xianrocker

I live in Tokyo and I'm constantly seeing commercials on JR trains advertising the ANA Suica Visa card. I really want one but since the FAQs don't cover all of my questions, I am wondering if any of you foreigners that live in Japan can help me with the following:

How do you pay your monthly balance and where? Will a foreign check suffice?

Do you earn air miles when you are simply using the card as a Suica or for ETC?

Thanks a ton for the help!

JackR

The monthly balance is debited from your bank account in Japan (direct debit) on the 10th of each month

You earn miles for all charges debited with the card : etc yes but Suica I don't know never used it but believe yes

Hope this helps

joejones

I only have the equivalent JAL card, but I'll answer from that perspective because I think it should be the same process.

Not in a million years. It takes weeks to cash a foreign check in this country! Generally you pay by automatic debit from your bank account. I believe you can also repay a revolving balance with cash at a VIEW ATM in a JR station.

Yes, you do.

The Suica is a separate account which auto-charges from your credit card account. So the first time you use the Suica, it will deduct a fixed amount (usually 3,000 yen) from your credit card and add that amount to the Suica. When the Suica balance hits zero again it will charge another 3,000 yen to your credit card, and so on. You get miles for the amount charged from Suica to the credit card as if it were any ordinary purchase.

One caveat is that auto-charge only works when you are riding the train. If you pay for something at a shop with Suica, it will not generally auto-charge if you have an insufficient balance (but you can usually settle the remainder in cash).

xianrocker

I don't suppose the card will debit from a US bank either? I live on a military base so I actually don't have a Japanese bank account. If not, how easy is it to transfer funds from a foreign account to a Japanese bank?

FireEmblemPride

Foreign banks won't work either, neither will foreign banks that have branches in Japan (such as a US Citibank account).

Open a Japanese bank account that doesn't charge any monthly fees, and everything will come out of there on the 10th of every month. Sometimes it's the 12th of every month, like this month (April 2010).

Transferring funds to a foreign bank account is easy. But I just prefer withdrawing cash from my US Citibank ATM and then physically redepositing into my Japanese ATM account. Avoids transfer fees, is much faster and works on weekends and such.

NickW

If you don't have a Japanese bank account, I would think it's extremely unlikely you'd be approved for a credit card in Japan.

Simmo

Your chances of getting a card are slim to none and slim just walked out of town. You can get a normal Suica card for a fee which you can refill as much as you want and get points to get discounts off train travel.

domyoji

OP did you get a foreign resident card (gaijin card)? If not then you will not be able to open an account with any Japanese bank.
Also even if you have excellent credit in the US it doesnt count for squat here. Basically if you work for a company here and can prove your income, by having it direct deposited to your Japanese bank account, you have a chance of getting a card. If you dont, then you have zero chance of getting a credit card.

Aldo B

I have an additional question not discussed above. Is it possible to somehow load the ANA (or JAL) VISA+SUICA Card with a Commuter ticket? Otherwise I would have limited benefit from the Card (although it is a fine product).

Alternative options are ANA Visa (cheap) or Amex ANA or possibly JAL alternatives as ANA is my secondary *A programme.

All input is appreciated!

joejones

I don't think you can load a commuter ticket onto the card, but you can buy a JR commuter pass using a Suica-enabled credit card. This requires you to carry two Suica cards around, but you can conjoin them for fare purposes by using the fare adjustment machines.

Your mileage may vary if you need to use non-JR modes of transportation for your commute. In Tokyo (last I checked, anyway) any credit card works to buy a Toei Subway commuter pass, but a Tokyo Metro commuter pass can only be purchased with cash or a ToMe Card.

Aldo B

Thank you. I agree it sounds too good to be true to combine it like that. Using two Suicas to gain a few miles while suffering the hassle of using fare adjustments would be a clear sign of madness. I am not quite there yet.