I want to have a Credit-card

Okay, I would like to have a credit card here in Japan.

How and where can I do that?

(p.s. I have a full-time job)

First stop would be your own bank, no doubt they offer a card. Expect to be knocked back first time, but try again, and again.

Credit cards have an issue where you can load them up, then disappear into the mist. For a foreigner, thats dead simple - leave Japan, and being a flight-risk means banks will be wary of giving you a card. Its a fair point, how much money would you loan to a foreigner stranger?

The longer you have been here, the longer you have work, being married, having children, owning your home rather than renting will all be factors that work for you, and its all questions asked on the application form.

One of the easiest ways to get a card is from a department store, who are more than happy to give it to you. The features and benefits are not as good as a bank-based card would be, but they generally offer 2 months no-interest, no fees (barring a yearly ~1000yen fee), and it has all the "features" a normal visa card would, meaning you can use it online, in stores, etc. I'm sure if you ask nicely they might even do cash advance.

Funny story - when I opened a Citibank account here in Japan I was offered a visa card, but refused because I wanted a debit card, and was told that I could not get a debit card (which to me is low-risk for them) until I had held an account for 6months. After 6 months my own credit card from Australia had expired, so I figured I would get a Citibank card, and they refused several times over the following year. Wonderful eh?

It can be hard for a foreigner to get one if you're not on a permanent resident visa. Not impossible...just hard. Saison has a good reputation for giving cards to foreigners. I got a Visa through OMC while I was still on a spouse visa.

I once applied for an American Express...and received a refusal letter in English. An American turned down by American Express.

You may find it easier for your wife to get a card and get a second card in your name. Yes, even if you make more money than she does.

Mike Cash said:

You may find it easier for your wife to get a card and get a second card in your name. Yes, even if you make more money than she does.

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Even if you make far more than the average Japanese salary and your wife makes a big freakin' donut every year.

I'll respond more in depth later, but I personally have two credit cards, and I have never been rejected for a credit card or any other kind of loan (that I have applied for) to date.

I had no problem in getting mine either; and did it on my own. I kind of suspect that prior financial history had helped...maybe? Being employed by an institution like a university may have helped too? I just don't know.

I'd be more than happy to help you get a card, Dutch Baka san, and it would only cost, say, 2% of outstanding balances averaged over the year? hee, hee, heee.....

And, if I may here, nice to hear your opinion on the matter there Gaijin Punch.

Well, on that note, I got turned down for cards when I returned to America after 7 years. It's a well known fact people w/ no credit history for 7 years are Al Qaeda sponsored.

I've heard of that happening, too. Apparently in America if you don't maintain a credit history, you get thrown to the bottom of the credit barrel.

I think that the fact that I had a bank account for at least 3 years here in Aichi prior to applying for my card helped my cause, although it is true that it was a store card for an electronics store. They probably weren't as strict as an actual bank, as mentioned before.

I actually wasn't originally intending to apply for the credit card, but rather just a loan to buy a new wall unit air conditioner. The saleman asked me if I wanted to apply for a credit card on the same application; I thought about it and decided it might be nice to have one, so I said yes.

I got both the loan and the card without any hitches. Like Mars Man, I applied completely on my own. I am not (nor was I) married, and I was here on a regular 3 year working visa. At the time it had two years left before it expired.

I, too, would recommend getting your first credit card through a store.

I've heard of that happening, too. Apparently in America if you don't maintain a credit history, you get thrown to the bottom of the credit barrel.

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Yep. After 9-11, no credit is way worse than bad credit. I was able to get 2 credit cards though. An Amex through my alumni institution (I just happened to be home one weekend when it came) and a cheesy visa w/ a $2000 limit after putting 2 years salary into a checking account for a few months.

Tried many times to get a JAL USD card for JAL miles, and was always turned down.

Wow, some good information here thanks you guys.

I am first going to try it together with my wife, because that would be the most easiest way (after I talked to the lady, of course)

Got my Japan Post Office Visa card eleven years ago when still on a teachers' visa - guarantor was my then fiancee's father, which probably helped!

Joint Saison United Airlines Gold Cards with my wife about ten years ago. Excellent service - in English if you ask, excellent air miles - off to the UK on free tickets this July. Lufthansa have a Japanese credit card now too - one of my businessman students uses it all the time - he travels overseas every month.

Try your car dealership. When I bought my Jeep from Honda back in 1997 they gave me a Honda UC Card no probs - I use that card with my ETC system. And when I bought my wife a new Toyota two years ago they also wanted to give me a card - but there didn't seem much point.

Oh yeah - I also have an Eiden MasterCard.

As Mike says, PR visa helps. Though I got all my credit cards, business loans, house mortgage, three car loans etc. whilst still on a spouse visa - every application WITH my wife though.

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Nobody seems to have mentioned Citibank Japan.

I was offerered a card as soon as I opened my account. It counts as a Japanese card, even if Citibank is a multinational company.

BTW I still haven't accepted the offer, but I will soon. The main problem I find not having a Japanese card is with American internet transaction companies, which even a lot of British internet sites use. When I try to purchase something online, the company looks at my UK card, notices that I'm not in the UK and rejects the transaction straight away

Other than those mentioned above, which other credit cards in Japan give you miles with one of the world alliances?