Last update: <11/95

Credit cards are not nearly as popular in Japan as they are in some
other developed countries. Most stores that handle large transactions
(like, say, electronics outlets) will accept credit cards, but don't
expect to pay for your lunch at the ramen joint with a credit
card. Note: personal checks are practically unheard of in Japan.

Nevertheless, credit cards are very convenient to have. Citibank
reportedly offers them to foreigners; there have not been any reports
about Japanese providers, but many credit card vendors in other
countries do limit/deny cards to foreigners, so it may also be the
case in Japan.

VISA is probably the most popular credit card. AmEx is also frequently
seen, and Diner's Club is more common in Japan than in, say,
US. Strangely, MasterCard is not seen often in Japan. A
similar-looking card called Million Card is not compatible with
MasterCard to the best of my knowledge.

User Contributions:

Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic:

Name:

E-mail:

Show my email publicly

Type the code shown:

Public Comment:  (50-4000 characters)

Archived related questions and answers