credit cards in akahibara?

[EF57]

I hear all the time about Japan being an all-cash economy.   Does that mean that in all those huge hobby shops they won‘t take plastic??  And do they prefer Visa to Mastercard?

[Kiha66]

I haven't shopped in akahibara, but in Kyushu and Okinawa cash was preferred everywhere.  A few of the newer chain stores had credit card readers, but they were rarely on and usually took a while to get working as the staff we not familiar with their use.  So from my experience while a larger store may take cards, its good to have cash as well as many will not take cards or will prefer cash.  I used visa btw, and didn't have an issue with it anywhere that actually took cards.  From what I understand this is changing, as the country is trying to get ready for the visitors to the 2020 Olympics.  

[Suica]

The large tech stores like Sofmap and Yodobashi accept credit cards. Visa, Master... doesn't matter.

Smaller shops mostly don't. Not sure about the model train shops either. I generally pay cash and use my CC to withdraw money at 7-Eleven ATMs. That's generally a lot cheaper too.

[katoftw]

They all take plastic. Haven't ran into one that doesn't accept.

[chadbag]

Yeah. I've not found a place that doesn't take a card in Japan (in terms of non grocery  shopping and even all the ones of those we've gone to the last few times take them).

[stevenh]

The only time I had a location that didn't accept plastic was Shin-Kanaya Train Station in Shizuoka back in 2008!

I'd made it all the way, in a hope to ride the steam train only to find I couldn't purchase a ticket and there weren't international ATMs in 7/11 at that point.

 

Nowadays Family Mart and 7/11 (and post offices) will accept your card for cash withdrawals.

But yes, all shops accept card... maybe smaller niche hobby shops don't? But last year I bought from Poppondetta, Hobbyland Pochi, etc... all on card! Very easy!

[maihama eki]

Going back at least 10 years, most stores and restaurants in larger cities take credit cards.  In Akihabara, I think almost every store will now take credit cards.  I occasionally find a small restaurant in Tokyo that is cash only now, but it is rare.  You might get a question about "charging the entire amount at once".  Apparently, it is possible in Japan or at least with Japanese issued credit cards to split the charge into 2 or more charges spread out over time.

 

When I first went to Japan 25 years ago, it was the opposite - very much more cash oriented even in Tokyo.  Back then, some places would accept the JCB card, but not US cards like VISA, MC, etc.  It was common to carry a lot of cash at that time.

I would also say, if you go to smaller towns away from major metro areas, credit cards are less likely to be accepted.

 

I still do carry Y10,000 or so in case I run into that odd cash-only situation.

[chadbag]

1 hour ago, maihama eki said:

 You might get a question about "charging the entire amount at once".  Apparently, it is possible in Japan or at least with Japanese issued credit cards to split the charge into 2 or more charges spread out over time.

 

Good point.  When they start to ask I always hold up 1 finger.   Usually they say something like "one time?"   First time this happened I was at a Toys R Us and I had no clue what the clerk was asking.  He kept trying to explain himself, went and got a supervisor, and they both tried to explain it.  For some 5 minutes.  Finally I just said "one time" and they were happy.    TO their credit, they were of course, super polite and accommodating of the dumb gaijin who did not know about "one time" vs "multiple" payments when paying by credit card.

 

I still don't know exactly what it is all about.  Even at Yodobashi they always ask me this.

 

Though the thought just occurred to me that this may be a symptom of their credit card terminals generic interface.  You can set up recurring charges with credit cards (subscriptions, monthly membership fees, etc.) and maybe their generic card interface on the machines asks them if this is a recurring charge and they don't understand it either 🙂

 

[bikkuri bahn]

You just have more options with credit card payments in Japan- just a straight one time charge as in the U.S. (either full balance or credit, called "revolving payment"), split it into two half payments with no interest, multiple defined payments with interest, or a bonus charge for big ticket items (subtracted from either the summer or winter bonus salaried workers receive).

[chadbag]

38 minutes ago, bikkuri bahn said:

You just have more options with credit card payments in Japan- just a straight one time charge as in the U.S. (either full balance or credit, called "revolving payment"), split it into two half payments with no interest, multiple defined payments with interest, or a bonus charge for big ticket items (subtracted from either the summer or winter bonus salaried workers receive).

 

None of which makes sense from the perspective of the user at the merchant.  How I pay the credit card off is no concern of the merchant and is not determined by the charge at the merchant.  And the merchant is certainly not going to break the charge up.   So I am still at a loss on what any of it means. 🙂

[bikkuri bahn]

50 minutes ago, chadbag said:

 

None of which makes sense from the perspective of the user at the merchant.  How I pay the credit card off is no concern of the merchant and is not determined by the charge at the merchant.  And the merchant is certainly not going to break the charge up.   So I am still at a loss on what any of it means. 🙂

Why do you care?  It provides options for the customer.  All you have to do as a foreign visitor is to say "one time" and go your happy way.

[chadbag]

7 minutes ago, bikkuri bahn said:

Why do you care?  It provides options for the customer.  All you have to do as a foreign visitor is to say "one time" and go your happy way.

 

Mainly because I would like to understand it.  I know to hold my finger up and say "one time" but it would be nice to understand what it is all about.

 

Using non-Japanese credit cards as my reference, it just does not make sense.  My payment arrangements are between me and the card issuing bank.  Whether I pay it back at once, or spread it over time, or have a special interest rate, or no interest for 6 months, or whatever promotions and arrangements the banks dream up, does not seem to me to be a concern of the  merchant.   So I am trying to understand what it is really doing and how it really works.   More just personal interest (and I wrote a credit card client app for the iPhone for US processing and so have somewhat of a latent professional interest in how other places work).

 

[bikkuri bahn]

It is considered convenient for the customer at the point of payment to determine the method of payment.  Probably a legacy of pre-internet days when cards were predominantly "charge" cards similar to Amex rather than providing credit.  Of course now you can access your cc account on the web, and change the payment plans at will, even if you specified something at the point of purchase.  Remember also that in Japan, checks were never used in daily transactions, so payment by mail was not done.  So that process was skipped in the evolution of financial services.

[chadbag]

Thanks!

[sandiway]

Some credit cards are cheaper than cash-only in Japan. I've taken advantage of this recently. Union Pay is an example. There are signs for additional Union Pay discounts in Yodobashi Camera and at Joshin in Osaka earlier this year.

[chadbag]

15 minutes ago, sandiway said:

Some credit cards are cheaper than cash-only in Japan. I've taken advantage of this recently. Union Pay is an example. There are signs for additional Union Pay discounts in Yodobashi Camera and at Joshin in Osaka earlier this year.

 

Yes, for foreigner only, both Yodobashi and Joshin have that for certain brands of cards.  Union Pay and also Visa.  I used that to my advantage at both of those places you mentioned...

 

When you show your passport and they do the tax-free, if you are paying with VISA they knock an additional amount off (5% IIRC?).  At least they did when we were there in Dec/Jan last.

[sandiway]

6 hours ago, chadbag said:

When you show your passport and they do the tax-free, if you are paying with VISA they knock an additional amount off (5% IIRC?).  At least they did when we were there in Dec/Jan last.

Yes. I think that's right. 8% + 5% off.