NISA Rakuten Application

[beanhead]

I am also going through this. Twice rejected now because my ID was not 'acceptable'. I understood from the email that they needed an ID with katakana on it, so I uploaded my insurance card. Still rejected. They sent the automated message again saying that my ID and account name did not match...
I tried using the online chat with them but they can't help with problem applications. I called them, had to wait for 20 minutes but eventually reached a human.
My issue was because I had not put katakana in the 2nd name section on the original application. Which is fine, and if they had just said that instead of sending me to the photo upload page, it would have been helpful. They could also set this field to create an error if not filled out 'properly'...in an ideal world...

The lady at the call center then told me that for them to reject the 3rd attempt I had made at the ID upload, I would have to wait a few more days. Since she knew that it would come back as the dreaded 不備 , I asked her to expedite that process. She then said that it would be quicker to cancel the whole application and start again than wait for the investigation (審査) team to get back to me. So I am now waiting for some other team to cancel my whole application so that I can start again.

Hopefully I will be set up next week. The IDECO application was much smoother than this creation of the Rakuten Securities account. It seems clear that these guys are crazy busy, though, so Mrs Watanabe may be moving money from the post office to NISA?

[Kanto]

I am also going through this. Twice rejected now because my ID was not 'acceptable'. I understood from the email that they needed an ID with katakana on it, so I uploaded my insurance card. Still rejected. They sent the automated message again saying that my ID and account name did not match...
I tried using the online chat with them but they can't help with problem applications. I called them, had to wait for 20 minutes but eventually reached a human.
My issue was because I had not put katakana in the 2nd name section on the original application. Which is fine, and if they had just said that instead of sending me to the photo upload page, it would have been helpful. They could also set this field to create an error if not filled out 'properly'...in an ideal world...

The lady at the call center then told me that for them to reject the 3rd attempt I had made at the ID upload, I would have to wait a few more days. Since she knew that it would come back as the dreaded 不備 , I asked her to expedite that process. She then said that it would be quicker to cancel the whole application and start again than wait for the investigation (審査) team to get back to me. So I am now waiting for some other team to cancel my whole application so that I can start again.

Hopefully I will be set up next week. The IDECO application was much smoother than this creation of the Rakuten Securities account. It seems clear that these guys are crazy busy, though, so Mrs Watanabe may be moving money from the post office to NISA?

Most brokers require foreign customers to fill out the paper version of the application and not the online version.

Monex states this explicitly, I believe Rakuten does too?

The reason for this is that middle names often cause issues. When the paper form arrives you will need to add your middle name by hand, cross out any errors and inkan the changes. (If the form is auto-filled).

As far as ID goes I believe I used my Driver's license, residence card, and mynumber notification card.

Nowadays if you have a full mynumer card applications are a snap.

[beanhead]

Thanks for that. I don't remember seeing that the paper application is necessary with Rakuten. It could be there of course. I can read Japanese but I don't always read the small print.
MyNumber - I work in IT and have no faith at all that the Japanese government is capable of securely managing a centralized database of sensitive information. Hence have always avoided getting the card and linking my whole life to it. But it seems more and more useful / necessary for a bunch of paperwork at the local government office...

[dangocurry]

I am also going through this. Twice rejected now because my ID was not 'acceptable'. I understood from the email that they needed an ID with katakana on it, so I uploaded my insurance card. Still rejected. They sent the automated message again saying that my ID and account name did not match...
I tried using the online chat with them but they can't help with problem applications. I called them, had to wait for 20 minutes but eventually reached a human.
My issue was because I had not put katakana in the 2nd name section on the original application. Which is fine, and if they had just said that instead of sending me to the photo upload page, it would have been helpful. They could also set this field to create an error if not filled out 'properly'...in an ideal world...

The lady at the call center then told me that for them to reject the 3rd attempt I had made at the ID upload, I would have to wait a few more days. Since she knew that it would come back as the dreaded 不備 , I asked her to expedite that process. She then said that it would be quicker to cancel the whole application and start again than wait for the investigation (審査) team to get back to me. So I am now waiting for some other team to cancel my whole application so that I can start again.

Hopefully I will be set up next week. The IDECO application was much smoother than this creation of the Rakuten Securities account. It seems clear that these guys are crazy busy, though, so Mrs Watanabe may be moving money from the post office to NISA?

Today, I filled the application online and provided my residence card as proof. As for me, since I already had rakuten credit card and I had faced the name issue with it(which got solved after a call), this time the form was able to fetch my correct name(in eng) as I was filling it. So, filled the rest of things(filling the address in kana was a big pain as it had a limit of characters ) and submitted it for review. Will update as I get information.

[RetireJapan]

MyNumber - I work in IT and have no faith at all that the Japanese government is capable of securely managing a centralized database of sensitive information. Hence have always avoided getting the card and linking my whole life to it. But it seems more and more useful / necessary for a bunch of paperwork at the local government office...

I've avoided the plastic My Number card so far and don't provide the info unless I really really have to, but now that they are going to integrate health insurance cards and driving licenses with it not sure it's worth being stubborn any more.

Wait and see I guess

[dangocurry]

MyNumber - I work in IT and have no faith at all that the Japanese government is capable of securely managing a centralized database of sensitive information. Hence have always avoided getting the card and linking my whole life to it. But it seems more and more useful / necessary for a bunch of paperwork at the local government office...

I avoided it myself for almost 2 years I have been here, but got it done recently. There's no confirming if the data is safe or not, but they already have all info about you!

on a side note - It took 8 days to from application for Rakuten account and NISA to getting mail, saying my application has been accepted. Looks like I got lucky!

[beanhead]

on a side note - It took 8 days to from application for Rakuten account and NISA to getting mail, saying my application has been accepted. Looks like I got lucky!

My account was just opened as well. Also quite fast, once I got over the katakana requirement for my name.
Paper application was not needed. All done online with a PC and iPhone. Now, to move some money into it...
I suppose I should set up a Rakuten bank account as well, as it seems there are a few benefits to linking things. (Sony Bank is my Internet-only bank.)

[dangocurry]

on a side note - It took 8 days to from application for Rakuten account and NISA to getting mail, saying my application has been accepted. Looks like I got lucky!

My account was just opened as well. Also quite fast, once I got over the katakana requirement for my name.
Paper application was not needed. All done online with a PC and iPhone. Now, to move some money into it...
I suppose I should set up a Rakuten bank account as well, as it seems there are a few benefits to linking things. (Sony Bank is my Internet-only bank.)

Yes, been thinking the same to open a bank account with Rakuten.

[beanhead]

I am not quite sure of the benefits of the Rakuten Bank-Rakuten Securities integration. Is there a huge advantage?

I just made a 'trial' purchase in my regular NISA from my regular bank account (SMBC). There were no fees and the payment process was really simple.

[beanhead]

The katakana name issue does not just apply to foreigners...

My kids have my surname, so katakana I think on their post office account names. We applied for Junior NISA with Rakuten and they were rejected due to an issue with the applications... the irony that gaijin Dad's application was set up relatively smoothly but the children, who have Japanese nationality, were rejected!
2nd irony was that their app was completed 100% by their mother, who reads Japanese fluently as a native speaker! And I just stumbled through mine with a pretty vague idea that I knew what the hieroglyphics on the website meant

Onwards and upwards



2 NISAs completed, 1 Ideco (mine is still in the machine), junior NISAs in the works and UK pension is the next on the list...