JCB ToMe PASMO Card

[TokyoWart]

Anyone have any insights into the JCB ToMe PASMO credit card? I tried applying for one linked to their ANA collaboration so I could exchange my airline miles for PASMO credit to pay for my subway use but JCB rejected my application without any explanation (and calling was of no help). Does any have any experience getting this kind of ToME/PASMO - linked credit card?

[FIRE-Rookie]

Ah, that is BAU!

Before we get into the details of how I got accepted, I gotta tell you that 3000 yen auto-recharge PASMO credit DOES NOT contribute to your miles however every other credit expense will. (e.g. groceries)

It really will depend on how much you spend on monthly basis. I spend about 100K and I get 100 points for that so in a given year, I average about 1200 points which can cover a local flight or a flight to Korea at best

Here is how the points work.
https://www.ana.co.jp/en/jp/amc/referen ... e.html#a02

As for how I got it. JCB rejected me 2 times before my ex-GF called them and tried to investigate. Luckily for me, she has a strong character and didn't hesitate to raise the "racism card/ cuz he doesn't speak Japanese / is not Japanese" and magically it got accepted

If you want to do it for the convenience of PASMO then Suica can do that.
If you want to do it for the ANA miles then I think Rakuten also has a similar program with miles. (but no PASMO auto-recharge AFAIK)
If you want to do because the auto-recharge will contribute to miles, then do not do it. You can charge up to 30,000 yen in train expenses and it will add 0 points.

Good luck!

[Kanto]

If you are looking for the convenience of an auto charging IC card, along with a credit card and point card I would recommend the View Suica Card.

There are a few different variations. Very convenient.

https://www.jreast.co.jp/card/first/lumine.html

[TokyoWart]

Ah, that is BAU!

Before we get into the details of how I got accepted, I gotta tell you that 3000 yen auto-recharge PASMO credit DOES NOT contribute to your miles however every other credit expense will. (e.g. groceries)

It really will depend on how much you spend on monthly basis. I spend about 100K and I get 100 points for that so in a given year, I average about 1200 points which can cover a local flight or a flight to Korea at best

Here is how the points work.
https://www.ana.co.jp/en/jp/amc/referen ... e.html#a02

As for how I got it. JCB rejected me 2 times before my ex-GF called them and tried to investigate. Luckily for me, she has a strong character and didn't hesitate to raise the "racism card/ cuz he doesn't speak Japanese / is not Japanese" and magically it got accepted

If you want to do it for the convenience of PASMO then Suica can do that.
If you want to do it for the ANA miles then I think Rakuten also has a similar program with miles. (but no PASMO auto-recharge AFAIK)
If you want to do because the auto-recharge will contribute to miles, then do not do it. You can charge up to 30,000 yen in train expenses and it will add 0 points.

Good luck!

Thank you for the advice. I'm not worried about not accumulating miles with the card, just trying to have something that allows me to use my miles for my subway commute. Do you have any advice on a Suica card that can be linked to an ANA airline miles account so that miles help pay for the train ride?

In any case, I think I might follow your example and try applying again after a few months.

[TokyoWart]

If you are looking for the convenience of an auto charging IC card, along with a credit card and point card I would recommend the View Suica Card.

There are a few different variations. Very convenient.

https://www.jreast.co.jp/card/first/lumine.html

Thanks for the helpful link. I need to explore and see if any of these Suica card options can provide an outlet for my airline miles or perhaps link to Rakuten points or something. May I ask how you use the View Suica card (e.g. just for the Suica auto-recharge or for some other benefits)?

[Kanto]

If you are looking for the convenience of an auto charging IC card, along with a credit card and point card I would recommend the View Suica Card.

There are a few different variations. Very convenient.

https://www.jreast.co.jp/card/first/lumine.html

Thanks for the helpful link. I need to explore and see if any of these Suica card options can provide an outlet for my airline miles or perhaps link to Rakuten points or something. May I ask how you use the View Suica card (e.g. just for the Suica auto-recharge or for some other benefits)?

You may not be able to find one single card that provides all the benefits you are after.

......

My first card.
Rakuten Standard-> Rakuten GOLD

My second card.
Amazon Gold

......

My wives first card
Dept. Store card

my Wives Second card
JR View Card

..................

The main advantage of the Suica card is (1) Auto-recharging pass card (2) Point accumulation (3) Discounts at JR affiliate malls.

We just use the points to top-off our Suica. Making the point system easy to handle.

..................

The Amazon Gold card gives a small portion of cashback (1%) I believe? And rewards you amazon points, so we use that for most purchases. It also has a 20,000,000 limit, which makes it a bit handier.

The Rakuten Gold card has fallen out of favour, along with my wife's first card.

..................

We do not fly enough to make use of any of the JAL or ANA credit cards. We save more long term by using Rakuten, Amazon and JR point systems that we can spend on normal purchases.

[FIRE-Rookie]

Do you have any advice on a Suica card that can be linked to an ANA airline miles account so that miles help pay for the train ride?

To be honest no, I didn't come across something with that function yet. I guess most people use the train more than they take flights but you might have a special case where it help you accumulate more miles.
I will keep an eye but in case you found something that turns miles into train fares then keep us posted.

[kizuki]

Anyone have any insights into the JCB ToMe PASMO credit card? I tried applying for one linked to their ANA collaboration so I could exchange my airline miles for PASMO credit to pay for my subway use but JCB rejected my application without any explanation (and calling was of no help). Does any have any experience getting this kind of ToME/PASMO - linked credit card?

Yes, I have one and in fact recently upgraded to the gold version which was launched late last year. Interestingly I was also rejected the first time despite holding multiple other credit cards and ticking all other check boxes that a CC company might need to issue a card. I later realized that it might have been related to the online application form where I tried to squeeze in my middle name, which probably led to improper checks with the credit bureau resulting in rejection of application. I applied again after around 4 months and this time omitted the middle name (similar to how I have it on some other cards). I got accepted!

My personal review - Its a great card to have because (i) JCB - I find their service much better than most other card companies, including their online interface and app. (ii) Sufficient credit limit instead of the 100k-200k that some other conservative banks / CC companies provide. (iii) Auto-recharge of PASMO (including auto-recharge of PASMO on iPhone/Android) - Once you go auto-recharge, you will never go back. (iv) Points for PASMO charge (effectively 1-2% discount on your PASMO spend). (v) Tokyo Metro Points for riding Tokyo metro in addition to the usual points.

Drawbacks - (i) Internationally, some places may not accept JCB (I have seen around 1-2 out of 100, if not less), (ii) Points could have been better, especially since this is not a free card.

Contrary to what another poster mentioned, the auto-recharge amount does contribute to points. I have reconfirmed this by checking my statements.

[TokyoWart]

Anyone have any insights into the JCB ToMe PASMO credit card? I tried applying for one linked to their ANA collaboration so I could exchange my airline miles for PASMO credit to pay for my subway use but JCB rejected my application without any explanation (and calling was of no help). Does any have any experience getting this kind of ToME/PASMO - linked credit card?

Yes, I have one and in fact recently upgraded to the gold version which was launched late last year. Interestingly I was also rejected the first time despite holding multiple other credit cards and ticking all other check boxes that a CC company might need to issue a card. I later realized that it might have been related to the online application form where I tried to squeeze in my middle name, which probably led to improper checks with the credit bureau resulting in rejection of application. I applied again after around 4 months and this time omitted the middle name (similar to how I have it on some other cards). I got accepted!

My personal review - Its a great card to have because (i) JCB - I find their service much better than most other card companies, including their online interface and app. (ii) Sufficient credit limit instead of the 100k-200k that some other conservative banks / CC companies provide. (iii) Auto-recharge of PASMO (including auto-recharge of PASMO on iPhone/Android) - Once you go auto-recharge, you will never go back. (iv) Points for PASMO charge (effectively 1-2% discount on your PASMO spend). (v) Tokyo Metro Points for riding Tokyo metro in addition to the usual points.

Drawbacks - (i) Internationally, some places may not accept JCB (I have seen around 1-2 out of 100, if not less), (ii) Points could have been better, especially since this is not a free card.

Contrary to what another poster mentioned, the auto-recharge amount does contribute to points. I have reconfirmed this by checking my statements.

Thank you for sharing your experience. This is one more example suggesting I should apply again. I wonder if there is any way in Japan to check one's credit report to see how the name is registered (what's printed on a card is not the same as the account name, I am discovering). Because my employer had me run all my work expense through a credit card which is in my name and also tied to a bank account in my name there should be a record of millions of yen a month (pre-Covid) in expenses so I would have though my credit is good.

[RetireJapan]

https://www.retirejapan.com/blog/credit ... apan-jicc/