Foreign residents' point activity: the core is making the shopping routing anyone can do regardless of residence status your foundation and starting safely

Available to Everyone Regardless of Visa Status — Clearing Up the "Foreigner" Myth

Many foreigners living in Japan wonder whether they can participate in point site activities (poikatsu). The short answer is: point site registration, shopping cashback (keiyu), and survey tasks are available to everyone regardless of visa status. Whether you're a permanent resident, student, working visa holder (engineer/specialist/international business), or on a specific activity visa — the cashback shopping foundation works the same for everyone. Visa status only matters for high-value financial tasks like credit card applications or securities account openings. The vast majority of point activities are visa-neutral.

This guide focuses on the four topics that are genuinely specific to foreigners living in Japan: ① how to pass identity verification (KYC), ② using point sites when your Japanese is limited (multi-language support), ③ setting up a Japanese bank account and payment methods, and ④ tax/dependent considerations and what to do with your points before leaving Japan. The goal is to show that this is accessible — once you know these four areas, you can get started just like anyone else. Pointnavi supports Japanese, Chinese, English, Vietnamese, and Korean, so you can compare cashback rates in your own language.

For a general overview of how to start with point sites, see the Getting Started with Poikatsu guide.

Passing Identity Verification (KYC) — How to Use Your Residence Card or My Number Card

Point site registration only requires an email address, but withdrawing earnings (cash or gift cards) and completing financial tasks like credit card or bank account applications require identity verification (KYC). Here's what foreigners in Japan can use and how to navigate the process.

The most common reason KYC fails is a mismatch between the address on your residence card and your registered address. If you have moved and have not updated your residence card at the municipal office, KYC will be rejected. Always keep your registered address and your residence card in sync. Also check your residence card's expiry date and visa validity period — if your visa is expiring soon, some credit card applications and bank account openings may be declined.

If you have a My Number Card, use it actively. It carries more administrative weight than the residence card alone, and many online banks and card issuers now support eKYC using the My Number Card, making the process smoother. Note: the My Number notification slip or just knowing your number is not valid for identity verification — only the physical My Number Card (with photo) counts.

Surprisingly effective for financial projects (credit cards, account opening) is "the timing of your application." When your residence period is near its end, card screening or account opening can become harder to pass on the grounds of "the remaining period before expiry." Applying right after renewing your residence period, or when there’s ample time before expiry, tends to pass more easily as a result. Conversely, shopping referrals and surveys aren’t affected by remaining residence time, so it’s efficient to split financial projects into "do them together after renewal" and everything else into "anytime." For how foreigner card screening works and the application flow, see our credit card sign-up cashback guide (screening results depend on individual circumstances, so nothing can be asserted).

Using Point Sites with Limited Japanese — Multi-Language Support and the Reality of Language Barriers

A common concern is "do I need to read Japanese fluently to do poikatsu?" In practice, the language barrier varies dramatically depending on what type of task you're doing. Shopping cashback requires almost no Japanese reading at all. Surveys and some specific tasks require reading comprehension. Understanding this gap makes it much easier to start from the low-barrier end.

Pointnavi's multi-language features: Cashback rate comparisons, rankings, and shop searches are available in Chinese, English, Vietnamese, and Korean. You can check which tasks or shops offer the best rates in your language, then click the referral link. For shopping cashback specifically, you do not need to read any Japanese to get started.

Banks and financial institutions with English support: Sony Bank (dedicated English service), Sumishin SBI Net Bank (English pages available), Wise (formerly TransferWise, excellent for multi-currency and international transfers), and Rakuten Bank also have English options. In contrast, Japan Post Bank and most regional banks operate primarily in Japanese and may be stricter about opening accounts for foreigners. For receiving withdrawals from point sites, an online bank with experience handling foreign customers is the safer choice. See the Online Banking and Poikatsu guide for more.

You don’t need to clear the Japanese-language hurdle "all at once" — it’s realistic to tackle it in stages from low-hurdle projects. First grasp the feel of rewards with shopping referrals (just clicking the referral), expand to free registrations and app downloads that need only email confirmation, and once you’re used to Japanese, move to financial projects that require reading application forms — widening in this order steadily grows the range you can handle comfortably. With an environment where you can check reward rates and rankings in your native language as the foundation, the trick is to add projects that require reading Japanese "only as much as you can read." For how to proceed with points play overall, our Getting Started with Poikatsu guide is a useful entry point readable with a native-language feel.

Japanese Bank Accounts and Payments — What Foreigners Need to Know for Poikatsu

Converting earned points to cash requires a Japanese bank account. Opening one as a foreigner has a reputation for being difficult, but online banks have become much more accessible and many now accept residence cards for account opening. That said, bank policies differ — your visa type, remaining visa validity, and purpose of stay may all be factors.

• Why online banks work better: No branch visit needed, some offer English-language support, and they work well as withdrawal destinations for point sites (PayPay Bank, Sumishin SBI, Rakuten Bank, etc.).
• What you will need: Residence card (with current address), My Number, Japanese address, and email. If you have a My Number Card, more banks now offer eKYC which significantly speeds up the process.
• Short visa validity: If your visa is expiring soon, bank account applications may be rejected. Applying after renewal or with plenty of remaining validity improves your chances.
• Using Wise: Wise is excellent for international transfers and multi-currency use. While point site withdrawals typically require a Japanese yen bank account, Wise is convenient for moving money abroad after withdrawal. Some point sites support direct transfers to Wise — check each site's current options.

Payment considerations: Credit card approval depends on visa status and remaining validity. Cards with relatively higher approval rates for foreigners tend to be no-annual-fee retail cards (AEON Card, Seven Card, etc.) or those with a track record of accepting foreign applicants. That said, approval is never guaranteed and depends on individual circumstances. Without a credit card, code payment apps like PayPay and Rakuten Pay can be loaded from a bank account and combined with cashback programs. For a deeper look at the bank and poikatsu combination, see the Online Banking and Poikatsu guide.

Tax and Dependent Rules — What Foreign Residents Need to Know

The tax relationship between poikatsu and foreign residents is not dramatically different from Japanese residents. If you have an address in Japan and are classified as a "resident" for tax purposes, Japan's tax rules apply to your poikatsu income regardless of your visa type. Here is how points are generally treated:

• Shopping cashback points: Generally treated as a discount on your own purchases, and therefore not typically taxable. This is the common understanding, but consult the tax office or a tax professional if you want confirmation for your specific situation.
• Reward-type points (task completion, referral bonuses, etc.): Treated as income (miscellaneous income). For salaried workers, non-salary income exceeding 200,000 yen per year generally triggers a need for a tax return. Homemakers, students, and others should check whether their amounts fall within their basic deduction limits.
• If you are on a dependent's tax record: Reward-type income from poikatsu can affect the income limits for tax dependents and social insurance dependents. These income thresholds apply the same way regardless of visa status. See the Dependents and Poikatsu guide for specifics.
• Tax returns for foreign residents: If you have taxable income in Japan, you have a tax filing obligation regardless of visa status. Whether poikatsu income is taxable depends on the amount, type, and your personal situation. The safest approach is to consult the tax office or a tax accountant. For more, see the Poikatsu Tax and Tax Returns guide.

Before You Leave Japan — Organizing Your Points Before Returning Home

Once you know you are leaving Japan, you need to plan the exit strategy for your poikatsu accounts well in advance. Bank account closures, point expiry, and withdrawal processes can all become impossible to manage after you have left.

1. ① Audit all your point balancesList the balance and expiry date for each point site and shared point program (Rakuten, Ponta, d Point, etc.). Once you are out of Japan and points expire, there is nothing you can do. See the Preventing Point Expiry guide.
2. ② Withdraw to your bank account before closing itMost point site withdrawals require a Japanese bank account. Complete all withdrawals before closing your account. Some services take days to weeks from request to deposit — plan ahead with plenty of buffer time.
3. ③ Convert remaining points to gift cards or e-moneyAmazon gift cards, PayPay balance, and similar options can sometimes be used after returning home or internationally. Check the exchange options for each point site you use.
4. ④ Check international transfer optionsServices like Wise make it easier to send Japanese yen to your home country bank account. Compare fees and exchange rates before using.
5. ⑤ Consider deregistering or managing dormancyHolding Japanese yen points with no way to use them after leaving Japan is wasteful. Confirm your balance is zero before deregistering. Some services cancel dormant points — check the rules for each site.

Shared points (Rakuten, Ponta, d Point): These can be spent at supermarkets, convenience stores, and online, but become hard to use after returning home. Plan to either convert them to Amazon gift cards or cash before leaving, or use them up while still in Japan. For a comparison of shared point programs, see the Shared Points Comparison guide.

For your departure arrangements, the iron rule is to "build the schedule by counting back from your departure date." Cashing out can take time from request to deposit, so start taking stock of balances and cashing out at the latest one month before departure, and close your account last, only after all cash-outs have arrived. For points near expiry and common points, either use them up while in Japan or convert/cash out early, and always confirm a zero balance before withdrawing. Trying to do it all in the chaos right before leaving the country tends to cause expiry or missed cash-outs, so plan ahead. For managing points to prevent expiry, see our Preventing Point Expiry section.

Mini Glossary — Key Terms for Foreigners Doing Poikatsu in Japan

Understanding a few key terms around visa status, identity verification, and taxes can clear up much of the "this seems complicated for foreigners" anxiety. Here is a quick overview before you start.

Understanding these terms helps you clearly separate "what you can do regardless of visa status (shopping cashback, surveys)" from "what involves visa status and screening (credit cards, bank accounts)." The safest place to start is Pointnavi in your language, beginning with shopping cashback. For tax and visa questions, always check with the tax office, immigration authority, or the relevant financial institution's official sources.

Frequently Asked Questions