Shinsei Bank Amex right away when I moved back to Japan thanks to Amex's global card transfer program. However, it's been over decade and I've never been able to get any other Japanese card so I recently made a LINE pay JCB card. It's a prepaid charge card that can be used at any location that takes JCB, there's no annual fee, and you get 2% cash back in the form of LINE points which you can use to add credit to your balance unless you want to use those points to buy stickers and Starbuck's gift cards. There are a number of ways to charge it including at the register of any Lawson. One weird thing about it is it doesn't have your name on it. It just says "LINE MEMBER" so I could imagine there might be some issues using it overseas. Also, it doesn't seem to have an IC chip and you can't use it to create an account on JCB's website which means you also can't use it for JCB member rewards like airlines miles.

The main reason I got it is a lot of the low cost Japanese and South Korean airlines don't take Amex and I don't like using my US Visa for purchases in Japan if I don't have to. Especially not smaller purchases like budget plane tickets. Anyway, I thought I'd share this for any of you who are still struggling to get a card here. For the record, I don't work for LINE or own any of their stock.

[wagyl]

I would have thought with your employment background and your (guessed) income, you would have been able to get a credit card: I got one with Credit Saison, when on a normal working visa. I imagine that you have applied, so maybe something is different. I suppose the only possible difference was that my employer was listed on the stock exchange. Now, self-employed, and with a lower income (but much better work/life balance), I get knocked back when I apply for gas station cards, when I just want access to the discount, not the credit facility, and would be happy if they locked me down to 10,000 yen a month.

[matsuki]

That's cool. My initial reason for wanting a CC in J-land was an ETC card. (you can get one without a CC but there is some unreasonably high cash deposit required)

Also, I was recently able to get a new costco amex gold after several years on an ANA gold and what I'm assuming is a perfect credit record. (yes, time to check) I heard the Costco cards are a bit easier to get but the benefits/points are very favorable.

[Samurai_Jerk]

I have an FG friend who says he's only been late once on an electric bill and that was just a few days over 10 years ago. He works in front office investment banking, makes a lot more money than most people, has a nice chunk of change in his savings account (no PR though), and he can't get one either. Also, one of my FG colleagues who has been here close to 20 years, is married to a local, has PR, has a stable employment history, and makes a good income recently got rejected. He's the one who told me about the LINE pay card which he made after the latest rejection. It does seem very random because I know FG's with weaker ties to Japan and a lot less money and assets who've received cards pretty easily. Anyway, I haven't applied for a real card since I got PR earlier this year plus my company went public not long after that. Maybe I'll try again one of these days.

Another thing about the LINE pay JCB I should mention you don't have to pay anything upfront to make it. As a matter of fact I don't think you can charge it till you receive the card in the mail and activate it.

[wagyl]

The card I got. http://www.saisoncard.co.jp/lineup/cp/ No annual fees, points accrue which you can also apply to reduce your account balance. Aside from no ETC facility, that Line card looks good if you are happy with prepay rather than postpay, although as you say that cardholder name could become an issue, including with paying airlines.

[matsuki]

After numerous rejections, I got my first Japanese CC by sending the issuer a copy ok my US version of their card that had something like a 30K USD limit. I heard it's also good to submit copies of your utility bills, payment stubs, anything you think that will make you like a responsible CC user.

[CrankyBastard]

You could try Amazon
https://www.amazon.co.jp/クレジットカード/b?ie=UTF8&node=2113286051

Don't click it, copy/paste it.

[jingai]

The Amazon card seems to have a modest annual fee and some complain the points are hard to redeem. Have you used it?
Dumb question, but if you had that card, how do you pay the bills (in the US I'd write a check or do a free bank transfer, neither of which seem feasible.) Combini?

[yanpa]

I applied for a department store-branded VISA card and was approved with no problems. Employed at a small foreign-ish company at the time, they called me at work to confirm I worked there. Application occurred right after I dropped a load of cash on a engagement ring at said store, got a decent pair of shoes on points.

[legion]

Maybe the card companies know people in certain industries are more likely to run up large bills and more likely to try and wriggle out of paying them.

[matsuki]

The Amazon card seems to have a modest annual fee and some complain the points are hard to redeem. Have you used it?
Dumb question, but if you had that card, how do you pay the bills (in the US I'd write a check or do a free bank transfer, neither of which seem feasible.) Combini?

Auto withdraw from your bank account

[matsuki]

Checking my US mail, there are about 10 different credit card offers for cards that charge no foreign transaction fee. (won't get you an ETC card but another solution if you can't get a JDM CC)