Geline Salac

How to get the most out of your money during your Japan trip

Article (news)

Aneth Ng-Lim

Visiting Japan for business or pleasure?  You may want to make sure you are bringing a credit card that gets you more value for all your yen spending.“As more Filipinos travel to Japan, and international tourism to Japan continues to grow, our cross-border payment opportunities are expanding,” states JCB Country Manager for the Philippines Wataru Tamura. “By leveraging JCB’s global acceptance network and strong brand connection with Japan, we aim to deliver value that goes beyond transactions – fostering trust, convenience, and a sense of belonging among our cardholders.”With many credit card products to choose from, and several issuers too, you may hesitate to add one more to your wallet.  Personally, I prefer to own only cards I actually use and deliver more value for my hard-earned money.Some of JCB’s unique offers that visitors to Japan and consumers in general will find pretty hard to say no to include:#1 Access to lounge service at major airports in Japan and overseas. Regardless of airline or class you fly, you could get complimentary access to JCB partner airport lounges. We wanted to use this recently, but Japan airports offer so many attractions that we decided to just shop and eat some more of their delicious and authentic meals before take-off. It’s nice to know we do have this option – and at no cost.#2 JCB Chooseday Promotion. “This is a fantastic, recurring campaign built on the concept that every Tuesday (our &quot;Chooseday&quot;) our cardmembers are guaranteed a valuable special offer or discount,” shares Tamura. JCB partners with popular merchants that include well-known Japanese restaurants and retailers, as well as favored local coffee shops.“The most successful format within this promotion has been the Buy 1 Get 1 concept, which offers immediate, tangible value. Our current initiative with a highly recognized brand like Yoshinoya has been exceptionally well-received, driving significant transactions and positive buzz,” boasts Tamura.#3 Best Of Japan Raffle Campaign. For 3 years now, JCB has been tapping into the strong desire for Japan travel with the &quot;Best Of Japan&quot; raffle campaign. Cardholders need to register with their bank issuer to participate in a draw to win. This year, JCB is giving away ten JAL Business Class tickets and ten pairs of Japan travel packages for two people, with 20 winners in total.“Cardmembers earn one raffle entry for every single transaction of PHP 1,000 or more. This mechanism ensures that the more they use their JCB Card for daily expenses, the higher their chances of winning that dream trip,” explains Tamura.#4 Japan Visa Fee Discount Program. “We understand that securing a Japan visa is a key step for Filipinos. As part of our exclusive suite of premium benefits known as JCB PLEX, we partnered with leading travel agencies to offer a significantly reduced fee for Japan visa application processing for our Platinum cardholders. This initiative addresses a common pain point in applying for a Japan visa and clearly demonstrates JCB&#x27;s unique, tangible value,” describes Tamura.Our family recently availed of this and we each paid only P188 for our Japan visa applications.  It’s welcome savings, and a great way to kick off our Japan adventure during which we expect to spend (literally!) our days shopping and dining around Tokyo and Osaka.#5 JCB Exclusive Discounts. Nothing gets me more excited that stacked savings, and JCB is the one card that allows me to do that in Japan. At everybody’s must shopping stop Don Quijote for example, you can avail of tax-free offer when you spend at least 5,000 yen. Top that with up to 7% extra discount and up to 8% cashback and I am one happy shopper. This offer was launched on November 15 and will run until January 31, 2026.JCB began its licensed operations in the Philippines in 1996, and will mark its 30th anniversary next year.

Visiting Japan for business or pleasure? You may want to make sure you are bringing a credit card that gets you more value for all your yen spending.

Visiting Japan for business or pleasure? You may want to make sure you are bringing a credit card that gets you more value for all your yen spending.