6 Best Travel Credit Cards to Use in Japan in 2024

Just five years ago, I would have described Japan as a predominantly cash-based society, where transactions at restaurants, train stations, and retail stores almost exclusively required cash. However, the landscape has evolved tremendously in recent years. Nowadays, most of your transactions from shopping to dining to taxis to purchasing Shinkansen tickets at the counter can be effortlessly completed using credit and debit cards.

Even wireless functionality for tap-to-pay with your digital wallet is becoming more common in Japan. In addition to convenience, this change allows you to accumulate points and miles with your preferred card. While American Express cards are sometimes accepted, we generally recommend Visa and Mastercard due to their almost universal acceptance across Japan.

Despite this shift toward digital payments, you still need to have a cash card on hand for ATMs withdrawals. You will inevitably need cash for local transport, temples, shrines, vending machines, and mom and pop shops. In this guide, we explore the six best cards to use in Japan for travel, including credit cards for spending and travel debit cards like Revolut and Wise for cash withdrawals.

Revolut Travel Multi-Currency Debit Card

Revolut is the best option to take out cash cheaply in Japan, thanks to its favorable ATM withdrawal policy that allows for $400 worth of free withdrawals each month. By converting your USD ($) deposits to JPY (¥) prior to your transaction (which you can do in the mobile app), the ATMs will recognize your Revolut card as local, bypassing the need for dynamic currency conversion. In my own experience, ATMs at 7-11 in Japan have not even imposed the standard ¥220 service fee on me when I use my Revolut multi-currency card.

Moreover, Revolut offers the added luxury of lounge access not only across major Japanese airports like NRT, HND, KIX but also worldwide, at a cost of $37 per person. This one-off cost certainly beats the high annual membership fees charged by lounge-access credit cards. If you are a paid member of Revolut's higher tiers, you'll receive discounts on lounge access and get a suite of travel insurance benefits.

While the paid tiers offer higher allowances and more perks, this is what you'll get under Revolut's Standard plan:

• No monthly fee for the Standard Plan;
• $400 of fee-free ATM withdrawals per month, then a 2% fee;
• Airport lounge passes for $37 per person;
• Supports 35 currency balances including JPY;
• No FX fee for the first $1,000 exchanged monthly;
• Revolut's FX rate is industry-low, usually ~0.5% (check live here).

Learn more: Read our in-depth Revolut review or watch our video review.

Wise Multi-Currency Card

The Wise Multi-Currency Account is well-suited if you just need a small amount in cash in Japan, since Wise offers a $100 limit on fee-free withdrawals per month. Beyond this, withdrawals incur a $1.50 fee plus 2%.

If you are not going to take out cash, then card or digital wallet purchases with Wise are a great debit option because it applies the mid-market exchange rate on your purchases (Wise will instead charge an industry-low fee of around 0.5%).

However, just remember that Revolut offers a slightly better deal with $1,000 of fee-free exchanges per month, a feature that Wise does not match. As with the Revolut card, I've found that ATMs at 7-11 in Japan do not charge me the standard ¥220 fee when the Wise multi-currency account is topped up with JPY (also easily done within the app).

Here are benefits of the Wise multi-currency account at a glance:

• Opening an account costs $0;
• Offers $100 fee-free ATM withdrawals per month;
• Supports over 40 currencies, including JPY;
• Offers foreign bank details for 10 countries;
• Uses the mid-market rate (check live here), with a small fixed fee.

Learn more: Read our in-depth Wise review or watch our video review.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is a staple in my Apple Wallet, serving as my go-to card for all card transactions. It recognizes extra point categories in various Japanese institutions, including Shinkansen rides, restaurants, and more. Back when I earned the bonus offer, I was able to pay for a round-trip flight from Japan to California, when redeemed through Chase Travel.

For the perks that Chase offers, the $95 annual fee is very reasonable. You'll pay 21.49%–28.49% variable APR on unpaid balances, so pay your monthly balance on time in full to avoid accumulating interest.

Here's a breakdown of the card's offerings:

• Earn 60,000 points after meeting a $4,000 spend in the first 3 months;
• Get $50 in credits each year for hotels through Chase Travel;
• 5x points on travel booked through Chase Travel;
• 2x on other travel purchases;
• 3x points on dining, online groceries, and select streaming services;
• 1x points on all other purchases;
• Each anniversary, get points equal to 10% of total yearly purchases;
• 1:1 point transfer to partners;
• Comprehensive travel and purchase coverage;
• Uses Visa network rate (check live rate here);
• No foreign transaction fees.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

My brother chose this card for his trip to Japan last year, largely for its generous bonus offer and the simplicity of earning 2x miles on every purchase. He was confident he would meet the spending threshold to secure the bonus miles, which helped him cover the entire cost of a US to EU round trip this year. The next time I plan a big flight, this will be the first card I consider to help me with the cost.

The card carries a $95 annual fee, a great trade for the value it delivers, especially for avid travelers. The 19.99% - 29.99% variable APR is similar to that of Chase. It's wise to pay off your full balance monthly to avoid interest.

Here's what makes the Capital One Venture Card a great option for travelers to Japan:

• Earn 75,000 miles after meeting a $4,000 spend in the first 3 months;
• Unlimited 2x miles;
• Earn 5x miles on hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel;
• Emergency replacement and cash advance if card is lost or stolen;
• Flexibility to transfer miles to over 15+ travel loyalty programs;
• Uses Visa (check here) or Mastercard network rate (check here);
• No foreign transaction fees.

American Express® Gold Card

The American Express® Gold Card is an appealing option for those looking for a travel card from American Express, which is known for its points programs. This card is best for domestic spending within the USA. However, it does have a direct partnership with the ANA Mileage Club, allowing for 1:1 point transfers.

For your references as an All Nippon Airways traveler to Japan, economy tickets between Japan (Zone 1) and North America (Zone 6) in low season can be equivalent to about 40,000 points and around 55,000 in high season. If you earn the 60,000 bonus points offer, you could conceivably redeem them for an entire round-trip flight to Japan.

With a $250 annual fee, the AMEX Gold Card is more expensive than the other cards on this list. But when compared to other AMEX cards, this one is fairly average in terms of price. It charges a variable APR of 21.24% to 29.24%.

Here are the benefits that come with this AMEX credit card:

• Earn 60,000 points after meeting a $6,000 spend in the first 6 months;
• 4x points at restaurants worldwide;
• 4x points for takeout and delivery in the US;
• 4x points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year);
• 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or on AMEX Travel;
• 1x points on other eligible purchases;
• $120 Dining Credit, up to $10 monthly at participating partners;
• $120 Uber Cash, get $10 each month for Uber;
• Receive $100 credit with a two-night minimum stay on AMEX Travel;
• Uses AMEX network rate (check here);
• No foreign transaction fees.

Sumitomo Mitsui Card Gold (NL)

The Sumitomo Mitsui Card Gold Numberless (NL) card is exclusively available to Japanese citizens and residents, and is often considered the benchmark credit card in Japan. While some might argue the merits of the Amazon or Rakuten credit cards for their high cashback rates on platform-specific spending, these benefits cater to those platform-loyal customers. (And personally, I find Rakuten.com's interface cumbersome. If Rakuten physically came to life, I think it would look something like a Don Quijote store.)

Japanese credit cards are a bit different from American ones. In Japan, the default setting is to automatically pay the full balance each month, with the option to choose monthly installment payments instead (at the point of purchase machine). The fees for installments vary from 3 month installments up to 24 month installments.

SMBC charges a low annual fee of 5,500 yen (tax included), and even waives it permanently if you spend 1 million yen or more in one year. However, it has a 2.2% foreign transaction fee. You should only use this card within Japan.

Benefits of the Sumitomo Mitsui Card Gold include:

• 10,000 points annually for spending 1 million yen;
• Earn a minimum of 1 point per 200 yen spent, effectively 0.5% points;
• Physical card payments at convenience stores and restaurants earn 5% points per 200 yen spent, effectively 2.5% points;
• Smartphone touch payments at convenience stores and restaurants earn 7% points per 200 yen spent, effectively 3.5% points;
• Smartphone touch payments at Universal Studios Japan earn 7% points per 200 yen spent, effectively 3.5% points;
• Able to transfer points to partners;
• Access to lounges at domestic airports.

What Are the Best Credit Cards to Use in Japan For Travel in 2024?

Revolut stands out as the best option for withdrawing cash at ATMs in Japan, thanks to its generous $400 monthly fee-free withdrawal limit. If you exceed this limit, Wise is a reliable backup, also doubling as an excellent debit card for international spending.

When it comes to Chase and Capital One, it's a tough call for me; I'd use both if I wanted. The great AMEX rewards program pays for itself, but also seems like a good tool to use before heading to Japan — using your points for ANA flights.

For residents of Japan, the SMBC Gold card is a solid choice for accruing points.

Ultimately, your choice of card for your trip to Japan will likely hinge on a mix of cash withdrawal needs, earning points while on your trip, and using accumulated points to pay for your flights:

1. Revolut Standard Card — Cheapest way to get cash and lounge access
2. Wise Multi-Currency Card — Best prepaid travel debit card
3. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — Best for dining and travel points
4. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card — Best intro offer
5. American Express® Gold Card — Best way to transfer points to ANA
6. Sumitomo Mitsui Card Gold (NL) — Best for residents of Japan

Is Visa or Mastercard Accepted in Japan?

Yes, Visa and Mastercard are accepted in nearly all establishments that take cards, like hotels, most restaurants, taxis, and retail stores. However, Japan remains cash-based in some areas, including local transportation, temples, shrines, vending machines, local shops, some parking meters, and more.

What Credit Cards Are Accepted in Japan?

In Japan, most major credit cards are accepted, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express (AMEX), JCB (Japan Credit Bureau), and Union Pay.

What US Credit Cards Work in Japan?

Any US credit card bearing the Visa or Mastercard logo will generally work in Japan. American Express is also accepted in some places. Discover cards may be the least widely accepted. Just make sure your card does not charge foreign transaction fees, as these can accumulate quickly.

Is It Better to Use a Credit Card in Japan?

Using credit cards in Japan can be great for earning points while you spend on travels. Nonetheless, given Japan's common use of cash, it's a good idea to also prepare by withdrawing cheaply from ATMs with a Revolut or Wise card.

How To Pay For Local Transit With a Credit Card in Japan

If you have an iPhone, you can add a Japanese IC card to your digital wallet! Simply open your Apple Wallet, tap on the plus sign, and search for Japan. Then, add a Suica card to your smartphone. You can then top up your card using Apple Pay and tap your phone at turnstile readers and most buses.

Can I Use Credit Cards to Take Out Cash in Japan?

Using credit cards for cash withdrawals should be considered an emergency option only, as it triggers a cash advance with high APR charges from your bank. For cash withdrawals, we highly recommend you use debit cards, both in the US and abroad, to avoid these high fees.