Hi!
I am American and go to Japan about twice a year. I typically buy concert tickets ahead of time with a virtual LINE Pay debit card that I load up at a konbini ATM on the last day of the trip. However, with LINE Pay being retired in early 2025, I figured it makes sense to switch to PayPay to do this.
I'll be in Japan again in a few months. I read some past threads in this sub that indicate loading a PayPay account at a konbini ATM is the same process as doing it for a LINE Pay account. I also read that you don't need a Japanese bank account or ID in order to load up PayPay at an ATM.
For reference, I have a Japanese phone number through Mobal that's about $5/month and I have no plans to cancel it. I've used it for SMS verification of services from within Japan.
My followup questions are as follows:
How difficult is it to sign up for such a PayPay account as a foreigner that doesn't live in Japan? Is it as simple as making an online account and verifying it with my Japanese phone number when I get off the plane?
Will the PayPay account come with a virtual debit card I can use on EPlus or similar websites? If not, is there a LINE Pay alternative that does? I specifically need it to be Japanese because most sites do not accept American credit cards.
Thank you!
by coffeecoffeecoffeee