Foreigners in Japan how did you get a debit card?
I have lived and worked in Japan for 2 months now. First I tried to apply for a credit card because I thought I needed that to get an ETC card. Spent hours and hours of my life applying to different banks for a credit card only to get rejected every time. I finally discovered that you need to have worked here for something like 3 months in order to be able to get one. So I’ve given up on that and I’m avoiding motorways since I still can’t get an ETC card.
I have been applying for debit cards instead because all I have at the moment is an account with a card that can just be used to get cash out at an ATM that my supervisor at work helped set up.
Now i’m being rejected for debit cards. The reason given was a “comprehensive judgement” (using google translate as i’m still doing my best to learn Japanese but I couldn’t understand everything) My boyfriend is Japanese and checked that I had sent the right documents.
I have no debts whatsoever, no bad credit history or anything like that. I’m lost for ideas. Any help appreciated.
10 comments
Well, on my case I use UFJ Bank.
I applied online for mine like 8 years ago and I was approved pretty quickly.
I dont use it anymore but mizuho bank gave a debit card automatically as part of opening a checking account there
Revolut issues debit cards
Can confirm both Mizuho and MUFG have debit cards, as does Sony Bank, IIRC.
I have one from MUFG and Rakuten. Mizuho didn’t gave me one (my main bank account lol)
I’m guessing you tried Yucho lol. They’ve been weird lately. Debit card shouldn’t be rejected to anyone with an account. Try any of the other big banks in Japan like MUFG or SMBC.
And yes, applying for a credit card will take a while for you to build credit scores. Do not miss your phone bills especially if you’re paying for your device in installments. That counts as a loan, and if you miss payments for it, it’ll take years to build it back up.
> First I tried to apply for a credit card because I thought I needed that to get an ETC card. Spent hours and hours of my life applying to different banks for a credit card only to get rejected every time.
Just a heads up that if you apply for a credit card and get rejected it remains on your record for 6 months. If you apply again before 6 months has gone by since your last rejection, the next card company will see the previous rejection on your record which is usually grounds to reject you again.
As far as debit cards, I got one from Mitsubishi UFJ bank when I first moved here. It was mostly fine online and in person shopping, but in my experience some services only take credit cards specifically and won’t allow registering a debit card as a payment method.
I may be wrong about this part since I don’t drive or have experience using ETC cards:
* As far as I understand, ETC cards are generally something you get from the credit card company that’s separate from your credit card but linked to it for toll paying purposes. I get the impression from looking online that even you got a debit card, the issuer of the debit card probably won’t have the same system where they can give you an ETC card that’s linked to your debit card (with the exception of hokkoku bank apparently).
* It looks like there is something called a “[ETC personal card](https://www.etc-pasoca.jp/service/)” which requires a deposit and has a yearly fee but lets you link a bank account which it pulls the toll fees from, so that might be something to look into.
Open Revolut account, you will receive debit card in 10 days. Only minus is that can withdraw only Aeon ATMs.
If your credit card application get rejected, not 100% sure but I think there 6 months gab when you can try apply again. Been living here few years and still don’t get credit card. I have Mizuho and Mufg debit cards.
Sorry to break it to you, but as someone else has pointed out your applications are on your history so you technically have bad credit history now (albeit temporary).
SMBC?