Medical Expense Deduction × Points|Pay with Cashback + Tax-Saving Combo

Deep dives Published:2026-06-04 5 min read

Medical Expense Deduction × Points|Pay with Cashback + Tax-Saving Combo

When a year's medical expenses exceed a threshold (roughly ¥100,000, or 5% of income), you may claim the medical expense deduction at tax filing and get tax back (save tax). To combine it with points, the trick is to pay medical expenses with a cashback method to earn cashback while saving tax via the deduction. The keys: correctly grasp eligible medical expenses, pay with a cashback method, keep receipts, and claim the deduction at tax filing. This guide covers the medical-deduction × points combo. See the Tax Filing Guide, the Furusato Tax Guide, and the Telemedicine Guide.

Things to Consider for Medical Deduction × Points

SituationHow to EarnPoint
Paying medical expensesWith a cashback methodPayment cashback + deduction
Grasping eligible expensesFamily's, transport tooCheck eligible/ineligible
Keeping receiptsA year's togetherKeep for 5 years
Tax filingClaim with the statementTax Filing Guide

※ The deduction's requirements, eligibility, and calculation vary by system and personal situation. For an accurate judgment, check the tax agency's information or a tax accountant. For the latest on points, check Pointnavi. For choosing loyalty points, see the Loyalty Points Comparison Guide.

Medical Deduction × Points: Steps

  1. ① Pay medical expenses with a cashback methodPay at hospitals, pharmacies, and drugstores (eligible medicines) with a cashback credit card or code payment. You earn payment cashback while recording it as eligible medical expense for the deduction. Tap Payment Guide.
  2. ② Correctly grasp eligible medical expensesNot only your own, but family members in the same household and transport for visits can be eligible. Conversely, cosmetic purposes and preventive supplements are often ineligible. Confirm what's eligible and tally it.
  3. ③ Keep receipts and recordsKeep a year's medical receipts and statements together (you must keep them 5 years even after filing). The health-insurance "medical expense notice" can help too. Use a household-budget app or receipt management to ease tallying.
  4. ④ Claim the deduction at tax filingIf the year's eligible medical expenses exceed the threshold, submit the medical-deduction statement at tax filing. With e-Tax you can file from home. Tax Filing Guide.
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The core of the medical-deduction × points combo is "pay medical expenses with a cashback method to earn cashback, while saving tax via the deduction at tax filing." Medical expenses aren't a point-site routing offer, but tweaking how you pay earns payment cashback, and the deduction may return tax. But the real reward is receiving the care you need and filing correctly — not receiving unneeded care for points or tax savings. The medical deduction has requirements (an annual-total threshold, the range of eligible expenses), and eligibility judgments and calculations vary by personal situation. For an accurate judgment, check the tax agency's information or a tax accountant. Check systems like the choice vs. the Self-Medication tax scheme (buying eligible medicines). Be sure to keep receipts. The point is simply to "handle medical expenses you'd incur anyway in a worthwhile, correct way with payment cashback + the deduction."

Cautions

  • Don't get unneeded care for cashback/tax: The real reward is receiving needed care. Don't make unneeded visits or purchases for points or the deduction. Handle necessary medical expenses correctly.
  • Confirm eligible/ineligible: Treatment-purpose medical expenses are eligible, but cosmetic purposes and preventive/health-promotion supplements are often ineligible. Confirm what's eligible via the tax agency's information.
  • Check receipt keeping and requirements: Receipts and statements must be kept 5 years. Check the annual-total threshold (roughly ¥100,000 or 5% of income) and the choice vs. the Self-Medication tax scheme.
  • For an accurate judgment, ask a professional: The deduction's requirements, eligibility, and calculation vary by personal situation. If unsure, check the tax agency's information or a tax accountant. Use payment-cashback points within their validity. Expiry Prevention Guide.

FAQ

Can I earn points on medical expenses?
Medical expenses themselves aren't a point-site routing offer, but paying at hospitals and pharmacies with a cashback credit card or code payment earns payment cashback. Further, if the year's medical expenses exceed the threshold, the medical deduction at tax filing may return tax — a payment-cashback + tax-saving combo.
From what amount can I claim the medical deduction?
Generally, the portion of a year's eligible medical expenses exceeding ¥100,000 (or 5% of income, whichever is lower) is the rough threshold for the deduction. Not only your own, but family members in the same household and transport for visits can be eligible. For exact requirements and calculation, check the tax agency's information or a tax accountant.
What should I watch out for?
Don't get unneeded care for points or tax savings. Confirm eligible/ineligible (cosmetic purposes and preventive supplements are often ineligible), the annual threshold, and the choice vs. the Self-Medication tax scheme. Receipts must be kept 5 years. The deduction's requirements and calculation vary by personal situation, so for an accurate judgment check the tax agency's information or a tax accountant. Use payment-cashback points within their validity.

This article was written from publicly available information on each point site as of May 2026. Cashback rates, campaign terms, and redemption rules can change without notice — always check each site's official page for the latest. This site uses each point site's referral program, but going through a referral link never changes the rate you receive.