We have all heard that Cash is King in Japan, but does that still hold true in the 21st Century? Well yes and no. It is definitely the one form of payment that is accepted everywhere in Japan, but it is no longer the only preferred method of payment. So how do we pay for things in Japan now?
Cash
Alright, we have to start with the obvious. Cash is accepted everywhere, though there are situations where only smaller denominations are accepted or preferred. Buses and Vending machines are good examples of this.
Credit Cards
Credit Cards are offered by banks, gyms, department stores and even Ecommerce sites. All the major card brands are widely accepted in most places, though mom and pop shops, and smaller establishments may not accept them.
Debit Cards
These were not very common before but more banks offer debit card options these days. They are usually accepted where Credit Cards are.
Transportation IC Cards (Integrated Circuit Cards)
These are the stored value cards that are used on trains and buses. When these cards were first introduced, they could only be used on the issuing train company’s lines. Nowadays, they not only can be used on different train lines and buses, but even different cities. These stored value cards are now widely accepted and can also be used to buy things from vending machines, convenience stores, and even from small takeaway shops.
SUICA, PASMO and ICOCA are some IC Card examples.
Prepaid Cards
Similar to the IC Cards, there are other types of stored value cards; these tend to be issued by telecommunications carriers, domestic courier companies and even ecommerce platforms. Line pay and the Rakuten Edy Prepaid cards fall under this category.
Other types of Contactless payment systems
(E-money)
There are other system of E-money Contactless payment systems that are often connected to credit cards. QUICpay and iD are some examples. If you have an iPhone and try to set up Apple Pay, these are the logos that will appear. Plus and Cirrus are entirely different systems.
Barcode and QR Code Payment Systems
Recently, there have also been an increase in barcode payment systems. PayPay is one of the more commonly seen ones.
All the above options listed above are payment options for when we are out and about, but living here means that we will also receive bills in the mail...
Paying Bills
There are a number of ways to pay the monthly electricity and water bills, and paying by cash at the convenience store is really common. But if you prefer doing it from the comfort of your own home, there is the online banking option.
Online banking
You can tell if this option is available by looking to see if there is a Pay-easy logo on the bill.
Additional information
More information on Contactless payments and Apps can be found here
Photo credit: Business card photo created by jannoon028 – www.freepik.com