So, its been three years since i came to live in kyoto and just recently got my working visa, I’d like to buy a new phone but I’d like to buy it on credit, since I’ve never had a credit card before i was thinking about getting one here but it has been quite difficult to get one, I’ve made my own research on wich are the easiest credit cards to get,
I have applied to rakuten twice, and no luck. They deny me the same day i apply.
And just now i was denied an edion credit card.
I think its because i have 0 credit history but I’m not sure,
Can you guys give me some tips on how to get one? Any recommendations at all?
9 comments
Better off buying a phone using something like paidy or buying from carrier at 24/36 month split payment. You don’t want to have a CC that isn’t paid off every month.
That said, as a foreigner here you take what cards you can get, not the ones you want, generally rakuten/Amazon cards are considered easy to get, as well as ones offered in shopping malls like aeon and so on.
edit: read the rest of the comment and saw you got rejected for rakuten twice. If you don’t wait at least 6 months between failed attempts, you’re going to keep getting rejected as that also a factor used when deciding. Now it’s time to chill, get a prepaid card like d-card prepaid so that you can at least get some cashback on your purchases, and start using that. Or maybe a debit card from your bank that has points/cashback like Sony bank card.
I’ve done my research, have PR, a full time company job, and still don’t have a card. Personally I suspect it’s gotten more difficult in recent years, so those who didn’t get one say five years ago or earlier don’t really have a chance of getting a free card. I figure I might be able to get one that has a hefty fee, but I don’t really want that. I’ve settled on using PayPay as my best option, plus a visa debit card with one of my banks, and a Wise debit card. For most stuff this combo has worked. It’s annoying but what can you do?
Do you have an Amex from the country you came from? You can do their Global Transfer program to get one easily in Japan. I got one in the US a few months before coming to Japan and was able to apply and was approved for a Japanese Amex within a month or two of arriving.
https://www.americanexpress.com/global-card-transfers/index.shtml
Some companies reject foreigners outright because they are a flight risk, and since you may leave the country, it will make it harder for them to pursue you.
When I first got here, I was rejected by every mobile carrier except Docomo. Guess I was rejected for flight risk. Don’t know why Docomo accepted. Hope this helps.
I’ve heard that the LINE credit card is easy for foreigners to get but I don’t have any direct info on it myself. There is also a new service called Paidy that has a limited Visa card that lets you buy things online but you can’t use it in stores. I think you need a My Number card for that one, though.
I wasn’t able to get credit in Japan until I got PR. The day after I got PR I bought my first car in Japan from the local Nissan dealer and financed it through Nissan Finance. They required verification of my PR and a Japanese national to guarantee the car loan, so I got the verification document from my city office and my husband cosigned on the loan as the guarantor. Nissan also gave me a Visa card and an ETC card along with the car loan.
A short time after that I applied for an Aeon Visa card and got it without any problems. When I traded in my first car for a new car a few months ago I was able to get the car loan on my own without any trouble because I have an established credit history now.
If you have difficulty getting credit cards, then get a debit card from banks like MUFJ or SMBC. Since they basically work like cash cards, I guess you would not have problems getting it.
Or you could apply mastercard from costco. I think it is easier to get too. But you do have to be a member of costco which would cost you around 5000 per year. However, you get 1.5% points back from costco purchases and 1% everywhere else.
If you apply and get denied you should wait 6 months before applying again. It’s an unwritten rule but it is pretty much automatic especially in your case where you applied multiple times in succession. Debit cards are the best first step.
True.
No credit history no credit card.
I got my first card in 2015 after being rejected 7 times in a span of a year and half.
After getting my first card, I can get any card now easily.
I have
Amazon Card
Rakuten card x 2
Saison Amex Gold & Pearl
SMBC Numberless
MUFG Standard Card
I think Rakuten and Amazon are the easiest ones to get.
You could try the new Saison AMEX Digital Card. Looks like the approval is automated by a robot or something.
If you get rejected, better wait a few months before applying again.