5 prepaid cards recommended for foreigners! What are the popular international brands?
If you are a foreigner living in Japan and do not have a cash card, we recommend getting a prepaid card instead. In this article, we will introduce 5 Japanese prepaid cards recommended for foreigners.
◆If you want to get a credit card, please refer to the article below.
5 Japanese credit cards recommended for foreigners! Tips for passing the examination
Prepaid cards are recommended for foreigners!
Having a credit card is very convenient when living in Japan, but foreigners may find it difficult to pass the screening process or may not understand the procedures in Japanese. For such people, we recommend getting a prepaid card instead. Prepaid cards have various advantages for foreigners compared to credit cards.
What is a prepaid card?
What is a prepaid card?You can only use the amount you deposited in advance.This card is for cashless payment. If a store accepts prepaid card payments, you can pay even if you don't have cash.
Difference from credit card
Credit cards are a similar cashless payment method, but they differ from prepaid cards in that they are paid in arrears. You will be billed the month after your purchase and the money will be deducted from your bank account.
Advantages of prepaid cards
Prepaid cards have various benefits that cash cards do not have. The main advantages are that, in principle, no screening is required and the age restrictions are less strict than with cash cards.
No review required
Since prepaid cards are a system in which payment is made in advance, there is no risk of payment delays for the card company. Therefore, prepaid cards have the advantage of not requiring an examination unlike cash cards.
There are no strict age restrictions
Unlike cash cards, many prepaid cards can be owned by minors. Even teenagers who come to Japan to study abroad should have no problem getting a prepaid card. There are also prepaid cards that even elementary school students can make.
Points to note when using prepaid cards
While prepaid cards have advantages that cash cards do not have, they are also slightly less convenient to use than cash cards. especially Cannot be used to pay in installments or monthly contractsThis is something you should pay attention to.
Revolving payments, installment payments, bonus payments, etc. cannot be used.
Prepaid cards basically allow for one-time payments only and do not support revolving payments, installment payments, bonus payments, etc. Unlike cash cards, they are not useful when you don't have money right now but want to make a purchase.
Cannot be used to pay utility bills or monthly contracts
Prepaid cards only require a one-time payment, so they cannot be used to pay monthly utility bills or services with a fixed monthly fee.
◆If you want to keep using debit cards, we also recommend the following articles.
5 Debit Cards Recommended for Foreigners! Explanation of benefits and precautions
5 prepaid cards recommended for foreigners
Here, we will introduce 5 prepaid cards recommended for foreigners. We mainly select prepaid cards with international brands that are easy for anyone to use.
1. Sumitomo Mitsui VISA Prepaid
Sumitomo Mitsui VISA Prepaid is the most orthodox of Sumitomo Mitsui Card's prepaid cards. It can be used at VISA member stores around the world, and anyone over the age of 18 can apply. Sumitomo Mitsui Card also offers other cards, such as ``Kazoku no Osaifu,'' which can be shared and used by family members, and ``d Card Prepaid,'' which can be used at Mastercard member stores.
▶️ Sumitomo Mitsui VISA Prepaid
2.ANA JCB prepaid card
The ANA JCB Prepaid Card is an international brand prepaid card that can be used at JCB member stores around the world. Anyone residing in Japan and over 15 years old can apply. There are courses that allow you to earn ANA miles and courses that offer cash back, so you can choose the one you like depending on whether you fly often or not.
3.Mastercard prepaid card
Mastercard prepaid cards are international brand prepaid cards that can be used at Mastercard member stores around the world. We also recommend Mastercard's international brand prepaid card, such as the WebMoney Prepaid Card, which even children can sign up for.
4.Epre
Epre is an app that allows you to issue virtual cards, and once you register, you can issue a Visa prepaid card for online shopping on the same day. Also, if you issue a real card, you will be able to use it for shopping in town.
▶️ YOLO Card:https://www.yolo-japan.com/ja/yolocard/lp/
5.VISA LINE Pay prepaid card
VISA LINE Pay prepaid card is a mobile payment prepaid card that can be applied and used from LINE. It's a virtual prepaid card that you pay with your smartphone, so you don't have to carry a card that gets in the way and it's convenient. It can be used at stores that accept Apple Pay and Google Pay, as well as stores that accept VISA touch payments.
summary
There are many prepaid cards recommended for foreigners, but we recommend cards from international brands that have many participating stores as they are easy to use. There are many other prepaid cards that have their own benefits, so it's a good idea to find one that suits you.
