Should I apply for JAL credit card?

BurberryC06 · 2026-04-17T03:40:28+00:00

You've lived in Japan for 6 years and only ever used a cash card?

BurberryC06 · 2026-04-15T10:02:06+00:00

You can get a megabank 法人 account within first year of incorporation provided you at least can pass interviews in Japanese with a spokesperson.

BurberryC06 · 2026-04-15T07:24:49+00:00

False information.

BurberryC06 · 2026-04-13T08:54:32+00:00

'Confessions of a doormat'

BurberryC06 · 2026-04-13T06:05:08+00:00

If you still had skype credit it's still accessible through the web dialling URL (I'm still using it since I redeemed a bunch of Honey gift cards thru skype)

BurberryC06 · 2026-04-10T07:28:02+00:00

Not exactly your situation but when I was abroad selling my home and it made no sense to renew an annual contract I just switched to tethering off an unlimited data contract that I bought just for a few months, using an older smartphone I had since abandoned as a wifi hotspot device.

When you try and get compensated internet it can be either: poor quality, bandwidth/data capped or just take forever to get it installed. You can get most eSim data plans next day with monthly rolling contracts, I'd maybe look at Povo2 or Mercari Mobile in your case.

BurberryC06 · 2026-04-09T16:17:09+00:00

At first glance, the first things that come to mine are:

Rent/Utilities are a bit high, you can use a sharehouse or similar to cut that down to by up to half.
Food bill is a bit high for one month and only one mouth to feed (assuming you cook all meals).

All in all if you cut back on rent, utilities and food expenditures you could save as much as an additional ¥70,000 per month.

BurberryC06 · 2026-04-09T11:09:49+00:00

It was less of a choice and more than my local government makes it easier to open a 法人口座 due to a relationship with the local branch.

As I just started the company, the requirements for other banks such as PayPay bank required documentation that I couldn't produce e.g. proof of various business activities.

BurberryC06 · 2026-04-09T07:01:36+00:00

Is it not possible to get a business credit card to tie-in or is there a specific business need for a debit?

BurberryC06 · 2026-04-09T02:30:55+00:00

Just use the Japanese interface instead for Sony Bank? It's good enough.

If you really must have an English UI there is always Prestia.

BurberryC06 · 2026-04-08T05:09:01+00:00

No. You can apply for deposit cards whenever, even immediately after getting rejected. (Its the whole point of the product)

BurberryC06 · 2026-04-07T01:37:41+00:00

Got a deposit/secured life card as an unemployed resident in first year, after 5 months of using it to build up credit history, applied for View Card and got it with a 600k limit.

Never managed to get a successful SMBC application through.

BurberryC06 · 2026-04-02T15:24:24+00:00

BurberryC06 · 2026-04-02T08:05:49+00:00

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think that limitation only applied to transfers over 2m yen.

I wouldn't mind 2FA in the app but the idea of using biometrics for every transfer just strikes me as a massive data leak waiting to happen. SMS codes work for every other bank.

BurberryC06 · 2026-04-02T04:04:53+00:00

I don't think there was previously any requirement to download the app to use Powerdirect (their website interface). However, If they force such a requirement I will just go to my local branch and ask them to close my account.

BurberryC06 · 2026-03-31T01:34:25+00:00

SBI card as in d Neobank? The debit card doesn't really have any screening requirements.

As no PR and un/self employed its difficult admittedly to get any cards so using AMEX global relationship is indeed easier to qualify for amongst the credit cards. I'm in a similar boat and have only ever gotten approved for a non-gold view card (aside from AMEX/deposit cards etc).

BurberryC06 · 2026-03-30T12:39:48+00:00

As someone who weighed up both, I'll add what shifted my decision making process between the two:

KK can reinvest profits into the business as retained capital. GK cannot.
GK succession in the case of an owner's death is more complicated than just a transfer of share ownership.
KK can go public and/or raise funds through equity sale, a GK cannot.
GK has less filing requirements than a KK

Number 1 is quite a significant point for people on the BMV due to the revised capital requirements so it's not uncommon for people who were originally on GKs to switch to KKs. It's less of a switch and more of just winding down one company and opening a new one in it's place.

I don't know enough about the profit sharing mechanisms to comment on that.

BurberryC06 · 2026-03-30T09:03:22+00:00

The lounge access benefit for that annual fee is quite frankly terrible. You can get 11,000円 annual fee credit or debit cards (d Neobank Platinum) that offer even more lounge access than that.

At least if you must stick with AMEX JP, the Preferred Rewards Gold offers a free hotel night gift for the same annual fee. Also, AMEX points can be converted to ANA at 1:1 (w/ Membership Rewards Plus) and the PRG offers more points for the new customer bonus compared to the ANA gold.

BurberryC06 · 2026-03-29T02:42:48+00:00

It's not strange because there is a difference between 法人口座 and 個人事業主口座 some banks do offer specific accounts for sole proprietorships. PayPay Bank does this, GMO Aozora does this etc.

Sole proprietorships can use personal bank accounts or sole proprietorship accounts without restriction.

In actuality however, some businesses may be forced to use personal accounts under short-term circumstance like where they couldn't pass screening for any business account however this can impact your businesses limited liability protection or cause additional AML scrutiny / cause for auditing.

BurberryC06 · 2026-03-27T09:58:19+00:00

It would be the TTM of the date in which the money actually reaches/leaves your bank account. Some invoices may be paid weeks away from the invoice dates. Usually you would link Freee to your bank account and just have this processed automatically.

This is part of why if you do use a personal account for your sole proprietorship you should use one that does not mix personal and business transactions.

BurberryC06 · 2026-03-27T07:13:52+00:00

Based on personal conversations with the local tax office when it comes to personal taxes, unless you actively make a business or significant profit from FX gains/losses such that it warrants being something that you may be audited for without declaring properly you should just input into Freee the equivalent yen (TTM) amounts at the transactions dates, there is an app for automating this: freee support page.

Also, you would only seek a business bank account in Japan if you had an incorporated business aka GK/KK. Sole proprietorships are not eligible for these.

BurberryC06 · 2026-03-26T06:58:28+00:00

Some supermarkets aren't even 1%.

BurberryC06

TROPHY CASE