RetireJapan

Finally got Monex to issue me a credit card (it required alot of voodoo and paper applications). No annual fee (1st year, subsequent years you need to use it at least once) and 1.1% point back on tsumitate is an incredible deal. I have too many cards so I don't foresee ever using this card for anything but tsumitate but it automates 50k investment for me as well as gets me free points so whohoo

They actually have a handy chart on their site doing comparisons and basically unless you have a higher tier SMBC card for some reason (like platinum level), Monex card is by far the best deal you can get for tsumitate point backs.

Rakuten: 0.2% CC tsumitate, 0.5% Rakuten Cash tsumitate
SBI: 0.5% CC tsumitate (goes up depending on card tier)
Monex: 1.1% CC tsumitate

Enjoy it while it lasts.

For me, it'll cost me more per year in headspace than the ¥3600 reward can compensate for

zeroshiki wrote: ↑Sat Jan 21, 2023 2:28 pm Finally got Monex to issue me a credit card (it required alot of voodoo and paper applications). No annual fee (1st year, subsequent years you need to use it at least once) and 1.1% point back on tsumitate is an incredible deal. I have too many cards so I don't foresee ever using this card for anything but tsumitate but it automates 50k investment for me as well as gets me free points so whohoo

They actually have a handy chart on their site doing comparisons and basically unless you have a higher tier SMBC card for some reason (like platinum level), Monex card is by far the best deal you can get for tsumitate point backs.

Rakuten: 0.2% CC tsumitate, 0.5% Rakuten Cash tsumitate
SBI: 0.5% CC tsumitate (goes up depending on card tier)
Monex: 1.1% CC tsumitate

adamu wrote: ↑Sat Jan 21, 2023 3:52 pm Enjoy it while it lasts.

For me, it'll cost me more per year in headspace than the ¥3600 reward can compensate for

I ended up going with the Gold SMBC card via SBI.

1. It's free after you spend 1 million yen. (Then you also get 10,000 points for free)
2. Free family card
3. 5% at konbinis with visa touch.
4. Supports iD as well if you don't have visa touch..
5. Typical gold card benefits
6. 6000 points annual through tsumitate.

...it's only 5000 yen a month of you don't hit 1 million.

..........

It all depends on the utility. If you already have a Rakuten card, a Monex card isn't much more use. A gold card is nice for international travel, and having a higher limit is essential in my opinion for travel to America. (Unfortunate experience with their healthcare system).

.......

Of course you could do all 3 and add an Au cars with Kabu. However with the 新しい nISA I won't be making taxable purchases for a decade or so...

adamu wrote: ↑Sat Jan 21, 2023 3:52 pm Enjoy it while it lasts.

For me, it'll cost me more per year in headspace than the ¥3600 reward can compensate for

This is why I plan on only using it for tsumitate. I have everything automated and registered on Moneyforward so I don't ever have to think or look at it again except maybe once a year to check if I'm getting my money's worth.

TokyoBoglehead wrote: ↑Sat Jan 21, 2023 11:58 pm
I ended up going with the Gold SMBC card via SBI.

1. It's free after you spend 1 million yen. (Then you also get 10,000 points for free)
2. Free family card
3. 5% at konbinis with visa touch.
4. Supports iD as well if you don't have visa touch..
5. Typical gold card benefits
6. 6000 points annual through tsumitate.

...it's only 5000 yen a month of you don't hit 1 million.

..........

It all depends on the utility. If you already have a Rakuten card, a Monex card isn't much more use. A gold card is nice for international travel, and having a higher limit is essential in my opinion for travel to America. (Unfortunate experience with their healthcare system).

.......

Of course you could do all 3 and add an Au cars with Kabu. However with the 新しい nISA I won't be making taxable purchases for a decade or so...

I already have the high tier Rakuten Card so I didn't need another Gold card. If you're going to be making it your main, the SMBC Gold does make alot of sense (also 5% back on combini and McDonald's purchases)

zeroshiki wrote: ↑Sun Jan 22, 2023 3:09 am

adamu wrote: ↑Sat Jan 21, 2023 3:52 pm Enjoy it while it lasts.

For me, it'll cost me more per year in headspace than the ¥3600 reward can compensate for

This is why I plan on only using it for tsumitate. I have everything automated and registered on Moneyforward so I don't ever have to think or look at it again except maybe once a year to check if I'm getting my money's worth.

TokyoBoglehead wrote: ↑Sat Jan 21, 2023 11:58 pm
I ended up going with the Gold SMBC card via SBI.

1. It's free after you spend 1 million yen. (Then you also get 10,000 points for free)
2. Free family card
3. 5% at konbinis with visa touch.
4. Supports iD as well if you don't have visa touch..
5. Typical gold card benefits
6. 6000 points annual through tsumitate.

...it's only 5000 yen a month of you don't hit 1 million.

..........

It all depends on the utility. If you already have a Rakuten card, a Monex card isn't much more use. A gold card is nice for international travel, and having a higher limit is essential in my opinion for travel to America. (Unfortunate experience with their healthcare system).

.......

Of course you could do all 3 and add an Au cars with Kabu. However with the 新しい nISA I won't be making taxable purchases for a decade or so...

I already have the high tier Rakuten Card so I didn't need another Gold card. If you're going to be making it your main, the SMBC Gold does make alot of sense (also 5% back on combini and McDonald's purchases)

Is the Rakuten Premium card worth it? The back of the envelope calculations I did made it seem a bit expensive when I was looking at a premium card.

I have Rakuten, Amazon and a View card (free-tiers). View and Rakuten keep pestering us to upgrade.

TokyoBoglehead wrote: ↑Sun Jan 22, 2023 6:02 am
Is the Rakuten Premium card worth it? The back of the envelope calculations I did made it seem a bit expensive when I was looking at a premium card.

I have Rakuten, Amazon and a View card (free-tiers). View and Rakuten keep pestering us to upgrade.

It's good if you use alot of their services which I have been for 10+ years now. It gives +4% points earning on Ichiba and then they have the Premium-only bonus days (Tuesday/Thursday) that's an extra 1%. I also travel alot so getting priority pass was a great deal (for the time).

I think Rakuten Card has been nerfed alot where SMBC actually comes out better in some calculations now but I just never bothered to change and its too much of a hassle to switch for me now.

Hi everyone,

Is the Monex card that much interesting compared to other cards?
Until now, I've been using a JAL-Gold card, because I was just focusing on the miles and the travels, but purely thinking in terms of cost and benefits, those Monex cards seem better, no?

William wrote: ↑Mon Jan 23, 2023 6:31 am Hi everyone,

Is the Monex card that much interesting compared to other cards?
Until now, I've been using a JAL-Gold card, because I was just focusing on the miles and the travels, but purely thinking in terms of cost and benefits, those Monex cards seem better, no?

It's good in the very narrow use case of buying 50,000 JPY worth of eMaxis Slim on Monex per month and earning 550 points for it. Anything else, its a bad card compared to something like SMBC or Rakuten.

zeroshiki wrote: ↑Mon Jan 23, 2023 7:23 am
It's good in the very narrow use case of buying 50,000 JPY worth of eMaxis Slim on Monex per month and earning 550 points for it. Anything else, its a bad card compared to something like SMBC or Rakuten.

Thank you for the answer

zeroshiki wrote: ↑Mon Jan 23, 2023 7:23 am
It's good in the very narrow use case of buying 50,000 JPY worth of eMaxis Slim on Monex per month and earning 550 points for it. Anything else, its a bad card compared to something like SMBC or Rakuten.

Agreed. It is a card to add to your collection. Not to replace another card.
Mine has never been used except for monthly fund purchases.