Money & Cards
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Last updated: July 27, 2026
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As of December 2025, if you look at Japanese SNS or foreign communities like Reddit, you might hear a common complaint:
"I feel like I'm not earning Rakuten Points like I used to..." "Is it true that the Furusato Nozei point rewards are over?"
To give you the honest conclusion: Yes, that is correct. The old "Point Festival" is over.
Due to stricter regulations by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in October 2025, the "alchemy" of donating to Furusato Nozei, getting gifts, and earning tens of thousands of points on top of that is no longer possible. Furthermore, the SPU (Super Point Up program) rules have become more complex. If you just use your card aimlessly, your return rate will only go down.
So, should we escape the "Rakuten Ecosystem"?
The answer is "No." The rules have become stricter, but Rakuten remains the strongest tool to reduce our living costs by "¥30,000 to ¥50,000 per year." All you need to do is "adapt" to the new rules.
In this article, we will guide you through the "5 New Iron Rules" to earn points wisely and steadily in Japan in 2025.
First, let's talk about the most critical change. In the past, if you had a Rakuten Mobile contract, your point multiplier on Rakuten Ichiba increased automatically. However, those convenient days are over.
Starting February 2025, for Rakuten Mobile subscribers (Saikyo Plan) to receive the SPU benefit (+4x), you must press the "Entry Button" every single month.
What happens if you forget this? No matter how much you shop on Rakuten Ichiba, your point multiplier will not increase. Your precious "+4x" becomes "0x".
Honestly, it's a hassle. But that single click dramatically changes your return rate. If you aren't using Rakuten Mobile yet, it is still worth switching just to get this "+4x" right.
Just sign up and click the button to get +4x points on Rakuten Ichiba. Unlimited data for ¥3,278/month.
Once you've set up Rakuten Mobile, let's review your "payments in town." At convenience stores, drugstores, and supermarkets, are you still pulling out a plastic credit card? Or are you just using PayPay out of habit?
The correct answer for Rakuten users is "Rakuten Pay charged via Rakuten Card."
Why is PayPay not enough? We compare the detailed return rates in "[2025 Edition] PayPay vs. Rakuten Pay: Which is the Strongest Mobile Payment in Japan?](/en/money-cards/japan-mobile-payment-guide)"
The condition to maintain this overwhelming "1.5%" became slightly stricter from July 2025. It is: "You must present the Rakuten Point Card App at least twice in the previous month."
If you don't clear this, your return rate drops to 1.0%. Make the following routine a habit:
Just doing this (twice a month) locks in your 1.5% return rate for the next month. Think of it as a game quest and clear it every month.
No annual fee forever. The only card that earns points when charging Rakuten Pay.
After daily shopping, let's talk about the biggest annual saving opportunity: "Furusato Nozei" (Hometown Tax Donation).
Until September 2025, we could earn massive points with Furusato Nozei. However, due to the October regulations, excessive point rewards by portal sites have been banned.
So, is there no point in doing Furusato Nozei anymore? No. The biggest benefit, "Tax Deduction," hasn't decreased by a single yen.
From now on, you don't need to rack your brain with complex point calculations. You don't need to worry about "Shopping Marathon" multipliers. Simply choose the "return gifts you want (rice, meat, fruit)" and pay with your Rakuten Card. The 1% point return for card payments is still granted as usual.
If you are thinking, "I don't really understand how Furusato Nozei works in the first place," please check "Furusato Nozei Complete Guide for Foreigners" to understand how it lowers your Residence Tax.
The festival is over, but if I can get 60kg of rice for a self-pay burden of just ¥2,000, there's no reason not to do it. Just think of the points as a bonus. :::
Just as important as "earning" points is not "wasting" them. The biggest mistake you can make in the Rakuten Ecosystem is "letting Limited Time Points expire."
Many points received from campaigns expire in about 45 days. And annoyingly, these cannot be used for "Rakuten Card payments."
So, how should you use them up?
Warning: Do not use points for shopping on Rakuten Ichiba. You don't earn points on the portion paid with points, so your return rate decreases. "Pay with Card on Ichiba, Pay with Points in Town." This is the iron rule.
Finally, let's talk about shopping "timing." Many campaigns have ended or been nerfed, but the "Every month on days ending in 5 and 0 (5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, 30th)" campaign is still alive.
When you think about buying something on Rakuten Ichiba (water, detergent, gadgets, etc.), always ask yourself: "Is today a day ending in 5 or 0?"
If not, put the item in your "Cart" and wait for that day to come. Just by entering and buying on that day, your point multiplier increases. Unless it's an emergency, waiting a few days leads to profit.
The Rakuten Ecosystem of 2025 doesn't have the flashy excitement it used to. However, by consolidating your life's infrastructure—electricity, gas, communication, and daily groceries—into Rakuten, the system that generates "tens of thousands of yen in tax-free profit per year" is still alive and well.
Just by calmly executing these three steps, you can live smarter than other foreigners living in Japan.
Use the money you saved with points to pay for rent and utilities. For a breakdown of real living costs in Tokyo, "Cost of Living in Tokyo for One Person (2025 Edition)" will be helpful.
Your first step to building credit in Japan. We explain how to pass the screening.
No, you cannot. Only "Regular Points" can be used for point investment at Rakuten Securities. It is most efficient to use Limited Time Points for daily food expenses via Rakuten Pay.
If they are "Regular Points," you can apply them to your card bill (Point Payment Service). However, "Limited Time Points" cannot be used for this.
Unfortunately, most of Rakuten's official websites and apps are in Japanese only. We recommend using Google Chrome's auto-translate feature or referring to our "English Application Guides" while operating.
You won't get "Campaign Points for donations to municipalities (+9x, etc.)" anymore. However, the "Credit Card Usage Points (usually 1%)" as a payment method are still granted just like regular shopping.
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![[2026 Comparison] Rakuten Point vs V Point vs d POINT](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Fs5zbl9nu%2Fproduction%2F64764f87e0bd63725773de1998f35969485517e2-1200x630.jpg%3Fauto%3Dformat%26q%3D72%26fit%3Dmax%26w%3D640&w=3840&q=75)
A: Best strategies: (1) Use the Rakuten Card (2–3% on Rakuten purchases, 1% everywhere else), (2) Shop on Rakuten Ichiba during SPU and 5x/10x point campaigns, (3) Use Rakuten Mobile for extra SPU multiplier, (4) Pay utilities via Rakuten Card. Super Point Up (SPU) can push your multiplier to 15x+ on Rakuten Ichiba purchases.
A: Yes. Foreigners with a valid Residence Card, a Japanese address, and a Japanese phone number can apply for a Rakuten Card. The application is fully online. Approval typically takes 1–2 weeks. There is no minimum length of residency requirement, unlike some other Japanese credit cards.
A: SPU is Rakuten's loyalty multiplier system. Your base point rate on Rakuten Ichiba is 1%, and each Rakuten service you use (Rakuten Card, Rakuten Mobile, Rakuten Pay, etc.) adds 0.5–2% to your multiplier. Stacking multiple Rakuten services can push your effective Ichiba point rate to 15–17%.
A: Yes. Rakuten Points can be used at over 80,000 stores including convenience stores, restaurants, and drugstores. In the Rakuten Pay app, you can pay with points directly (Rakuten Points used first, card covers remainder). Points can also be donated to charity or used to invest in Rakuten Securities.
A: Regular Rakuten Points expire approximately 1 year from the date earned (month-end of acquisition month + 12 months). "Limited period" points expire much sooner — typically within 1–4 weeks. Check your point expiry dates in the Rakuten app. Using points regularly for everyday purchases prevents expiry.
CEO / Native Japanese Expert
Updated on: July 27, 2026
※ The information in this article is accurate as of the time of writing. Laws and regulations may change, so please always check official sources for the latest information. We assume no liability for any damages resulting from the content of this article.
