Processing credit card charges from Japan
Nov 17, 2007, 6:51 pm
#1
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Processing credit card charges from Japan
I returned from a week in Japan last week and while I didn't put a lot of things on my credit cards (Mastercard and Visa), I did have a few charges. Curiously, none of them have shown up yet on my most recent mailed statements, all of which were processed since my return. In some cases the charges were made on the 1st through the 4th of November, at least a week before the statements were printed and mailed. Now I am not complaining that I have a whole additional cycle of free use of the bank's money, but just find it odd, particularly given the extra day that also comes into play due to the dateline between Japan and NAmerica.
So is it normal for such a delay to occur?
So is it normal for such a delay to occur?
Nov 17, 2007, 7:01 pm
#2
Join Date: May 2007
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That may be so, but they will include what amounts to a 3% surcharge. The vendor will not get paid for another cycle after that.
http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic
http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic
Nov 17, 2007, 8:07 pm
#3
Used to be RichardKopf
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Cards
Sorry to disagree but a vendor, or, more correctly, card merchant, is paid the business day after processing bank issued cards like Visa/Master and within 3 business days for Amex/Diners.
Nov 18, 2007, 7:49 am
#6
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I've actually had charges be delayed by over a month before they appeared in my online banking.
I distinctly remember buying a pile of CDs at HMV in Shibuya and thinking I had somehow ended up getting them for free. But, sure enough, almost two months later, the charge finally showed up.
Shinkansen tickets purchased via credit card have also taken very long amounts of time to show up, on occasion.
I distinctly remember buying a pile of CDs at HMV in Shibuya and thinking I had somehow ended up getting them for free. But, sure enough, almost two months later, the charge finally showed up.
Shinkansen tickets purchased via credit card have also taken very long amounts of time to show up, on occasion.
Nov 19, 2007, 1:10 am
#7
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Terra Australis Cognita
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I've had a whole bunch of credit card charges in Japan, duly swiped and signed for, never show up on my bill. This was a while ago, and it only ever happened for small charges, but as a poor student it was difficult to resist the temptation of visiting a certain major Shibuya bookstore whose charges always disappeared into the ether...
Nov 22, 2007, 7:45 am
#9
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Chicago, IL
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Posts: 47
Hmmm...
I've used my debit card (as credit) within Japan and I can say they took that money out usually immediately. I did find a few places that were delayed at most 24 hours, but usually everything hit within that 24 hours.
So that makes me curious -- is it the bank just doesn't want to process the card transactions until they are finished, or is it a merchant problem?
But everyone's experiences are different, I'll be watching this and will update during my next trip to Japan in Jan.
So that makes me curious -- is it the bank just doesn't want to process the card transactions until they are finished, or is it a merchant problem?
But everyone's experiences are different, I'll be watching this and will update during my next trip to Japan in Jan.
Nov 25, 2007, 5:14 am
#10
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Japan
Posts: 5,577
Reading your posts makes me envy you. My charges
here on my U.S. credit cards, usually Capitalone Visa
( no surcharge ) or the occasional AMEX, pop up
within hours on my "recent activity page". And no
charge ever disappeared into the ether. I wish some
had.........
here on my U.S. credit cards, usually Capitalone Visa
( no surcharge ) or the occasional AMEX, pop up
within hours on my "recent activity page". And no
charge ever disappeared into the ether. I wish some
had.........
Nov 25, 2007, 11:37 am
#11
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I've used my debit card (as credit) within Japan and I can say they took that money out usually immediately. I did find a few places that were delayed at most 24 hours, but usually everything hit within that 24 hours.
So that makes me curious -- is it the bank just doesn't want to process the card transactions until they are finished, or is it a merchant problem?
But everyone's experiences are different, I'll be watching this and will update during my next trip to Japan in Jan.
So that makes me curious -- is it the bank just doesn't want to process the card transactions until they are finished, or is it a merchant problem?
But everyone's experiences are different, I'll be watching this and will update during my next trip to Japan in Jan.
My ATM withdrawl did post on the day of the transaction, but regular credit card charges have taken up to a week to post...unfortunately they have all now posted.
Nov 27, 2007, 12:21 am
#12
Join Date: Feb 2003
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JR and Taxi charges are notoriously slow hitting my statement.
Sheraton Miyako was about a week.
But Japan Rail (JR) is the absolute worst!!! 2 weeks sometimes.
Not that I care but I cannot do the my expense reports bat to the mother-ship until things post to my card.
Fortunately, it's my US corp card but I still need to report back to HQ in Japan.
Cheers,
Scho
Sheraton Miyako was about a week.
But Japan Rail (JR) is the absolute worst!!! 2 weeks sometimes.
Not that I care but I cannot do the my expense reports bat to the mother-ship until things post to my card.
Fortunately, it's my US corp card but I still need to report back to HQ in Japan.
Cheers,
Scho
Nov 27, 2007, 11:25 am
#13
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 5,679
If there's one thing the Japanese love, it's Red Tape that creates jobs for people. What you didn't see going on in the back end was a bunch of people passing your charge receipt around, bowing at each other while they signed and stamped it. Why? Who knows, but if you look at banks, travel agencies and post offices and watch the people behind the counter you'll see 3-4 people doing the job that one person and computer would do in the US.
Nov 27, 2007, 4:25 pm
#14
Join Date: Feb 2003
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If there's one thing the Japanese love, it's Red Tape that creates jobs for people. What you didn't see going on in the back end was a bunch of people passing your charge receipt around, bowing at each other while they signed and stamped it. Why? Who knows, but if you look at banks, travel agencies and post offices and watch the people behind the counter you'll see 3-4 people doing the job that one person and computer would do in the US.
Couldn't it just be...
"3-4 people doing the job that one person and a computer could do"?
I just don't think that the comparison to the US is on topic.
Scho
Nov 27, 2007, 5:06 pm
#15
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 5,679
It's a frame of reference, not a nationalistic statement. I think we all know the Japanese can excel at automation when they want to. Restaurants (all those fancy WiFi Order Pads), car production, and transit just to name a few.