How to qualify for SFC living in the US?
Apr 26, 2017, 10:21 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: San Juan, PR
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How to qualify for SFC living in the US?
What's the minimum level of effort required to get SFC as a US person with no particular connection to Japan or NH at present? Fly on NH/*A, get Plat/Diamond, then apply? I own a tech company and might end up setting up operations in Japan (toss-up between HK, Taiwan, and Japan right now), and have great US credit but no Japan credit, but if I could get status before actually doing all of that, or if it doesn't happen, seems like it is worth investigating.
Is there a chance they'd overlook residency documentation given a Japanese address, US credit history, etc.? I could presumably fairly easily get Amex to issue me a card, but that probably doesn't help with SMBC.
(I agree this is a relatively insane level of effort for lifetime *G; it would be cheaper and easier to just fly more on *A, or fly paid C when I do fly *A, or pay for the UA Club card in the US which covers the *A lounge benefit I want, but I'm curious what would be required anyway.)
Is there a chance they'd overlook residency documentation given a Japanese address, US credit history, etc.? I could presumably fairly easily get Amex to issue me a card, but that probably doesn't help with SMBC.
(I agree this is a relatively insane level of effort for lifetime *G; it would be cheaper and easier to just fly more on *A, or fly paid C when I do fly *A, or pay for the UA Club card in the US which covers the *A lounge benefit I want, but I'm curious what would be required anyway.)
Apr 26, 2017, 6:16 pm
#2
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Join Date: Jul 2011
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I am fairly certain they are not going to overlook the residency part. Getting a credit card in Japan as a foreigner often feels like having your teeth pulled without anaesthesia. Of I have not tried for the SFC, only other credit cards. But I see no reason they would behave differently....
Apr 26, 2017, 9:52 pm
#3
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Riding the rails
Programs: Japan Forum, Skyteam Elite Plus, BW Diamond Select, HHonors Gold, NWA, DL, NH
Posts: 1,936
I never hard a hard time getting a credit card in Japan, from my experience it was getting the card I wanted first that was difficult. The path I took was get any card first, build a history and then I got the card I wanted. After that, all subsequent cards were very fast and easy. But in every case Japanese address and verification of the address was required.
Usually first the application all in Japanese, a stamp (Hanko), copies of my Japanese residency information (eg jyuminhyo (all residents of Japan have one), then when the delivery person came, I picked it up in person, showed my identification documents and stamped for it.
Even AMEX global transfer doesn't work for Japan all the time (Japan doesn't drop down from their global transfer menu, unless you click "other", which takes you strait to their Japan site), as cards are issued by AMEX Japan. But residency still a must under AMEX global transfer either way.
Usually first the application all in Japanese, a stamp (Hanko), copies of my Japanese residency information (eg jyuminhyo (all residents of Japan have one), then when the delivery person came, I picked it up in person, showed my identification documents and stamped for it.
Even AMEX global transfer doesn't work for Japan all the time (Japan doesn't drop down from their global transfer menu, unless you click "other", which takes you strait to their Japan site), as cards are issued by AMEX Japan. But residency still a must under AMEX global transfer either way.
Apr 27, 2017, 1:05 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,112
I never hard a hard time getting a credit card in Japan, from my experience it was getting the card I wanted first that was difficult. The path I took was get any card first, build a history and then I got the card I wanted. After that, all subsequent cards were very fast and easy. But in every case Japanese address and verification of the address was required.
Usually first the application all in Japanese, a stamp (Hanko), copies of my Japanese residency information (eg jyuminhyo (all residents of Japan have one), then when the delivery person came, I picked it up in person, showed my identification documents and stamped for it.
Even AMEX global transfer doesn't work for Japan all the time (Japan doesn't drop down from their global transfer menu, unless you click "other", which takes you strait to their Japan site), as cards are issued by AMEX Japan. But residency still a must under AMEX global transfer either way.
Usually first the application all in Japanese, a stamp (Hanko), copies of my Japanese residency information (eg jyuminhyo (all residents of Japan have one), then when the delivery person came, I picked it up in person, showed my identification documents and stamped for it.
Even AMEX global transfer doesn't work for Japan all the time (Japan doesn't drop down from their global transfer menu, unless you click "other", which takes you strait to their Japan site), as cards are issued by AMEX Japan. But residency still a must under AMEX global transfer either way.
Apr 27, 2017, 8:20 am
#5
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Riding the rails
Programs: Japan Forum, Skyteam Elite Plus, BW Diamond Select, HHonors Gold, NWA, DL, NH
Posts: 1,936
Actually all my cards have been applied online though the bank's websites (usually if there is some bonus miles/points going on), in the section where a Japanese person would usually write their kanji or kana name I just put it down in English, combining my given(first name)middle name. In the furigana section, name in katakana (again combining given and middle names).
My name is by no means Japanese sounding to be confused as a Japanese person on the application.
For my Rakuten card, Rakuten actually corrected it after I sent in identification and put a space between my given and middle name in English. The other cards, my account has my firstmiddle combined. Though this has never been an issue in having the card approved. There was one card (for the love of me I can't remember) that would not accept romaji in the Japanese name section on their online system, but that was an oddity from my other experiences.
Sumitomo I couldn't fit my entire combined English firstmiddle into the system, so I just put my given name omitting my middle name (usually an issue on official forms in Japan), but surprised that they accepted it anyway no issues, probably due to established credit record. Though I can see it being an issue if one has a particularly long name that might not fit into the online system. My doctors office system can't handle so many romaji characters as well.
The SFC application itself is paper format, but probably due to the special nature of it, but transferring from an already exiting card to an SFC version of the card was not difficult.
As in all cases YMMV but I've been pretty lucky, I think what's in your JICC record has a lot to do with it.
But as mentioned before in every case, Japanese residency and proof of residency required. Delivered registered mail to addressee only, if picking up at the post office, ID and filling out some special form they have when you pick up credit cards at the post office.
My name is by no means Japanese sounding to be confused as a Japanese person on the application.
For my Rakuten card, Rakuten actually corrected it after I sent in identification and put a space between my given and middle name in English. The other cards, my account has my firstmiddle combined. Though this has never been an issue in having the card approved. There was one card (for the love of me I can't remember) that would not accept romaji in the Japanese name section on their online system, but that was an oddity from my other experiences.
Sumitomo I couldn't fit my entire combined English firstmiddle into the system, so I just put my given name omitting my middle name (usually an issue on official forms in Japan), but surprised that they accepted it anyway no issues, probably due to established credit record. Though I can see it being an issue if one has a particularly long name that might not fit into the online system. My doctors office system can't handle so many romaji characters as well.
The SFC application itself is paper format, but probably due to the special nature of it, but transferring from an already exiting card to an SFC version of the card was not difficult.
As in all cases YMMV but I've been pretty lucky, I think what's in your JICC record has a lot to do with it.
But as mentioned before in every case, Japanese residency and proof of residency required. Delivered registered mail to addressee only, if picking up at the post office, ID and filling out some special form they have when you pick up credit cards at the post office.