I get paid into my JP bank account so it would be convenient for me to have a debit card to use in stores, online and to pay bills with directly. I got rejected in May of last year, which I assumed was due to me having lived in Japan for less than 6 months at the time.
But now I’ve just seen that JP Bank don’t accept applications for debit cards for a bunch of very common account types including ‘regular savings’ which I have (and I assume most others do as it was the standard account type at the time of applying). I didn’t see this caveat mentioned on their FAQs last time I applied.
What kind of account must I have to get a debit card in that case?
Does anyone have any experience on this topic?
7 comments
> ‘regular savings’ which I have (and I assume most others do as it was the standard account type at the time of applying).
You don’t have You have 総合口座.
Go to Yucho branch and ask them if you still have 非居住者 status on your file, and if you do, file for change of status. Once I done this my debit card was approved (but I heard some still have problem).
Just open an account with Sony bank.
It might not help in your situation, but if you have a Japanese friend, take them along.
I was rejected to have an account with MUFJ like more than 10yrs ago. Went back the next day with a Japanese friend and suddenly got an account. Was crazy, but that’s how it was.
I have always had a debit card while using SMBC. I didn’t have any issues getting one, they asked me if I wanted one when I opened a bank account with them and I said yes. Make sure it’s a debit card and not a cash card because for some stupid reason cash cards are still a thing
The banking app also works in English, and they have a usable English version of their banking site as well.
(Side note, why does everyone on this subreddit seem to use banks like yucho ginko? Or entirely different but extra shitty banks?)
Anyway, get SMBC. Or maybe Mizuno if you live somewhere without much SMBC access.
Idk if you being here only 6 months or whatever will be an issue for them as I switched to them after I had already been here for like a year, but yeah talking to them in person might be the fastest option in that case.
I was on the same boat, then opened one at MUFG easily. Heard SMBC is more foreigner-friendly but I don’t have any experience with them.
I have a “normal” account with Yucho since… A very long time. They have only very recently started doing the visa debit card thing, to replace their Mijica prepaid card service they shut down.
I think you may be confused by summer mis-translations. The most normal type account everyone has by default is “普通”, and if that is what you have, you can get a visa debit card. If not, then I don’t think they would reverb let you apply. 普通 literally translates into “normal”, but I’ve seen it translated into “checking” (because it’s a short term account like US checking accounts), and “savings” (presumably because it didn’t come with a checkbook). In Sunday unless you want out of your way to open a 貯金 account, you can use the debit card. Using English to talk about Japan specific stuff creates lots of problems.
Yucho is being a bit super strict about the approval process even though it’s a debit card because there was a fair amount of fraud going on with their prepaid visa cards (hence why they shut that down), and now they may be over reacting a bit.
Advice to use Sony bank, Prestia, and others is perfectly fine, but there is not a lot of down side to applying for the JP bank debit card as well.
I have a regular (普通) account with JP Bank since 2019 and got their debit card last year.
As someone else’s mentioned you need to make sure they have your status on your account as a resident of Japan in order to be approved for the card. I was declined the first time because of that, and it wasn’t very obvious to find out.