Stop Wasting Money in Japan: Cash, Credit, & ATMs Explained!

[@VoyagesJapan]

Did you know about all these fees before? 😳

[@LLNTMY]

Thanks for the info + subtitles! For the regular SUICA/PASMO cards, they’re good until 10 years after your last transaction and you can return them to get your ¥500 deposit and remaining money out after a ¥220 fee. It’s the Welcome SUICA and PASMO Passport for tourists that expire at 28 days and I think has no ¥500 fee at the moment. The chip shortage has meant the regular IC cards have been unavailable a long time now but the tourist cards are available at select stations and airports.

[@VoyagesJapan]

Hi Leslie! Great to hear from you again!! Thank you for those tips! I have a Suica card video coming out tomorrow with all the details about the IC Cards. That’s an excellent preview! ;)

[@maiwurld2578]

I think,they arw doing this,its not because chips shortage,but there are lot of stocks of the welcome suica that only can be use for 28 days

[@VoyagesJapan]

@@maiwurld2578 Interesting!! Didn’t even think of that!

[@BIGGant]

One additional tip: you are going to end up getting piles of coins. You can either try to use them all at vending machines or…use them to reload your IC card at certain merchants. Some merchants such as 7-11 might have change counters. Dump all your change in there. Note that IC cards are only topped off with round amounts. So hand them additional paper YẾN to get you over the amount. The machine will just spit any excess change out to you. I wish I knew this earlier on during our trip.

[@VoyagesJapan]

Thank you so much for those tips!! Very helpful!

[@cattychong5497]

Good tip, I brought those coins back home last year. This year I am going to follow your tip to reload the coins to my IC card instead of bring them home. Thank you.

[@VoyagesJapan]

@@cattychong5497 My pleasure! I always seem to bring back lots of coins too. It’s so hard to train my brain that they’re not like pennies and nickels that I can just let sit around. 😄 I love being able to exchange them as well. Much better than letting them sit around!

[@cattychong5497]

@@VoyagesJapan I never figured which one, not like us in US. We already know which one is penny, nickels etc and identify them so easy. I will bring those coins to Japan again in May and try to use them up. Otherwise they will be in the drawer forever😂😂

[@VoyagesJapan]

@@cattychong5497 😅😂

[@confusedzentradi]

If the mid market rate is 151 and the airport gives you 149, that is a 1.3% penalty. Not bad at all.

[@VoyagesJapan]

True, the exchange isn’t that bad, but that’s not the only price they’re going to charge. There are a number of service fees on top of the exchange rate that you’ll be charged just for using their exchange counter. They definitely don’t publicize those fees. And each exchange decides on their own fees, so there’s no real standard.

[@confusedzentradi]

@@VoyagesJapan I’ve been to Narita three times in the last year, flying Internationally. The exchange I used was before leaving the secure area. It seems to be government run. No extra fees.

[@VoyagesJapan]

@@confusedzentradi Awesome to know! Thank you for sharing that.

[@confusedzentradi]

@@VoyagesJapan And thanks for the great video. The credit card part without dynamic exchange was great to learn about!

[@VoyagesJapan]

@@confusedzentradi I’m so glad it was helpful to you in some way. That means a lot to me. Thank you for watching and contributing!

[@atari_rx]

Very well made and informative video. I really liked how you added timestamps for the different topics you spoke about. Thank you for this!

[@VoyagesJapan]

Absolutely, Atari_rx! Thank you very much for watching and for the feedback. I’ll continue to use the timestamps with more detailed explanations since they’re helpful for navigating the videos!

[@bernardkersting1270]

Great presentation. Really appreciate the tips. 🙏🏻

[@VoyagesJapan]

I’m so glad this was helpful!! Thank you for the kind compliment ☺️

[@sandwichman008]

Thanks, very helpful information. I use my visa credit card with no foreign transaction fees plus 3% cash back for foreign restaurants and other purchases when I travel. I withdraw some cash as well and it depends on a country you visit.

[@VoyagesJapan]

@@sandwichman008 Cash back??! That’s AWESOME!! I won’t ask you the specifics of what card you have, in order to protect your privacy, but I’ll definitely be looking that card up. I’ve never thought about searching for a cash back card for travel!! Thank you for sharing

[@Ciaseea]

A lot of great info in one place! Thank you!

[@VoyagesJapan]

So great to hear!!! Thank you for watching. I’m glad it was helpful.

[@bonwatcher]

The other thing about the virtual IC card in the Apple wallet is when buying things where they take both Apple Pay and IC card, you need to ensure the clerk knows you want to use your IC card before you scan it or the Apple Wallet tries to use Apple Pay and asks for your FaceID. IC card does not require FaceID.

[@tpatrickl9539]

Avoid Japanese banks for currency exchange. They will charge you a flat fee on top of a poor exchange rate. The ATMs at Japan Post used to have limited hours in some communities. They tended to not be open evenings and weekends. I’m not sure if that still holds true. They were not 24-7. Spend your coins as you accumulate them. Easiest way to stop from caring too many. When I lived in Japan, there were times when I would have $30 in coins. It’s not as difficult as it sounds to accumulate that many coins fast!

[@VoyagesJapan]

Fantastic tips, @tpatrick! Thank you very much for sharing those with the community.

[@tpatrickl9539]

@@VoyagesJapan if you have access to any of the US military bases, many of them have ATMs that dispense yen with little or no service charge, they accept most American credit cards

[@VoyagesJapan]

@@tpatrickl9539 Sweet tip, @tpatrick! That’s super helpful for any of our community members who are military or military-adjacent. Thank you for that!

[@BIGGant]

Quick tip to calculate Yen to US dollars…..remove the two 0’s and subtract a third and you’ll be very close. Example: 1000 Yen, remove two 0s you get 10. Subtract 1/3 you get $6.50 US dollars roughly. 1500 Yen > 15 > $10 dollars

[@kataki15]

This is invaluable advice. Thank you so much!

[@VoyagesJapan]

Oh I’m so glad it was helpful!! Thank YOU for taking the time to watch and appreciate it! :)

[@TheJuhleme]

Excellent video! Thanks! Do you know something about using a debit card? I’ve heard some people saying it is impossible to use

[@VoyagesJapan]

Hi @TheJuhleme, I’ve never had an issue using a debit card, since the cards usually have a connection to a major credit card institution like Master Card or VISA. You should be fine using it anywhere that accepts card payments. And you can also use your debit card at the ATMs. But just be aware that the ATMs at some convenience stores other than 7-11 don’t take foreign cards. But be sure to inform your bank where you’ll be going and how long. They might out a hold on your account if you try to use it abroad without their knowing (to protect you from fraud).

[@marta178]

@@VoyagesJapan Do you know anthing about using the Wise card @ japan? It allows you to buy the currency ahead of time in case the yen gets stronger (or to avoid several fees per transaction) or just for convenience since it acts as a wallet card. I have chase as well... dunno which one would be more lenient with the fee total at the end of the trip.

[@VoyagesJapan]

@@marta178 Hi Marta, I know of the Wise app but I haven’t used it before and wouldn’t feel comfortable recommending it without having prior experience. Have you searched the Reddit forums that are focused on Japan Travel? There’s likely a user or two that has tried the app before. That’s pretty cool though that you can buy the currency ahead of time at a set rate. Here’s a link to a Reddit thread about Wise vs Cash vs CC that might be helpful for you…. www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/s/ghgctPZMoI

[@bonwatcher]

I was just in Japan and 7-11 bank tried to charge a percentage of the amount I wanted to take out at the ATM plus an ATM fee where the ones at Lawson only charge an ATM fee. My US bank (Schwab) reimburses ATM fees and doesn't charge any foreign transaction fees, so it's still best to use Japanese bank ATMs or ones that won't charge a percentage. So ¥50,000 = $331.00, no fees.

[@VoyagesJapan]

Thank you for reporting back with that update!

[@keremyaka1]

you guys are lucky that earning usd. For other people it doesnt work that way, they convert your home currency to USD first and then to Jap Yen, plus percentage charges plus one time process fees.

[@pmstorm]

Avoiding the airport stalls, and fancy currency exchanges is a way to save money… This is groundbreaking… Never ever heard of this before… Absolutely incredible!😂😂😂

[@keremyaka1]

the problem with ATM withdraw with your home country debit card is, some banks apply 4 to 5 usd each time you withdraw money and their exchange rate is generally a lot worse than the market plus some extra percentage charges like %1 or %2. And banks are not trustable institutes as far as i know...

[@VoyagesJapan]

@keremyaka1, I agree. The best solution is to find a debit/credit card without foreign transaction fees. For example, I just got an email the other day from AmEx notifying me that they are temporarily suspending foreign transaction fees on one of my cards. It would be the perfect time to travel to Japan, given the volatility of the Yen right now, coupled with no transaction fees. You can't get a better combination than that. I always recommend applying for a card specifically for your trip if you have the ability to do so. Or simply use the ATMs in Japan in a very deliberate way, to avoid making multiple transactions. Also, reducing the number of credit card transactions while in Japan is a huge factor that travelers rarely consider. Glad you brought this point up.

[@Carina-WeekendManis]

Thank you for the very thorough and informative videos! The links for your Travel Card & Account Guide and the Top Travel Credit Cards lead to a 404 page. Are you able to post the updated URLs here, please? Thank you!

[@VoyagesJapan]

@@Carina-WeekendManis Hi Carina! I’m so sorry about that inconvenience. I’m in the process of overhauling the website and that page isn’t completely updated (hence, why I’ve been a bit MIA on the videos). But I don’t want to leave you hanging. I don’t know if you’re aware of Kara and Nate, the KZbin travel duo, but they have a great resource for travel cards. I’ll send the link below. But hopefully I’ll have that page and the rest of my site back up and ready to go soon. I hope this helps! karaandnate.com/the-frequent-flyer-blog/

[@Carina-WeekendManis]

@@VoyagesJapan Thanks, Kelly! That's so awesome of you to share that video. I've subscribed to your channel as well so I can watch your videos as soon as they are up too! Your content is great, more power to you!

[@VoyagesJapan]

@@Carina-WeekendManis Awesome!! That was such a kind message. I’ll definitely update you here once the blog is back up. You’ve lit more of a fire under my rear! :) Great to have you in the community and thank you for subscribing, Carina!

Thank you for vdeo :) Can we exchange euro cash wirh these atm's ? which one is better? we keep our money at atm card and use it from atm card or euro cash with us better

[@VoyagesJapan]

Hi Satis, since I’m not as familiar with exchanging Euros, I did a little bit of research for you to find a good answer. This is a Reddit thread that has information on exchanging Euros in Japan. I would recommend asking any additional ATM questions to the group. The Japan Travel Tips thread is so helpful and informative and hopefully the right answer can be found here: www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravelTips/comments/1butt18/where_to_change_euros_to_yen/#:~:text=You%20can%20just%20use%20the,I%20got%20myself%2010.000%20Yen. If there’s anything else I can answer for you please come right back and drop it here in the comments. I’m happy to help in any way I can!

[@cstpa1]

hello please explain when i am at the checkout with a credit card that doesnt have foreign transaction fees, it will pop up the yen or dollar amount, which do i pick for cheaper amount? it usually looks like the same amount to me. does it matter?

[@VoyagesJapan]

If you’re in Japan, you should choose the Yen amount. Always choose the local currency. The reason for that is because when the bank in Japan converts the currency and presents it to you on screen (called dynamic currency conversion), they charge you for that conversion. If you simply allow your bank at home to do the conversion, the fee they charge will likely be lower. Let me know if that’s helpful or if you need more clarification.

[@lautrufend]

Do most merchants accept 10,000 yen bills? Or is that considered too large of a denomination? I'm concerned about withdrawing large bills and then finding that merchants don't want to deal with them.

[@VoyagesJapan]

@@lautrufend I’m very very sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I was able to find an answer for you here: www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravelTips/s/6YotDGOpPx Let me know if this is helpful for you. I really hope it’s not too late.

[@xm2895]

Hi! Do you if is viable to just bring the dollars cash and convert them in Yen at a bank or exg house ?

[@VoyagesJapan]

Hi @xm, it all depends on the exchange rates and if you’re worried about trying to save on fees. It would be worthwhile to find out if your local bank offers an exchange, and at which rate. If it’s comparable, you might be able to save on exchanging in Japan.

[@daventong3279]

Not all ic card expire in 30 days I still use my for over 12 years and I always have a balance on it some card expire after 10 years if you don’t use it

[@VoyagesJapan]

Correct. The visitor cards (Welcome Suica and Pasmo Passport) are the passes that expire in 28 days after the first use. The regular Suica and Pasmo cards are valid for 10 years after the last use.

[@findstr.s-hi-c._w]

best tip in these kind of countries is that they don't use a dot/comma for cents. so 1,50$ == 150y, 10,00$ == 1000y...... more or less....depending on economics. do not get fooled by that. either calculate in cents, like they do, or divide by 100. to estimate price.

[@VoyagesJapan]

@@findstr.s-hi-c._w Great tip! I know it might seem like common sense, but it’s really not. I know it totally confused me the first time I went. I’m really glad you brought that up.

[@tugbadogan7014]

Hello, I am turkish so turkish lira also loosing its value everyday when I come japan if I exchange my money from atm's directly from my debit card it will lose its value (if dolar is going up, it is) so I was thinking to bring dolars. Cause while travelling turkish lira can lose its value so which exchange place is the best rate ? Thank you ❤

[@VoyagesJapan]

@@tugbadogan7014 That’s a very interesting question. My only concern would be the fees you might encounter in doing the multiple exchanges (from lira to dollar and then to yen). I found this very brief forum answer about exchanging lira to yen. It’s not super clear, but it seems like exchanging lira in Japan isn’t a good option. So you’re right on that front… www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g298184-i861-k10370996-Exchange_Turkish_Lira_to_Yen-Tokyo_Tokyo_Prefecture_Kanto.html So brining dollars instead of lira might not be a terribly bad idea, but again, be sure you’re not incurring so many fees from the multiple exchanges that you lose the benefit of doing the exchange in the first place. Does your local bank have access to exchanging your lira directly into yen? That would be the most ideal solution if it’s possible.

[@tugbadogan7014]

@@VoyagesJapan thank you for your answer :) well yes my bank can exchange it but as I said the rate differences is huge like everyday dolar is incereasing. So even if I have exchange fees dolar will be the best option :) But because it is Cash can you please recommend me a exchange shop ? With the best rate you know 🫶

[@a1994-x2s]

What about using currency travel type cards?

[@VoyagesJapan]

Hi @asht8975 can you give an example? Do you mean cards like Wise, Chime, and Revolut?

[@a1994-x2s]

@@VoyagesJapan like in my country New Zealand we have travelex and westpac global currency card

[@VoyagesJapan]

@@a1994-x2s Thank you for the clarification. I'm not quite as familiar with Travelex since I'm from the United States but I found this Reddit thread and one of the travelers mentioned that they used Travelex. If this doesn't help, I would continue to search around the forums for an answer that might be helpful. www.reddit.com/r/JapanFinance/comments/160gffc/best_places_to_convert_foreign_currency_cash_to/ I'm sorry I couldn't provide more of a solid answer for you but I hope this gets you on the right track for finding an answer that might help!

[@Skitz221]

GBP to JY is even better in terms of conversion

[@VoyagesJapan]

It’s a great time to take advantage of traveling to Japan, for sure.

[@Slyc00p]

Will the Japanese yen go up by November? Im going to japan during that time and wondering if i should get some yen before then

[@RottingDragon]

Not to sound snarky, but If anyone knew the answer to this question they would be rich beyond their wildest dreams and they certainly wouldn't be telling people about it. The answer is that it might or it might not

[@VoyagesJapan]

Hi Art! The exchange rate fluctuates daily so there’s no real way to know what the rate will be at any given time. There are so many different factors that go into the valuation or devaluation of currency that it’s truly a crapshoot. But I will say that the dollar has been pretty strong against the yen for quite some time now, which has made it more advantageous to foreign travelers. But at the same time, price hikes on things like the JR Pass and food prices in some places in Japan have kind of counteracted the benefit. So just know that regardless of the better exchange rate, you’ll still likely end up paying the difference in some way. So it’s better to instead focus on the things that you can control, like reducing the amount of foreign transaction fees you incur on your trip. That can definitely add up in a significant way. Better to try to save money in that way. Hope this is helpful to clarify.

[@Slyc00p]

@@VoyagesJapan appreciate your thorough response!

[@davi75668]

Great Video! Id say always do Japan Post ATMs because they dont even try to do DCC!!

[@ElijahNetzel]

My number one expense is going to be food lol Hotel and flight doesnt count 🤣

[@VoyagesJapan]

Hahahaha!!! That’s what I’m talking about!! It’s an absolute wonderland of food. You’re going to love it!! 🍜

[@BIGGant]

Honestly if you are coming from a major US city the cost of meals in Japan won’t even seem that expensive unless you are eating Wagyu or Omakase every day and even then it’s still cheaper than the US.

[@lawrenceandrews4367]

This why U.S base exchange

[@nnex]

This scam doesn’t happen in my country

[@cabojacks5106]

Right off the bat, this KZbinr gives bad recommendation about airport exchange rate. It’s a mere 1.4% fee! Better than most other exchange methods such as credit card conversion fees, atm fees etc. Girl do your math!

[@VoyagesJapan]

Thanks for contributing to the conversation. Just as I’ve mentioned in the video, there are other fees that the airport exchange counters charge on top of the exchange rate they’re advertising. It’s not about the rate as much as it’s about “the fees, those pesky, pesky fees.” Hope this clears things up if there was a misunderstanding. Thanks for watching!

[@angiejas1579]

Is there fee for liad money from your credit card to Japanese sucia ? Then withdraw cash from sucia card at 7- elenen.

[@VoyagesJapan]

As far as I have ever known, there is no fee for loading money from your credit card to the Japanese Suica. It's done in the same way as you use your Apple Wallet, so you should be fine! Can you explain a little more what you mean about withdrawing cask from the Suica Card at 7-Eleven? You can withdraw money from the ATM with your debit card, but as far as I know you cannot use your Suica card to withdraw money. Is that what you mean?

[@angiejas1579]

@@VoyagesJapanthanks!