- PayPay Card — what it means
- The PayPay Card is the only permanently fee-free card that can top up PayPay directly from a credit card, and it gives up to 2.5% back when used together with the app (as of 2022).
Here is the answer to that question.
Right now I am traveling around Japan as a couple, using the lodging subscription ADDress. Below are the credit cards I went out of my way to issue after the trip had already started.
Note: this article is a first-hand account from the trip around Japan in 2022 and 2023.
On a trip around Japan you want as little luggage as possible, so this is a curated pick of just two cards, based on actually using them.
Let’s get into it.
The two most useful credit cards for a trip around Japan
Note: this is information as of 2022. Check each official site for current perks and conditions.
On a trip around Japan, carrying as little cash as possible is both safer and more convenient. You need not worry about cash being stolen in a place with loose security, and you never have to stop at an ATM. Living cashless is close to mandatory for a trip around Japan.
On top of that, you earn points on everything you put on the card — enough, by the end of a lap of Japan, to cover dinner at a good restaurant on points alone.
Here are the two cards I went out of my way to issue partway through the trip. Carrying too many cards just gets in the way, so one to three is about right. These two are the ones I carry on the road in Japan.
- The PayPay Card
- The EPOS Card
I will take them in order.
The PayPay Card
The one you absolutely should issue is the PayPay Card.
The reason is that it makes PayPay cheaper and easier to use. Your PayPay reward rate goes up, and topping up PayPay is done entirely in the app. The card is numberless, so security is covered too.
Honestly, it is barely an exaggeration to call the PayPay Card a card for using PayPay. PayPay is indispensable on a trip around Japan, which is why the card is here alongside it.
What you get from issuing the PayPay Card
- A higher reward rate (up to 2.5%)
- PayPay becomes easier to use (the PayPay Card is the only card that can top up PayPay directly)
- Campaign points on sign-up
- Permanently free, with a 2.5% reward rate — genuinely absurd
(2026 update: the PayPay Card referral program I was using at the time has ended, so the link has been removed. Check the official PayPay Card site for current application steps and perks.)
Why PayPay is indispensable on a trip around Japan
Everyone knows PayPay by now, but are you actually using it? Before the trip around Japan I never quite got the hang of it and did not use it. (Is the top-up process not confusing?)
Here is what changed my mind, based on the trip.
PayPay upside 1: the sheer number of shops that take it
Once the trip was under way, everywhere from the Niigata countryside to a soba shop deep in the Nagano mountains took PayPay. They would not take a credit card, but PayPay, yes.
I was aiming to go fully cashless, and how widely PayPay had spread astonished me. That is the main reason I adopted it.
PayPay upside 2: sending money is trivially easy
Splitting a bill with friends is very easy. “I have no small change on me” stops being a situation, so I recommend using PayPay together with your friends.
PayPay upside 3: it pays utility and tax bills
You can pay a payment slip in the app, which makes residence tax and the like easy. Even without the slip in hand, someone can photograph it and send it to you, and you can pay — one travel headache solved.
PayPay upside 4: a strong reward rate
Among free credit cards, the Rakuten Card and its 1% has felt like the strongest option for years, but PayPay reaches up to 2.5% when the card and the app are used together.
PayPay upside 5: reward campaigns make it better still
Depending on the timing, sign-up can be worth 7,000 to 8,000 points. Check what campaign is running before you apply.
The EPOS Card
Here is what the EPOS Card gives you simply for holding it. I do not actually pay with my EPOS Card, but I use the perks constantly.
EPOS Card upside 1: ADDress costs less
For the details, see the article on how to use ADDress for ¥30,000 less.
EPOS Card upside 2: hot springs cost less
This one is surprisingly little known, and it is the perk I use most. It discounts the hot springs at APA Hotels and the larger bathing facilities around the country.
EPOS Card upside 3: no sign-up fee, no annual fee, ever — and a free ETC card
PayPay and Rakuten charge for an ETC card (the transponder card for Japan’s electronic toll collection on expressways), so getting one free is a nice touch.
EPOS Card upside 4: QUICPay
QUICPay, a Japanese contactless payment scheme, can be registered with Apple Pay, so set it up for cashless payment. You do come across places that do not take PayPay but do take QUICPay.
EPOS Card upside 5: 2,000 EPOS points for new members
Right now sign-up earns 2,000 points. The EPOS reward rate is not great, so I do not use it for everyday spending. Once you have the initial points, turn them into a Starbucks card or similar.
EPOS Card upside 6: same-day issue at the fastest
Same-day issue means it ships almost as soon as you order it. Apply early so you can use the ADDress discount.
EPOS Card upside 7: overseas travel accident insurance included automatically
This is the EPOS Card perk with real force. You would normally take out insurance for a trip abroad, but for up to three months this is enough. Some people say “card insurance alone makes me nervous”, but I think that is just the insurance industry stoking it.
Taking out separate overseas insurance gets you free hospital treatment and reimbursement for lost items, but do you need cover that thorough? That is my honest view. In other words, the insurance on the card covers the minimum on its own.
On a trip around Japan, watch out for losing your card
On a trip around Japan, be careful not to lose your credit card. “You should be careful anyway” is true, but on a trip it takes time to go back and look, and it is harder to work out where you lost it.
Here is how I avoid losing mine.
The credit card lives at the bottom of the bag
As a rule I do not use the credit card at all; I pay with PayPay. So I never take the card out, which makes losing it or having it stolen far less likely.
Install the app and check your activity
I barely use my EPOS Card, so any fraudulent charge would stand out immediately. Credit cards carry insurance against theft and loss as standard, so I keep myself able to report anything unauthorized straight away.
When should you issue the cards for a trip around Japan?
Apply at least two weeks before you leave, and issue while a campaign is running.
The reason is that with some cards, “it arrived too late for the departure date” is a real possibility. Going back for a card after you have set off is a nuisance, so get it done first.
The PayPay Card sign-up gives a big pile of points, and the EPOS Card gives 2,000
If you are issuing a card, do it when the points on offer are highest. Mine was worth 7,000 points when I issued the PayPay Card, so do not miss the current campaign. Incidentally, I bought earphones with the PayPay points.
In short: apply during a campaign, and at least two weeks before you set off around Japan. A campaign happens to be running now, so it is worth getting it done quickly.
In summary: the credit cards I recommend for a trip around Japan
This article picked out the two most useful credit cards for a trip around Japan.
- The PayPay Card
- The EPOS Card
PayPay, with the strongest rewards and acceptance almost everywhere; and the PayPay Card, which makes it easier to use and pushes the reward rate higher.
And the EPOS Card, which honestly pays for itself just by being in your wallet — automatic insurance, hot spring discounts, the ADDress discount.
Issue both before you set off. Thanks to PayPay, a fully cashless Japan is finally coming into view. Even if you are not heading off around the country, it is a genuinely easy service to use, so set up PayPay and the PayPay Card.
And if you are about to start using ADDress, the EPOS Card saves you a great deal. Rather than putting it off, why not issue the PayPay Card and the EPOS Card now?
See you in the next one.
FAQ
How many credit cards should I take on a trip around Japan?
Carrying too many just gets in the way, so one to three is about right. I carry the two I issued partway through the trip: the PayPay Card and the EPOS Card.
When should I issue a credit card for a trip around Japan?
Apply at least two weeks before you leave, and while a campaign is running. With some cards, delivery can be late enough to miss your departure date.
What perks does the EPOS Card have?
Discounts that make ADDress and hot springs cheaper, no sign-up fee and no annual fee ever (the ETC card is free too), QUICPay that can be registered with Apple Pay, and automatic overseas travel accident insurance. New members also receive 2,000 EPOS points.
How do I avoid losing a credit card on a trip around Japan?
Keep the credit card at the bottom of your bag and pay with PayPay day to day, so you rarely take it out. Also check your activity in the app so you can report any fraudulent charge immediately.
Why is PayPay so useful on a trip around Japan?
Many rural shops take PayPay even when they refuse credit cards, sending money to friends and splitting bills is easy, and utility and tax payment slips can be paid in the app. (Based on experience as of 2022.)
