Shopping at Bic Camera - How Do Points Work
 

So we're still waffling on the Macbook upgrade plan and want to better understand how the Bic Camera points work, and if there are ever any additional discounts available for Apple products - their usual coupons are excluded from Apple products and it seems everyone - Bic, Yodabashi, Costco, etc are all matching Apple Store pricing on the M4 Macbook Air and no one seems to discount this model at all.

When you buy at Bic Camera without a local Japan address, can you sign up for points, and is there any delay before you can use the points on your next purchase? I want to buy a Panasonic Doltz ultrasonic toothbrush, so my plan is to buy the Macbook, get the points, then go upstairs to personal appliances and redeem those points against the cost of the toothbrush and other misc items I buy there to bring back

But if there is a delay between earning the points and redeeming them, or you can't earn the points without a Japan address, then it changes things and tips the cost in favor of Amazon.

Here is the math:

Option 1 - buy from Amazon US, cost is $1,450 plus re-routing the shipping via Delaware to avoid almost $200 per Macbook in California sales tax. Cost of the re-route is guesstimated at $75 per Macbook, including the mailbox rental fee for a month, package handling and the UPS shipping cost. This is the absolute cheapest option unless the Yen totally collapses against the dollar in the next week. The downside is Amazon may refuse to ship to the mailbox location, or the shipping or handling costs may be more than estimated, but at first pass, this should be an all-in cost of about US$1,525

Option 2 - buy from Bic Camera. Cost is JPY258,800 minus 10% tax, and with a 5% rebate in points. This will run an estimated no tax net of US$1,605 for the Macbook. But now I need to consider the value of the 5% points rebate since I am buying other things - that runs about US$90 in value, so my net-net all in is closer to $1,515, slightly lower than the US Amazon estimate

Pro of Option 2 - we have a guaranteed cost, and walk out with the Macbook, no worries about shipping or variable costs.

Con of Option 2 - we will probably end up with at least one or both with Japanese keyboards - for me, likely not a big issue, for my other half, maybe more so. If we need to wait to redeem the points, or the points can't be redeemed at all, then there is no reason to buy at Bic Camera as Amazon will be cheaper all in

I have a Yodobashi point card (physical) from many years ago. A JP fluent friend helped me sign up for it via a paper form and it did require a JP address.

It does seem like it is the point card or tax back, not both per https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel...t=share_button (poster is also a FT member)

Looking at the signup flow, there is a signup page screenshot with address near the bottom of the page https://www.biccamera.com/bc/c/info/point/webregist.jsp

Random O/T note - I also have a Montbell US/Global membership card which can be used in Montbell JP stores during checkout. They integrated the systems earlier this/last year & it takes a few extra keystrokes. Less touristed shop associates may have to check "the manual" but the info's there. US membership is free, JP is 1,500 JPY https://www.montbell.com/us/en/club/international The shops I went to in 2025 didn't offer tax free (anymore, at one point, the Kyobashi shop did). Looks like they're expanding into UK, too.

ETA: Microcenter offers 10% off Mac products for in-store pickup. https://www.microcenter.com/search/s...hButton=search Microcenter Silicon Valley just had their Grand Opening and during the week of soft launch prior to Grand Opening to about a 3? days after, they offered 15% off in-stock Mac computers. AZ-Phoenix has a note of "Opening Soon". Sales Tax would still be there. Unless you need a custom config, you might be better off waiting for a Costco or B&H Deal. Costco is on the last day of $100 off 1,149.99 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16GB Memory, 512GB https://slickdeals.net/f/18356875-ap...xpired%3Afalse

Thanks for confirming. I can just use the address for the Tokyo Marriott where we always stay until we get that akiya, but if we can’t double dip, that will be a deal breaker. I don’t want to pay a premium to buy the laptop in Japan, the goal is to save money.

Now having said that, Costco Japan has the configuration that we want for JPY238,800 vs the $258,800 at Bic/Yodabashi etc - but I can’t tell from the website if that is plus tax or including tax. If it’s including tax than the price is just about the same as Bic minus the tax.

But without the additional points or rebate, the USA will be cheaper in the end.

Unless the yen hits 150 or better by the end of the week

Do you go to Japan often enough to get low cost refill heads? Panasonic also uses proprietary chargers https://youtu.be/reJnUnqJqg0?si=-l8-aoJm94GInW82&t=349 including the toothbrush? I've purchased a few Omron & Doltz sonic battery operated travel toothbrushes over the years and learned to pick up replacement heads at the same time. I don't consider JP only sonic toothbrushes a frugal option though the model in the video does look nice. Costco.com offers 3 types of Sonicare heads in a simple cardboard box (yes, I'll pay $3 shipping not to cut open that absurd display packaging) so I stock up when they go on sale. I've never tried the third party/knockoff replacement heads. The lower end Sonicare models come with a USB-A charger.

I’m there roughy 4x a year including overnight plus one day connections to Taipei. I’ll pick up extra brushes when I buy the machine.

At home I have a Japanese Hitachi rice cooker and a Panasonic Doltz tooth irrigator which doubles as power washer at the highest setting to strip mold from around the sink drain - hence it’s technically not allowed for sale in the USA. I bought extra nozzles for that machine the last time I was there. At the lower to medium setting it won’t poke a hole in your gum.

The features of the Doltz EW DP 57 appear far superior to anything from Sonicare or Oral B in the USA.

A DP, when I asked about points I was told that I'm not eligible because of tax-free.
Maybe they still run the card promotion? I was able to get an additional 5% off in BIC camera when paying with a mastercard in early February, and I think the discount was still there in April.

Unfortunately none of their coupon specials apply to Apple products

I've also noticed during my trips that electronics are not always cheaper even during enyasu times.
I did ask at the Tsukumo Ex to verify and they did confirm (at least in their store) that the yen price will fluctuate with the exchange rate so more times than not it's fairly equivalent to the dollar price and waiting till I get home from my vacation to just order online or buy locally saves on the hassle of the tax free procedures and carrying it around/back with me to the US.

Points are credited to your Yodobashi or Bic account immediately after purchase. However, I don't know how points earning works for tax-free purchases, as I'm a resident here.

I can't speak for other products, but Apple prices are always stable unless they authorize a retailer (Amazon, Costco, etc) to offer a discount. Once the product is released, the global pricing is set and does not change with currency fluctuations, so the ideal situation is to hope for a high value yen at the time of the product's release, then hope for the yen to fall against the dollar by the time you're ready to buy - that creates the arbitrage opportunity.

Not massive savings, but enough of a saving in currency plus not paying any sales tax can result in a sizeable cut in cost when both opportunities are combined. I think there is a website that tracks global pricing to help consumers spot arbitrage opportunities across currencies when traveling.

I need to stop by the store anyway to get the Doltz toothbrush, some laundry scent and a few other odds and ends - I will check and report back on whether double-dipping is allowed.

Good to know. I've actually never bought apple products in Japan since they always seem to be so close in price to what I can get them in dollars when I'm actually in need of one and I also don't get the tax break unless I take advantage of a gray area.

There are no points earned on tax-free purchases. You can pick between the points or the tax discount.

Makes sense that Bic wouldn't want people to double-dip on that.

If the Macbook air is on amazon, why not have it go to a amazon locker/counter (or a postal annex/ups store mailbox) in oregon (no sales tax)? Should be cheaper shipping down to cali than deleware if using the private mailbox. There are apple stores in beaverton at washington square mall or bridgeport village in tigard (I'd avoid the pioneer square downtown portland location).if you want to go to an apple store in oregon. There is also a best buy in medford if you're looking closer to cali border.
I abhor cali's excessive taxes for the dismal services it provides to actual tax payers, so I fully support this line of thinking:)