Do I need a Japanese credit card to sign up for a rakuten plan?
I’m trying to figure out the order in which I get a bank account, a phone number, and an address because they all seem to rely on having the other two to sign up.
I understand I can use a temporary address to sign up, and it looks like rakuten doesn’t need a bank account but does need a payment method. I’m hoping I can use an international credit card to get the number and then change it once I can get a bank account.
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**Rakuten Mobile Plans**
Do I need a Japanese credit card to sign up for a rakuten plan?
I’m trying to figure out the order in which I get a bank account, a phone number, and an address because they all seem to rely on having the other two to sign up.
I understand I can use a temporary address to sign up, and it looks like rakuten doesn’t need a bank account but does need a payment method. I’m hoping I can use an international credit card to get the number and then change it once I can get a bank account.
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I just signed up for a Rakuten Mobile plan and I was able to use my Australian MasterCard as payment.
P.S – They required that I had my address registered on my Zairyu card so best double check you can use a temporary address.
I got the rakuten mobile line with the JP Bank withdrawal card only. You have a small fee for payment, but it was still easier than choosing an other payment method for my situation. To maximise the success rate of subscription, I did it with at a temporary Rakuten stall in a JP Post. The guy made the whole process, contacted the support when needed, and then I got my line. It was a painful 90 minutes moment, but worth it 😁
I use UQ Mobile, which is a branch/group under AU. All I needed was my zairyuu card, but I used my Visa credit card (not a Japanese credit card) and all seems to be working well. So I think your international credit card should work okay! I haven’t heard other friends of mine with any troubles using their credit card.
If you go directly to the Rakuten Mobile shop, they will assist you all the way. You can choose physical SIM or eSIM.
They accept japanese and international credit card for payment. They also accept Japanese bank debit card. Upon sign up you’ll get points that you can use in Rakuten Ichiba marketplace.