In short: you do not necessarily need a credit card. Rakuten Mobile also accepts Rakuten Bank debit cards and some other debit cards, and monthly charges can be paid by direct debit from a Japanese bank account. Payment is a separate check from identity verification: having a payment method that works does not mean your application will be approved.
This guide covers smartphone plans for individual applicants aged 18 or over. Applicants under 18 have separate rules for whose card or account can be used.
Which payment method can you use?
In short: credit cards and accepted debit cards can cover both monthly charges and eligible product purchases. Installment options and program requirements depend on the card. Direct debit from a bank account covers monthly charges only, and cash on delivery covers products only.
| Method | Monthly charges / phone price | Things to know |
|---|---|---|
| Credit card (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club) | Yes / Yes | Phone payment options depend on the card. See paying for a phone. |
| Rakuten Bank debit card or some other debit cards | Yes / Yes (one payment only) | Even if the card can be registered, a charge may fail. Whether it works is decided by the card issuer. |
| Direct debit from a bank account | Yes / No | A ¥110 fee is charged for each monthly withdrawal, and Rakuten Points cannot be used. |
| Cash on delivery | No / Yes | For products delivered to you only, with a cash on delivery fee. Not available in some cases. |
Rakuten Points are not a payment method on their own. They are covered in their own section.
Direct debit from a bank account
In Japanese this is called koza furikae: Rakuten Mobile takes the monthly charge from your bank account automatically. It is not a transfer you send yourself.
- Banks on Rakuten Mobile’s list include Rakuten Bank, MUFG Bank, Mizuho Bank, SMBC, Resona Bank, Japan Post Bank, PayPay Bank, Sony Bank, SBI Sumishin Net Bank, Seven Bank, au Jibun Bank, AEON Bank and others. Check the list of participating banks, their hours and the details each bank asks for before you register.
- For Japan Post Bank, choose the entry marked “Web受付方式” (web acceptance) on the list. The other Japan Post Bank entry cannot be used for Rakuten Mobile.
- Corporate accounts are not accepted.
- If you pay monthly charges by direct debit and buy a phone, pay for the phone another way, such as cash on delivery.
Cash on delivery
Cash on delivery is only for product purchases, never for monthly charges. It is not available if you choose identity verification at home on delivery, if the total including shipping is ¥300,001 or more, if you buy at a Rakuten Mobile shop, or for Rakuten Certified Pre-Owned products.
Paying for a phone
- Rakuten Card: one payment, 24 installments or 48 installments, with no installment fee. Some shops may charge installment fees even when you use Rakuten Card. Check with the shop before purchasing.
- Other credit cards: one payment or 24 installments (Visa, Mastercard, American Express and JCB; Diners Club cannot be used for 24 installments). The card company’s installment fees apply.
- Debit cards: one payment only. The phone price is charged when your purchase application is completed.
- Some programs have their own rules. For example, the Rakuten Mobile Kaikae Chotoku Program can only be paid with a Rakuten Card in the contract holder’s name.
- For some low-priced product purchases, only credit or debit cards can be used.
One credit or debit card can be registered to up to five Rakuten IDs, and one bank account to up to two Rakuten IDs.
Can you apply without a Japanese credit card?
In short: yes, if you have one of these: an accepted debit card, a bank account that supports direct debit, or someone else’s credit card that they set up for you. A Rakuten Card is not required.
- A debit card. Rakuten Bank debit cards and some other debit cards are accepted. If you buy a phone with a debit card, you pay for it in one payment.
- A Japanese bank account for direct debit. This covers monthly charges. When you apply, the account must be in your own name. If you also buy a phone, you need another way to pay for it.
- Someone else’s credit card. An adult applicant can use a credit card in another person’s name, but the cardholder must be present and set up the payment themselves. See whose name.
If you have none of these yet, arrange one before you apply. Rakuten Mobile’s payment methods for monthly charges are cards, debit cards and direct debit. There is no option to choose paying each month in cash.
Rakuten Mobile shops can also help with Rakuten Card applications, though not every shop offers this. A Rakuten Card is one option, not a requirement.
Can you use a card issued outside Japan?
In short: I could not confirm this. Rakuten Mobile’s payment pages list card brands, but I could not find a statement on whether cards issued outside Japan can be used when you apply.
- A brand name is not a guarantee. The pages list Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express and Diners Club. They do not say that every card of these brands works, wherever it was issued.
- The one mention of overseas cards is about leaving Japan. Rakuten Mobile’s payment guide for foreign residents mentions switching to a card issued outside Japan to pay the final bill after you leave. That is not the same as confirming these cards can be used to apply.
- 3D Secure: Rakuten Mobile asks you to use a credit card with 3D Secure 2.0 (the card company’s identity check) set up. Questions about 3D Secure go to your card company.
Before you rely on a card issued outside Japan, check with Rakuten Mobile and with your card issuer, and have a backup, such as a Japanese debit card or bank account. Rakuten Mobile’s chat support notes that it answers in Japanese only, so asking at a shop may be easier; Rakuten Mobile says its shops offer English support.
Whose name must be on the card or bank account?
In short: for a new application, an adult can use someone else’s credit card if the cardholder sets it up, but a bank account must be in the applicant’s own name. After the application, the rules for changing the payment method are looser.
| Situation | Rule |
|---|---|
| New application, credit card | A card in another person’s name can be used. The cardholder must be present and set up the payment themselves. At a shop, the cardholder must come with you. |
| New application, bank account | The account must be in the applicant’s name. Otherwise, use a card or an account in your own name. |
| Changing the payment method after applying | A card or bank account in another person’s name can be set in my Rakuten Mobile, with the holder present and doing the setup. Some banks may not allow an account in a different name. |
- Debit cards: Rakuten Mobile’s FAQ on this topic refers to credit cards and bank accounts. If you plan to use a debit card in someone else’s name, check with Rakuten Mobile first.
- Points still go to you: if someone else’s card pays your bill, the Rakuten Points earned on your Rakuten Mobile charges go to the contract holder.
- Under 18: the card or account must be in the applicant’s name or a parent or guardian’s name.
When will you be charged?
In short: you pay after use. Each month’s charges are billed the following month, and the day money actually leaves your account depends on the method.
| Method | Billed by Rakuten Mobile | Money leaves your account |
|---|---|---|
| Direct debit from a bank account | Charges are finalized around the 4th to 10th of the month after use | Around the 27th of the month after use |
| Debit card issued in Japan | Around the 11th to 13th of the month after use | At the same time as the bill |
| Credit card | Around the 11th to 13th of the month after use | When your card company collects it, usually the month after that; it depends on the card |
- Before the withdrawal: for direct debit, make sure the account has enough money by the 27th. For cards, check the expiry date, limit and balance by the 11th.
- Phone purchases are separate: with a debit card, the phone price is charged when the purchase application is completed. A one-payment purchase is billed by Rakuten Mobile, while installments are billed by your card company.
- Changing your payment method: a change made any time from the 1st to the end of a month applies from the next month’s bill.
For the timing and individual charges, see our guide to your first Rakuten Mobile bill.
Can you pay with Rakuten Points?
In short: yes, at 1 point = ¥1, but only if you pay by credit or debit card. Points cannot be used with direct debit or cash on delivery, and you still need a registered payment method.
| Charge | Points |
|---|---|
| Monthly charges and fees | Yes |
| Phone, one payment | Yes |
| Phone, 24 or 48 installments | First payment only; not the ongoing monthly installments |
- Order of use: time-limited points first, then regular points, then Rakuten Pay balance.
- Timing: the number of points you set during a month is applied to the next month’s bill. Time-limited points that expire before billing (around the 11th to 13th) cannot be used.
- Limits: up to 30,000 points at a time and 100,000 points a month (500,000 for Diamond members).
- The rest is charged to your card: after any applicable Rakuten Points and Rakuten Pay balance are used, the remaining amount is charged to your registered card.
- A payment method is still required: even if you pay for a whole phone with points, you must register a payment method, and your Rakuten ID must be registered with Rakuten Mobile.
- Some programs have their own payment conditions, which take priority over these general rules.
If a payment fails or you are leaving Japan
If a payment fails
- If your card or bank account payment fails after the monthly charges are finalized, Rakuten Mobile sends a separate bill for you to pay, and adds a fee for issuing it.
- Once a card or account is marked invalid, register a payment method again. Otherwise, later bills are sent as payment slips. Rakuten Points cannot be used with these slips.
- Unpaid charges that are left unpaid can lead to the contract being cancelled, and Rakuten Mobile warns this may affect new contracts with other carriers.
If you are leaving Japan
- Your contract does not end on its own. Cancel before you leave, or monthly charges continue.
- Billing continues after you cancel: charges for your final month of service are billed the following month. Other charges, including any applicable cancellation fee or remaining device installments, may be billed separately. Keep a valid payment method until all outstanding charges have been paid.
- Japanese cards and accounts may stop working after your period of stay ends. If you have a card issued outside Japan, Rakuten Mobile asks you to switch to it in my Rakuten Mobile by the end of the month in which you apply to cancel.
- No usable card: you can pay the final bill with a convenience store payment slip, which someone in Japan can pay for you. Change your billing address to an address in Japan where the slip can be received.
- For lines applied for and activated on or after April 1, 2025, cancelling within one year incurs a cancellation fee.
For the cancellation steps and the charges that follow, see our guide to final payments when leaving Japan.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Rakuten Card?
No. Other credit cards, Rakuten Bank debit cards, some other debit cards and direct debit from a bank account are also accepted. A Rakuten Card is needed only for some things, such as 48 installments for a phone or the Rakuten Mobile Kaikae Chotoku Program.
Can I use a credit card issued outside Japan?
I could not confirm this. Rakuten Mobile’s payment pages do not clearly say whether cards issued outside Japan can be used when you apply. Check with Rakuten Mobile and your card issuer, and have a backup payment method.
Will my debit card work?
Rakuten Bank debit cards and some other debit cards are accepted. Even if a card can be registered, a charge may fail, and whether it works is decided by the card issuer.
I have no Japanese credit card or bank account. What can I use?
An accepted debit card, or a credit card in someone else’s name that the cardholder sets up in person. Monthly charges cannot be paid in cash, so arrange one of these before you apply.
Can a friend or family member pay for me?
If you are 18 or over, yes with a credit card, as long as the cardholder is present and sets it up. A bank account used when you apply must be in your own name. After your application, an account in another person’s name can be set in my Rakuten Mobile, though some banks may not allow it.
Can I pay in cash at a convenience store?
Not as your regular payment method. Convenience store payment slips are used when a registered payment fails or after a card or account becomes invalid, and as an option for the final bill after you leave Japan.
Can I pay only with Rakuten Points?
No. Points can be used only when you pay by credit or debit card, and you must register a payment method even if points cover the full amount.
Is there a fee for paying by direct debit?
Yes. A ¥110 fee (tax included) is charged for each monthly withdrawal.
Next steps
- Payment is only one part of your application. Check which identity documents you can use in Rakuten Mobile requirements for foreign residents.
- Keeping your Japanese number? See how to switch to Rakuten Mobile and keep your number.
- If you plan to use the employee referral offer, log in through the referral link before you apply.
Read the employee referral steps before applying
Sources: Payment methods (Japanese) · Credit and debit cards (Japanese) · Direct debit (Japanese) · Paying in another person’s name (Japanese) · Changing your payment method (Japanese) · Payment guide for foreign residents (Japanese) · Using Rakuten Points (Japanese) · 3D Secure 2.0 (Japanese)
Checked against Rakuten Mobile’s official payment pages on September 25, 2026. Payment rules may change; if anything here differs from Rakuten Mobile’s official information, the official information applies. This guide is written by Takahiko Tanaka and is not an official Rakuten Mobile website.