Rakuten’s best setup for foreigners in Japan: (1) Get a Rakuten Card (free, 1% cashback on all purchases, ¥5,000 sign-up bonus, accepted wherever Visa is accepted). (2) Open a Rakuten Bank account linked to the card (0.1% interest rate + ATM fee waivers). (3) Shop on Rakuten Market with the card — stack SPU bonuses to earn 10–16% points. Heavy users report earning ¥100,000–200,000 in points per year. Points are worth ¥1 each and usable across all Rakuten services.
Living in Japan means spending money in Japan — rent, groceries, transport, utilities, the occasional splurge. That’s unavoidable. What most foreigners don’t realize is that if you set up the right combination of Rakuten services, a meaningful chunk of that spending comes back to you as points worth real yen. Heavy users report ¥100,000–200,000 per year in points — essentially a 13th-month salary bonus for doing nothing different.
Most foreigners sign up for the card and stop there. Here’s how the full system works — and why most people are leaving money on the table.
The Rakuten Ecosystem Explained
Rakuten offers interconnected services where using multiple products multiplies the points you earn:
| Service | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Rakuten Card | 1% cashback (1pt per ¥100) on everything |
| Rakuten Bank | Higher interest rate (0.1%) when linked to Card |
| Rakuten Mobile | Discount + points boost |
| Rakuten Market (楽天市場) | 1–15%+ points on purchases |
| Rakuten Securities | Monthly investment earns points |
| Rakuten Pay | Mobile payments with points |
| Rakuten Travel | Points on hotel bookings |
Rakuten points (楽天ポイント) are worth ¥1 each and usable across all services.
The Essential Setup for Foreigners
Step 1 — Rakuten Card (楽天カード) ★ Start Here
Japan’s most popular credit card. No annual fee.
- 1% cashback on all purchases (doubled on Rakuten services)
- 5,000 points welcome bonus for new applicants
- Accepted almost everywhere Visa is accepted
- Available to foreign residents with residence card
Apply: rakuten-card.co.jp
Requirements:
- Valid residence card
- Income source (employment or self-employment)
- Japanese address
Foreigners are accepted, though approval depends on credit history in Japan. Having a bank account and been in Japan at least 6 months helps.
Step 2 — Rakuten Bank (楽天銀行)
Japan’s largest online bank. Open an account and link it to your Rakuten Card.
Benefits when linked to Rakuten Card:
- Higher interest rate (0.1% vs 0.001% at megabanks)
- Monthly ATM fee waivers (based on activity level)
- Points for automatic bill payments
Open online: rakuten-bank.co.jp
Step 3 — Rakuten Market Shopping
Shop at 楽天市場 for everyday purchases:
- Base: 1% points
- Add Rakuten Card: +2%
- During SPU promotions: up to 15%+ total
SPU (Super Point Up Program) — The key to maximizing points:
- Use Rakuten Card → +2%
- Have Rakuten Mobile → +4%
- Use Rakuten Bank → +1%
- Use Rakuten Pay → +1%
- Have Rakuten Securities → +1%
- And more…
Stack enough services → earn 10–16% points on Market purchases.
Step 4 — Rakuten Mobile (楽天モバイル)
- ¥3,278/month unlimited data
- +4% points boost on Rakuten Market
- Free calls to other Rakuten Mobile users
For heavy data users, the value + points boost makes this competitive. For light users, MVNO SIMs like IIJmio are cheaper overall.
Step 5 — Rakuten Securities (楽天証券)
For the SPU boost:
- Set up monthly investment (tsumitate) of ¥1,000+ → +1% SPU on Market
- Best combined with NISA account (see NISA guide)
Rakuten Pay (楽天ペイ)
Mobile payment app linked to your Rakuten Card:
- Earn points on every payment
- Accepted at major convenience stores, restaurants, supermarkets
- Works with QR code payment (same as PayPay)
Rakuten Travel (楽天トラベル)
Book hotels and flights in Japan through Rakuten Travel to earn points:
- Usually 1–2% base + card bonus
- Special point events periodically offer 5–10%+
- travel.rakuten.co.jp
Point Shopping Events to Know
| Event | When | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| お買い物マラソン | Monthly | Points per store visited |
| スーパーSALE | Quarterly | Up to 10× points on items |
| 5と0のつく日 | 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, 30th | +2% points (with Card) |
Plan major purchases around these events for maximum returns.
Realistic Savings Example
Monthly spending ¥200,000 through Rakuten stack:
- Rakuten Market: ¥80,000 × 10% = 8,000 points
- Regular Card purchases: ¥120,000 × 1% = 1,200 points
- Total: ~9,200 points/month = ¥110,400/year
Heavy Rakuten Market users with all services stacked regularly report ¥100,000–200,000 worth of points per year.
Rakuten Card is the entry point to the whole ecosystem. Free forever, ¥5,000 points on approval, 1% cashback everywhere in Japan. Most foreigners with 6+ months residency are approved.
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