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Sep 13, 2017

Credit Card approval in Japan

Hello fellow gaijins! Has anyone experienced applying for a Japanese credit card? I applied last weekend for a jcb card and it was an onsite application. I received a phone call from them after 4 days verifying my information. Could this be a good sign that I might get approved for the card? To this date, it has been 4 days since they called and it's silence so far.

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Oldsoul

Oldsoul

A fun size lady who left everything behind to brave a whole new world :)

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8 Answers

  • BigfamJapan

    BigfamJapan

    on Sep 13

    No, because I was told about 10 years ago they you couldn't on a spousal visa. But I think that might have changed. Following with interest.

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  • KamaT

    KamaT

    on Sep 14

    I have the experience of having done it with Mizuho in person with my Japanese partner involved. Spouse visa, double income, full-time jobs, in Japan for a few years by that point ... and got rejected. And this from a bank that got into trouble from having been in bed with the yakuza. Maybe I should have put "gang member" on my application form. (Can you sense the bitterness?) Anyway, I would say it took a good couple of weeks for them to deliver the news. No experience with JCB I'm afraid but maybe you need to give it a little more time. I hear that EPOS credit cards are much easier to get.

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  • KevinC

    KevinC

    on Sep 15

    My first credit card in Japan is given by Rakuten, they seem to give credit card to anyone. If they are called you, I think you will get your card soon.

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  • edthethe

    edthethe

    on Sep 20

    i got a rakuten as well. but! never was allowed to recieve it. the post office wouldnt deliver it because on my id i have a middle name , but on the card i didnt. tried getting the card twice, didnt care enough and just gave up

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  • JapanRamen

    JapanRamen

    on Dec 1

    I got my Amazon card pretty quickly, but like @edthethe, my issue when I apply for most cards is when I try to have my middle-name included, and it's over their character limits.... If you don't have that issue and your bank account and income look pretty good, you should be getting it within a week or so!

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  • Heath320

    Heath320

    on Feb 1

    My husband was able to get a Rakuten card really easily. They just confirmed some thing’s like his job.

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  • Eli

    Eli

    on Mar 28

    I applied at my bank for a Saison card a few years ago and got refused. So I went back to my bank to ask why and they told they wanted to confirm that I actually work at my workplace. They called the same day and I got the card a few weeks later. Recently I applied for an orico card and got refused, too, but couldn’t find out why. I then tried Rakuten and it went perfectly fine without any issues. I think Rakuten is pretty gaijin-friendly but you have a monthly limit on the card.

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  • Weellee

    Weellee

    on Jun 12

    Yes, and it was tough getting that first credit card. It was an AEON card, and of all the applications I've submitted they were the only ones who got back to me with a phone call verifying my information. A few days after, I received my card but experienced problems paying for my card a month after. That was all because they had trouble linking the card with my bank. The bank form would be returned to me several times, until finally I enclosed a photocopy of my bank book with the form. Didn't have problems since then, plus applying for a second credit card became much easier and faster.

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