Foreign Credit Cards and Travellers Cheques

[Ben W Bell]

Okay. How easy would it be for me to use a foreign credit card in a hotel in Osaka? Are they likely to be able to accept it?

Also I'm thinking of bring some Traveller's Cheques along with me, but an unsure whether to bring ones in British pounds (thereby retaining their value if I need to cash them back in if not spent) or Japanese Yen. Anyone have any experience with using Traveller's Cheques in Japan?

 

[Ben W Bell]

In addition. I've read it's relatively easy to use foreign credit and debit cards at the international ATMs found in post offices. Is this correct?

 

[Alma]

i would say it is better to go with travelers checks... i had problems with credit card, because ATMs i found didn't accept maestro card... and when i finally found bank with ATM that does, my card was rejected... even it works now here, back at home.

sorry, hope others will have more positive answers for you

 

[mr.sumo.snr]

VISA is the most commonly accepted international card - but if you PM me with the hotel name I'll look it up and check that they accept it.

That said, you'll need some cash too - for eating, sometimes shopping, entertainment etc. Bring YEN checks, don't bring more than you think you'll spend (don't worry - NOT a problem in this 'taxi meter' country).

If push comes to shove you can take out money from a Japanese post office cash machine with a VISA card - I've seen it. It was my father's HSBC VISA card (don't remember if it was a bank card or a credit card though)

But anyway, send me that PM with the hotel.

 

[ArmandV]

To be honest, I wouldn't bother with either travelers' checks or credit cards. Japan is mainly a cash country. I only used my VISA card once there.

 

[Alma]

To be honest, I wouldn't bother with either travelers' checks or credit cards. Japan is mainly a cash country. I only used my VISA card once there.

but if he is carrying a lot of money (maybe for longer trip, or to buy something bigger), travelers checks would be better then bunch of cash.

 

[nasdaq100]

To be honest, I wouldn't bother with either travelers' checks or credit cards. Japan is mainly a cash country.

Oh ... In this case,Japan is same as nearby East Asian cultures typically engage in cash transactions.

 

[MeAndroo]

I took USD traveler's checks and cashed them in at a bank. They converted them to yen for me, and it kept me going until I could find an ATM that took my ATM card. I suppose I got lucky that my home station was adjacent to a bank that happened to do so.

 

[japantvhost]

VISA should be fine. Have had no problems using it here.

 

[mr.sumo.snr]

The hotel where the OP is staying is right next to Shin-Osaka station, is a Western-style establishment and considering his arrival schedule a credit card payment made sense.
Payment habits are gradually changing in Japan. I now pay my monthly electricity, telephone, mobile telephone, ISP, water, gym and several other bills from my credit card - no surcharges. My automatic highway toll payment system is linked to my credit card and I often make small purchases (under 5000 yen) at Yahoo Auctions using the site's credit card payment system (some surcharges apply). Shinseibank and its five free furikomi payments a month cover everything else. (The transfer fee is free - I haven't convinced them to give me free money yet!)
Gasoline and daily shopping are still cash only. The former because there's always a surcharge when paying by credit card and the latter because stores can't seem to decide which cards they will or won't accept.
I think my payment habits are more or less the same as they would be were I living in the UK - except there of course I wouldn't dream of walking around with 2000 pounds cash in my wallet!
My Japanese friend, who is just as fanatical an airmile collector as I am, basically lives his life via credit card - he even buys his bento everyday from Lawson so he can use his credit card. Welcome to the late 20th Century - Japan!
--

 

[Chris K]

I paid for my hotel with a British credit card, no problems. Used my debit card at ATMs in banks again without probs (till i got my bloody PIN mixed up). Changing UKSterlling to yen though is a real pain. Most banks wont do it. Only place that did was at the airport and I think 'Tokyo bank'.

 

[Amos]

Does your hotel have a website? If so look them up and they'll probably tell you whether they accept. In my experience, if you are in a city then it's more a case of 'do they accept credit cards at all' rather than 'do they accept foreign ones'.

On traveller's cheques. I took some the first time and never used them as didn't run out of cash. On a side note, my travel companion also took traveller's cheques, ran out of cash, couldn't be bothered cash a cheque so loaned some cash off me!! Not sure how easy it is to cash them in, he got fed up trying to find a bank.

On the second trip I just took cash. Now I know that there are some who will quite responsibly point out that this is a big risk. If it were anyother country then I would agree. However, I felt perfectly safe taking this approach in Japan, but then I am very security conscious (some might even say a little paranoid! lol) . You will have to decide whether you want to take the same risk. If your hotel has a safe/safety deposit box system for instance, it lowers the risk of only having cash. It also depends on where/how you are travelling and what sort of accommodation you are staying in.

 

[ArmandV]

On the second trip I just took cash. Now I know that there are some who will quite responsibly point out that this is a big risk. If it were anyother country then I would agree. However, I felt perfectly safe taking this approach in Japan, but then I am very security conscious (some might even say a little paranoid! lol) . You will have to decide whether you want to take the same risk. If your hotel has a safe/safety deposit box system for instance, it lowers the risk of only having cash. It also depends on where/how you are travelling and what sort of accommodation you are staying in.

I've been to Japan four times and I used cash on all visits. I felt perfectly safe carrying cash. But if you have the heebie-geebies about carrying cash, you may want to invest in a money belt.

 

[Damicci]

You can use CC there some places take them and some don't but you may be charged a currency exchange fee by your bank.

 

[Amos]

I've been to Japan four times and I used cash on all visits. I felt perfectly safe carrying cash. But if you have the heebie-geebies about carrying cash, you may want to invest in a money belt.

Good point. I took a security wallet belt thing with the bulk in that and enough for the day in my pockets

 

[Ben W Bell]

Hi all. I survived and returned. The hotel I stayed at took my Visa card, but not my Mastercard, and the shinkansen automated machines took my Visa no problems. For the rest of the trip I just used cash (I was a bit too eager and brought a third of my cash back with me). So I never had any issues or tried to use CCs again for the rest of my trip as I didn't need to. But thanks for everyone's help.

 

[tigermilk]

When I go now, I always carry travelers checks and credit cards. I convert the checks to yen at the airport, which has better rates than hotels (and better for the checks instead of cash). The majority of the time I just use my credit card, however. I use it for hotels, restaurants, and shopping. While it is a cash based society, restaurants don't seem to have any trouble taking my credit card. Heck, sometimes when I'm there with my coworkers we'll go out to dinner, have them split out the check at the cashier, and many will pay their share with credit card with no complaint from the cashier (same can't be said for the US).

The only thing I hate about cash is all those 100 and 500 yen pieces floating around in my pocket. Don't want to lose too many of those 500 yen guys.