The JP BANK Visa Card earns 1 point per ¥1,000 spent. The Rakuten Card earns 1 point per ¥100. Same purchases, same yen out of your wallet, double the return on Rakuten.
Most expats in Japan end up with a Yucho bank account within their first month. The JP BANK Card application sits right there on the counter. So plenty of people grab it without comparing.
This guide is for the expat who already has a Japanese bank account and wants to pick a credit card based on how they spend, not on which form happened to be closest.
How the Points Math Breaks Down Across All Three Cards
The Rakuten Card has a 1% base points rate on all purchases, no annual fee, and a ¥5,000 sign-up bonus in Rakuten Points. The AEON Card earns 0.5% everywhere but jumps to 1% inside AEON Group stores.
The JP BANK Visa Card earns 0.5% as its base, with 5x points limited to Lawson and post office purchases.
Rakuten's 1% on everything
Rakuten gives 1 point for every ¥100 you spend, anywhere Visa or Mastercard is accepted.
Those points work across the entire Rakuten ecosystem: Rakuten Ichiba, Rakuten Travel, Rakuten Mobile, and tens of thousands of partner stores including convenience chains.
If you spend ¥150,000 per month on the card, you collect 1,500 points. Over a year, that's ¥18,000 in spendable points without trying.
AEON's grocery advantage
AEON Card's base rate looks weaker at 0.5%. But the card doubles points to 1% at all AEON Group stores: AEON, MaxValu, Daiei, and AEON Mall shops.
The bigger deal is Customer Appreciation Days on the 20th and 30th of every month, when AEON cardholders get a flat 5% discount on purchases. If you spend ¥40,000 on groceries during those two days, you save ¥2,000 in a single month.
JP BANK Visa's quiet gap
JP BANK Card earns 1 point per ¥1,000 spent. Each point is worth ¥5, which sounds decent until you do the math: that's a 0.5% return, same as AEON's base rate, but without AEON's store-specific bonuses.
Points expire after 24 months. And the card has a listed annual fee of ¥1,375, waived only if you make at least one purchase per year. Forget to use it once, and you pay more than a year of Rakuten or AEON membership would ever cost: ¥0.
Which Card Is Easiest for Foreigners to Get Approved
Rakuten Card is the easiest Japanese credit card for most foreign residents to obtain in 2026. Multiple foreigner-focused guides cite approval rates above 80% for applicants with stable income and at least six months of residence.
Rakuten's online English application
The entire Rakuten Card application runs online, and an English walkthrough exists. You need a residence card (在留カード), a Japanese bank account, and a Japanese phone number. Approval takes one to two weeks.
I'd pick Visa or Mastercard over JCB at the network selection step. JCB works well inside Japan, but Visa and Mastercard have broader international acceptance if you ever travel or shop on non-Japanese sites.
AEON's in-person path
AEON Card applications can be done online, but the in-person route at an AEON Mall counter is where foreigners sometimes have an easier time.
Staff at AEON Financial Service counters have experience handling foreign applicant paperwork, including middle-name formatting issues that trip up online forms.
AEON has a reputation among Japanese consumer guides as one of the friendliest issuers for part-time workers, students, and applicants without long credit histories. Starting credit limits tend to land between ¥100,000 and ¥300,000.
JP BANK Visa's conservative screening
Japan Post Bank's card application is done at post office branches. English paperwork is sometimes available at larger branches, but the process is slower and more formal.
If you already bank with Yucho, the application connects directly to your existing account.
Approval tends to favor applicants who have held their Yucho account for a while. But the credit limits and rewards make it a weaker choice compared to the other two.
Comparing Japan Post Visa, Rakuten, and AEON Card Side by Side
All three cards accept Visa or Mastercard networks. The differences sit in fees, points, and where the rewards concentrate.
| Feature | JP BANK Visa | Rakuten Card | AEON Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | ¥1,375 (free with 1 purchase/year) | ¥0 | ¥0 |
| Base points rate | 0.5% | 1.0% | 0.5% |
| Bonus earning | 5x at Lawson, post offices | 3x-15x on Rakuten Ichiba | 2x at AEON Group stores |
| Sign-up bonus | None listed | Up to ¥5,000 in points | Up to ¥5,000 in WAON Points |
| Points expiry | 24 months | 12 months (last earning date resets it) | 24 months |
| English application | Partial (branch-dependent) | Online, English guide available | Limited (in-person support helps) |
Rakuten wins on raw return rate. AEON wins if your grocery spending concentrates at AEON Group stores. JP BANK Visa loses on both metrics.
Why I Think the "Just Get Rakuten" Advice Misses Something
I think the blanket recommendation to grab Rakuten Card first, which every 2026 expat guide repeats, misses a real scenario.
If your nearest supermarket is an AEON, MaxValu, or Daiei location, the AEON Card's 5% discount days return more than Rakuten's flat 1% on the same grocery basket.
Run the numbers on ¥60,000 in monthly groceries. Rakuten gives you ¥600 in points. AEON's 5% days, if you shift even half your monthly grocery run to the 20th and 30th, save you ¥1,500 in direct discounts. Add the doubled WAON points on top.
For an expat whose weekly routine includes AEON or MaxValu runs, holding both cards makes more sense than Rakuten alone. Use Rakuten for online shopping, bills, and non-AEON retail. Use the AEON Card exclusively at AEON Group stores. Neither charges an annual fee.
The Part About Customer Support That Shapes Daily Life
Rakuten's support runs mostly through email and online chat. Phone support exists but tends to be slow, and English-language assistance is minimal. If something goes wrong with a charge, expect to handle it through a Japanese-language portal.
AEON has physical counters inside AEON Malls. You can walk up and talk to someone. For expats who are not confident reading Japanese online dispute forms, that face-to-face option changes the experience.
Japan Post Bank has over 24,000 branch locations across Japan, including rural areas where other banks have zero presence. If you live outside a major city, Yucho's branch density is unmatched. But the card itself is still weaker on rewards.
The Card Nobody Needs as a Primary Card
JP BANK Visa has a place as a backup. If you bank with Yucho and want a cash-card-plus-credit combo in one piece of plastic, the integrated version does that. Lawson and post office purchases earn 5x points, which is nice for small daily buys.
But as your main spending card? A 0.5% return with no annual-fee-free guarantee and limited bonus categories cannot compete with Rakuten's 1% everywhere or AEON's discount-day savings.
I would not carry it as a primary card when both alternatives cost ¥0 per year.
Questions People Ask About Credit Cards for Expats in Japan
Expats searching for their first card tend to ask similar questions. A few answers that go beyond the surface:
- Q: Can I hold more than one Japanese credit card as a foreigner?
There is no legal limit on how many credit cards a foreign resident can hold in Japan. Each issuer runs its own screening. Holding two cards, like Rakuten plus AEON, is common and can maximize returns if you split spending by store type. - Q: Do Rakuten Points expire if I keep using the card?
Rakuten Points technically expire 12 months after the last earning date. But every new purchase resets that clock. If you use the card at least once a month, expiration is not a concern. - Q: Is the AEON Card 5% discount automatic on the 20th and 30th?
The discount applies automatically when you pay with your AEON Card at AEON Group stores on those dates. No coupon, no activation needed. The 5% comes off at the register. - Q: Does JP BANK Visa work outside Japan?
The card works at any merchant or ATM displaying the Visa logo worldwide. Foreign transaction fees apply, and the exchange rate follows Visa's standard conversion. For international use, a card like Wise or Revolut may handle forex costs better. - Q: How long should I wait after arriving in Japan before applying?
Six months of residence is the practical minimum for Rakuten. AEON may approve sooner, especially at in-store counters. JP BANK Card depends more on how long you have banked with Yucho than on total residence time.
Conclusion
Picking the right credit card as an expat in Japan depends on where your yen goes each month. Rakuten makes sense for online spending and general purchases at its 1% flat rate.
AEON Card pulls ahead for anyone whose groceries come from AEON, MaxValu, or Daiei stores. JP BANK Visa fits a narrow backup role, not a primary one, regardless of how convenient the application looks at the post office counter.