Japan - Credit cards in Japan

Greetings! I have four travel books in Japan. I am overloaded with
informations. It seems credit cards use are not as common as USA. I
wonder why? Japan is very advanced tecnologically and literacy rate is
almost 100%. I found today that American Express has no office in
Japan (page 81 of Frommer's Japan). I have American Express and Master
card. I hope I shall not have any problem in Japan. What is your
opinion? With thanks.

You will have problems if you are not prepared.

Most Hotels, Department Stores and some restaurants will accept cards.

Very few ATMs will accept foreign cards. Most Post Office ATMs will accept
them, but often only while the Post Office is open. CitiBank machines are
fine also.

Foreign currency and Travellers Cheques are difficult (and slow) to change.

Fortunately there is very little personal crime in Japan - so people carry
large sums of cash safely and routinely.

"zxcvar" wrote in message
oups.com...
Greetings! I have four travel books in Japan. I am overloaded with
informations. It seems credit cards use are not as common as USA. I
wonder why? Japan is very advanced tecnologically and literacy rate is
almost 100%. I found today that American Express has no office in
Japan (page 81 of Frommer's Japan). I have American Express and Master
card. I hope I shall not have any problem in Japan. What is your
opinion? With thanks.

zxcvar wrote:
Greetings! I have four travel books in Japan. I am overloaded with
informations. It seems credit cards use are not as common as USA. I
wonder why? Japan is very advanced tecnologically and literacy rate is
almost 100%.


It's an extremely safe country, so people just carry and use cash.
Take an ATM card.

I found today that American Express has no office in
Japan (page 81 of Frommer's Japan).


They have one:

American Express 4-30-16 Ogikubo, Suginami-ku (tel 0120-020666)

I have American Express and Master card. I hope I shall not have any problem in Japan. What is your
opinion? With thanks.


Do not try to depend on the credit cards - most restaurants and stores
will not accept them. You will have to carry cash. Call your bank
and make sure your ATM card will work in Japan.

"zxcvar" wrote in message
oups.com...
Greetings! I have four travel books in Japan. I am overloaded with
informations. It seems credit cards use are not as common as USA. I
wonder why? Japan is very advanced tecnologically and literacy rate is
almost 100%. I found today that American Express has no office in
Japan (page 81 of Frommer's Japan). I have American Express and Master
card. I hope I shall not have any problem in Japan. What is your
opinion? With thanks.

Curiously, they seem to make payments using their cell phones. They have
pads near the checkouts where the customer taps his cellphone to pay the
bill. Seems strange to me but I guess it works for them

--
Donald R. Newcomb
DRNewcomb (at) attglobal (dot) net

On Mon, 16 Apr 2007 07:08:24 -0500, the renowned "Donald Newcomb"
wrote:

"zxcvar" wrote in message
roups.com...
Greetings! I have four travel books in Japan. I am overloaded with
informations. It seems credit cards use are not as common as USA. I
wonder why? Japan is very advanced tecnologically and literacy rate is
almost 100%. I found today that American Express has no office in
Japan (page 81 of Frommer's Japan). I have American Express and Master
card. I hope I shall not have any problem in Japan. What is your
opinion? With thanks.

Curiously, they seem to make payments using their cell phones. They have
pads near the checkouts where the customer taps his cellphone to pay the
bill. Seems strange to me but I guess it works for them

I think those mostly work as debit cards, not credit cards.


Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com

So if I am required to stay at the airport hotel on my way back to the U.S.,
will it be best for me to use my credit card, ATM card, or cash? Hotels
generally don't give a good rate or exchange for cash, so I will need to
depend on the credit or ATM card. Which will be the best transaction for
me. I suspect ATM if the hotel accepts it. It seems the banks at both ends
take a piece of the transaction with credit cards (3% or more). Thanks in
advance.

rg



"zxcvar" wrote in message
oups.com...
Greetings! I have four travel books in Japan. I am overloaded with
informations. It seems credit cards use are not as common as USA. I
wonder why? Japan is very advanced tecnologically and literacy rate is
almost 100%. I found today that American Express has no office in
Japan (page 81 of Frommer's Japan). I have American Express and Master
card. I hope I shall not have any problem in Japan. What is your
opinion? With thanks.

"Sharkbait" wrote:

So if I am required to stay at the airport hotel on my way back to the
U.S., will it be best for me to use my credit card, ATM card, or cash?
Hotels generally don't give a good rate or exchange for cash, so I will
need to depend on the credit or ATM card. Which will be the best
transaction for me. I suspect ATM if the hotel accepts it. It seems the
banks at both ends take a piece of the transaction with credit cards (3%
or more). Thanks in advance.


Most hotels accept credit cards, so you shouldn't expect any problems. The
acceptiblity of credit cards in Japan has increased considerably in the past
few years, so the information you will read in guide books and even on the
web is frequently out of date.
If by "ATM card" you mean a debit card, then these are generally not widely
accepted - except in Post Office ATMs for withdrawing cash.


--
Dave Fossett
Saitama, Japan

"Sharkbait" wrote in message
news:r_kbi.4519$wL5.924@trndny04...
So if I am required to stay at the airport hotel on my way back to the
U.S.,
will it be best for me to use my credit card, ATM card, or cash?

You should check if your credit card (e.g. Visa, Mastercard) charge more
than the standard 1% exchange fee. If so, get a different card. Most hotels
in Japan accept international credit cards. It is not as easy to find an ATM
that takes anything but Japanese cards. One thing I learned (after many
trips) is that almost every post office has an ATM that takes international
cards.

--
Donald R. Newcomb
DRNewcomb (at) attglobal (dot) net

On Jun 12, 1:50 pm, "Donald Newcomb"
wrote:
"Sharkbait" wrote in message

news:r_kbi.4519$wL5.924@trndny04...

So if I am required to stay at the airport hotel on my way back to the
U.S.,
will it be best for me to use my credit card, ATM card, or cash?

You should check if your credit card (e.g. Visa, Mastercard) charge more
than the standard 1% exchange fee. If so, get a different card. Most hotels
in Japan accept international credit cards. It is not as easy to find an ATM
that takes anything but Japanese cards. One thing I learned (after many
trips) is that almost every post office has an ATM that takes international
cards.

--
Donald R. Newcomb
DRNewcomb (at) attglobal (dot) net

Traveled to Japan in 2006. Used credit cards for hotels and car hire
in major cities and tourist centres. Also in department stores but not
usually in restaurants.Have been advised (and with good reason) to
carry cash on Shikoku Island and even on Honshu and Kyushu whenever
out of the (foreign) tourist circuit.
Jan van Wezer

wrote in message
ups.com...
Traveled to Japan in 2006. Used credit cards for hotels and car hire
in major cities and tourist centres. Also in department stores but not
usually in restaurants.Have been advised (and with good reason) to
carry cash on Shikoku Island and even on Honshu and Kyushu whenever
out of the (foreign) tourist circuit.

Not bad advice. I have found that even the smallest rural post offices do
have a ATM that accepts international cards, so you don't have to carry a
lot of cash. The post offices are marked by a sign with a red and white "T"
shape. It might be handy to know how to ask where the post office is or have
it written on a card.

--
Donald R. Newcomb
DRNewcomb (at) attglobal (dot) net