Took a really long time (x2)
I finally got round to applying for the classic Amazon Mastercard last month. This gives you 1.5% points on Amazon spend (2% if you are a Prime member, and if you use Amazon you probably should be a Prime member, especially with the forthcoming shipping price increases), and no annual fee (the fee is waived as long as you use the card once a year). You also get 5,000 points as a sign-up bonus (1 point is worth 1 yen to spend on Amazon.co.jp).
They also have a gold card, but this doesn’t really seem worth it unless you buy huge amounts on Amazon (it gives you an extra 0.5% points on spend, so to recoup the 10,800 yen annual fee you would have to spend more than two million yen a year on Amazon, and that’s quite a bit more than I spend). You also get access to business lounges at airports, but I already have that from another card.
One thing that surprised me is that the sign-up process took forever, and was kind of annoying. I think it took about a month for me to receive the card, and that is despite me already having a credit card with the issuing bank (Sumitomo Mitsui).
The card finally arrived a couple of days ago, and they have given me a 1.3m yen limit for some reason. Might ask them to reduce that, as I have no intention of using it other than on Amazon.
The last thing is that both Amazon cards (the classic and the gold) are Mastercards, so I presume you can use them at Costco (if you are one of the people caught out by Costco’s change from Amex to Mastercard this year).
Anyone else have an Amazon card? How are you finding it?
Do credit applications in Japan appear on your US credit reports? I’d think not, but just want to confirm.
I’m pretty sure credit scores don’t travel, which is why it is so hard to get one on arrival in Japan, and why it’s a good idea to try and maintain one in your ‘home’ country if there is any chance of you returning there.
Is this an ‘easy’ card for foreigners to get like what people say about the Rakuten card? I’ve been refused the Docomo card already after an hour in store with a clerk who assured me it was very likely that I would be approved. I need a credit card but don’t want to go through the pain unless I’m sure to get it. I think the reason I got refused the last one is because of two things – A) I don’t have PR (I’m on 1 year visas that I rennew myself) and B) I work 5 teaching jobs on 1-year contracts (3 of them are unis). I make over 6 million a year but this doesn’t seem to matter as I think I’m being penalised for not having a more permanent visa status or job contracts *sigh*
Didn’t feel particularly easy! Application isn’t particularly painful though 🙂
Applied for it almost as soon as I arrived in Japan as I had some major things to buy.
For comparison I got an Amazon MC in the UK a year or so ago (application took 5mins, ready to use instantly even before the physical card arrived) and pretty disappointed how long this is taking.. been holding off on my purchases until it arrives but if it will take another couple of weeks.. maybe not.
Took about six weeks for me, and I have a card with the issuer! Most cards I have applied for in Japan were approved in a week or so, not sure why this one is so different.
Well by the looks of it I’ve been either relatively lucky or have a different profile…
My application as far as I remember took 2 weeks before they asked me for additional documents, and another 2 weeks for final acceptance. This was my very first card in Japan, and I made the application roughly 9 months after living here.
However my limit was very low (100k/month, increased to 300k after 6 months of owning the card).
Does that mean i cant use my amex at costco anymore?
Indeed 🙁
I renewed my membership at Costco recently, and the terms of service now state that any credit card is accepted (although maybe not Amex – I didn’t read the T&C closely because I was so thrilled that I could use my VISA card). I did and it worked.
Interesting. That is a big change. I wonder when it happened?
Lets swap the limits, I have 700k and I regularly run into it and they have refused already once to raise it 🙁
I don’t know how they calculate that, my other UC card has 2M limit but I really don’t want to use since the amazon points are really nice. Maybe I need to upgrade to the gold card, every month I get like 4k+ points on my account.
Also the great thing with the card is that when you buy at Amazon, the points get to your account in just a few days. Any non-amazon purchases get deposited once per month automatically. No more fumbling around CC provider websites to get vouchers or other stupid stuff, straight points to my Amazon account tyvm.
Hi, I was able to get this card after about a month by supplementing some documents and a phone call to verify my address. Any idea if this card can be used overseas like US?
Hi! I also got the same card. I tried using it outside Japan and it requires password (in-store shopping). Would you know where we can see that? I tried looking through the papers but cannot find it. 😫
You mean the PIN code? You set it up when you applied for the card. Regardless, there’s a process to change your pin code.
For internet shopping, you’ll have to go and set up the SMBC vpass, this’ll enable you to do all the stuff with the card like use it to pay for utilities, check you usage, etc…
https://www.smbc-card.com/mem/index.jsp
The password you use to login that site (after you’ve made your user account and linked your card to it) is the password that some websites ask when you try to buy from them
I want credit card
Hi! Do you know if its possible to get the card even if not living in Japan?
I highly doubt it 🙂
Hi,
My wife and I will be moving to Japan in December. My wife is Japanese, but neither of us will have jobs right away. Do you know if it is possible to get approved for an Amazon credit card without having any employment?
Thanks,
Richard
I just finished my web application. Really hope it doesnt take as long as everyone says it will! Gotta a lot of things in the wish list that need buying 😛
Anyway, was wondering which class of lounges can be used with this card? Is this a loungkey/ priority pass/ something else that I’m unaware of?
Also where did you find this information? My japanese is not really there yet, so I probably didn’t understand even if it was mentioned somewhere in the application.
Thanks,
Vivek
The gold card seems to give airport lounge access, but only to the commercial ones (not the airline lounges airside).