Travel Card for Japan and Korea

sauce2k on 30/10/2023 - 10:30

Hi peeps,

Some of you may have seen my previous post about me going to Japan and Korea.

Now, I have been using Citibank card for cash withdrawals for many years and out of curiosity, I just looked at what else is available then found this card called Wise.

My immediate concern of the card is ATM withdrawal fee which is 1.75% + $1.50 AUD/withdrawal, which seems to be quite steep. Free withdrawals if under $350AUD.

I actually find that Citibank's conversion rates to be decent…

Couple of questions:

  • Is Japan still much a cash society country? I went pre-Covid, almost every place I go prefers cash. I only used my cc for shopping. If cash is still the way to go, I don't see why people would use Wise > Citibank? Apparently conversion rate is better but withdrawal fee kills it?

  • What's Korea like? Is it cash mainly or cc at restaurants?

Thanks heaps!

Travel

Comments

  • m a c9 on 30/10/2023 - 10:58
    +1

    Don't know about Korea but could look into this?

    https://www.hsbc.com.au/accounts/products/everyday-global/

    $0 overseas ATM fee2
    $0 international transaction fees
    Our competitive Real Time Exchange Rates6
    Transfer money online, anywhere in the world with no HSBC transfer fee.
    Currency switching on the HSBC Mobile Banking App
    Buy, transfer, hold and spend the following currencies: AUD, USD, GBP, EUR, HKD, CAD, JPY, NZD, SGD, and CNY (currency restrictions apply to CNY)

    • sauce2k on 30/10/2023 - 11:16

      ok thank you, I will take a look.

      • prisonerzero on 30/10/2023 - 11:57
        +1

        HSBC rates are not very good compared to Revolt or Wise, they don't charge fees but it is built into the exchange rate.

  • Caped Baldy on 30/10/2023 - 10:58
    +1

    Yes, mainly cash in Japan. There are some places that accept card but you need to insert.

    Some cards have no transaction fees but there will be some with the ATM provider, usually 110 or 220 yen for 10k or 20k yen withdrawals. From memory some ATMs may charge more.

    I used HSBC which allowed for buying yen within the app with AUD. Worked well.

    • sauce2k on 30/10/2023 - 11:16

      I read somewhere that says they charge $110Yen during weekdays, so will try take out cash during the week.

    • Xtimn8 on 31/10/2023 - 20:15

      Just got back from Japan last month, we used our wise card almost everywhere besides at street markets, and most places you can just tap your card now.
      We used ING to withdraw cash from 7/11 ATMs and the fees went straight back into our account.

      • Tedsterrr on 05/11/2023 - 01:39

        Hi, good to know that ING works but do you know the withdrawal limit from 7/11 ATMs? I heard it's about 500aud per withdrawal? Thank you

    • Ade99 on 11/11/2023 - 08:47

      7/11 ATM's may the way to go assuming they are open (the ATM's close at night)

    • sauce2k on 30/10/2023 - 11:15

      I will be in Japan for 15 days, I will probably use that up very quickly haha…It's not a budget trip (in no way is a luxury one), so I will use up the $350 very quickly.

      Looks like cash is still preferred in Japan.

    • prisonerzero on 30/10/2023 - 11:51

      It depends on where you go….many restaurants, especially small ones will not accept credit cards.

    • Odin on 31/10/2023 - 09:59

      will you realistically need to withdraw more than $350 in cash in Japan?

      What?

      Yes

      Absolutely yes

      You ever been to Japan? You're doing cash for everything over there

      • Ade99 on 11/11/2023 - 08:48

        Every where accepts the Japanese stored value travel card (Suica with the penguin logo) which you can top up as required via creditcard. Visa is an issue but Mastercard seems AOK. Works for Apple and Android

  • askbargain on 30/10/2023 - 11:27
    +1

    FWIW you can use Suica (top up with Apple Pay)

    • sauce2k on 30/10/2023 - 11:44

      Question - how do I get Suica before leaving for Japan? thanks!

      • 33725 on 30/10/2023 - 12:00

        You can't, currently discontinued. Only Welcome Suica with 28 days expiration is available, any credit left is non refundable. Use it up at any convenience store/vending machine before you leave

        • sauce2k on 30/10/2023 - 13:26

          Thx so I just gotta buy suica card when I arrive in Japan and load it onto my iPhone wallet

      • dtc on 30/10/2023 - 12:51

        https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207155 if you have apple

        you cant if you have android (you need a physical card)

        You can also get a pasmo card rather than a Suica https://www.pasmo.co.jp/visitors/en/ Same thing as a Suica, just different name. Depends which is easiest to get for where you are.

        for your original question, look at the link Baysew put above. I use the Ubank debit card in Japan or the 28 Degrees credit card. You will need some cash, although in Tokyo and Kyoto etc not so much. Still in the local street markets eg Nishiki market in Kyoto, most of the stalls dont take credit.

        • sauce2k on 30/10/2023 - 13:26

          Yeh I have iPhone.

          Thanks about the cash tips. I will be travelling west so cash def required

          • Clear on 30/10/2023 - 13:50

            @sauce2k: Just an FYI Apple Pay itself likely won't work when paying at registers that accept it. You'll want to say credit card or Visa Tap for it to work instead.

            Something about how Japan's NFC standards are different. Hence why Android can't top up Suica.

            • Ade99 on 11/11/2023 - 08:51

              @Clear: My android toped up Suica fine. The issue was that Visa did not work but mastercard did….

              • OzFrugie on 13/12/2023 - 22:48

                @Ade99: Wait.. you can add Suica in Google Wallet? I thought that's only possible if your android phone bought in Japan?
                Did you buy your phone in japan?

        • Tedsterrr on 05/11/2023 - 01:41

          How was Ubank, did you get lot of charges using it to withdraw from ATMs?

      • Ade99 on 11/11/2023 - 08:51

        down load onto wallet and top up as required

  • 33725 on 30/10/2023 - 11:29
    +2

    You'll be fine with Citibank. Fee free anytime from 7Bank, which is inside 7-11 and at stations and malls as well. My experience with Korea is card more acceptable in more places.
    I had Wise, but didn't use it at all.

    • sauce2k on 30/10/2023 - 11:45

      Awesome to know. Thx so much

  • mt19 on 30/10/2023 - 11:39

    Was just in Japan, cash/card use was probably 40/60. Big shops card is fine, that hole in the wall serving the best ramen? Cash.
    7Banks are everywhere, 27,000 of them, just use citi whenever you need to top up the cash reserves. As others mentioned 110yen for for 10,000 yen withdrawal and under.

    • sauce2k on 30/10/2023 - 11:45

      if it's >10,000 yen then it's free?

      Thanks legend

      • prisonerzero on 30/10/2023 - 11:49
        +1

        7bank atms are free for debit mastercard e.g. Maquarie, Citi

        Visa will get charged 110 yen (10,000 and under) or 220 yen (over 10,000)

        Mastercard is useful because you can get 10x10,000 notes at a time as many times as you like without being charged a fee.

        • specwarop on 30/10/2023 - 11:52

          How does the Bankwest Debit Mastercard go?

          • prisonerzero on 30/10/2023 - 11:59
            +1

            @specwarop: Should be fine, 7Bank don't charge fees for any international Mastercard. They charge 110 or 220 yen for visa.

        • sauce2k on 30/10/2023 - 12:43

          So u can find 7banks easily across Japan? 7-11 Lawson etc?

          • Clear on 30/10/2023 - 13:52
            +1

            @sauce2k: Yep pretty much every convenience store has the ATMs.

          • prisonerzero on 30/10/2023 - 14:29
            +2

            @sauce2k: 7 11 = 7 bank atm
            but they are also around elsewhere

            other stores Lawson etc. will have atms too but there will be a fee

          • Ade99 on 11/11/2023 - 08:55
            +1

            @sauce2k: 7bank = 7/11

  • specwarop on 30/10/2023 - 11:46

    What Citibank card do you have if I may ask? Do you mean a Credit Card?
    If so, wouldnt cash advance also apply?

    • sauce2k on 30/10/2023 - 11:47

      Debit card.

      • specwarop on 30/10/2023 - 11:49

        Cheers, just looked and they dont open new accounts.
        Painful, as I have a Citibank CC already.

        • sauce2k on 30/10/2023 - 11:51

          yeh something about NAB bought them out. I always had Citibank debit card.

  • prisonerzero on 30/10/2023 - 11:56
    +1

    Just got back from Japan.

    Converted using Revolt in advance and used for card purchases as much as possible (plus $300 in cash from ATM to stay under the free limit).

    When I ran out of cash I then used Macquarie bank debit card for cash withdrawals from 7Bank ATMs in 7/11. No fee, so I only withdrew as much as I needed (even 5,000 yen at a time towards the end of the trip).

    So in total only paid 220 yen fee once to use Revolt at 7Bank ATM.

    • sauce2k on 30/10/2023 - 12:44

      Okieeee thanks a lot!

    • OzFrugie on 30/10/2023 - 22:49

      Does taking cash using revolut only work on specific ATMs?

  • JiggyJiggy361 on 30/10/2023 - 13:45
    +1

    Came back from a recent 1 week trip to Japan.

    Honestly regarding the "cash-society" part, I can say of all the places we went to, the only places that were cash-only were the vending machines (obviously) and 1 ramen joint where we ordered food on a vending machine lookalike pretty much.

    My firm suggestion is to go and get an Up bank debit card (zero fees whatsoever), then put however much you're going to take on there. The app is magic and there is no international fees for both using the card over there and withdrawing cash, and It also allowed for tap paying in addition to inserting.

    Once you arrive, find the nearest 7/11 atm and withdraw 10 x $1000 yen notes and be sure select the pay in yen option, as that way the card will do the conversion and not the ATM machine (worse rates). You do not need to take yen with you.

    Then to help mitigate the abundance of coins you will probably accumulate, get yourself a coin purse if you don't have one already. I picked one up from the nearest Daiso store in Japan for about 100-200 yen.

    • JiggyJiggy361 on 30/10/2023 - 16:04
      +1

      To add: An Up bank debit card is also a Mastercard, so it will avoid the Visa-related fees when withdrawing mentioned above.

      It was also voted the Best Australian Transaction Account in 2022 by OzBargain. Can find more info about the card in this poll thread, along with alternatives here.

    • Daabido on 12/12/2023 - 16:47

      Just pour all your coins into a 7/11 at the register. If you buy something less than the coins it spits out the rest to you in usable notes and big coins. It doesn't accept 1s or 5s from memory.

  • Egilmore on 30/10/2023 - 16:36

    If a debit card is ok, I've used my Ubank 'spend' account overseas (Vietnam) for EFTPOS with zero fees and spot currency conversion rates (real time currency rates not loaded up with a conversion charge). At ATMs you still pay a withdrawal fee (charged by the ATM operator not Ubank), so I found just using it at POS was better

  • Blokeinhisundies on 30/10/2023 - 19:09
    +1

    I was in Korea earlier this year and the only cash you need is to load your T-Money card (train, bus, taxis) and buying from street food vendors. I had 200K Won when I arrived and I still have 40K in a draw that I didn't end up spending even after trying to use more cash the last few days I was there. I used 50K for my T-money, 18K for the limousine bus back to the airport instead of the Arex train and the rest was street food for ten days. I had no trouble using my ING Orange One CC everywhere else. Their card payment terminals have no number pad so you have to sign for everything on the touch screen, although quite often the salesperson would just reach over and draw a line for you to hurry things up lol.

    I did have to use my Macquarie card to pay online for the Secret Garden tour at Changdeokgung Palace. From memory that was because Verified by Visa was playing up so I had to use my Mastercard. Everywhere else my Visa card worked without issue, same in Singapore.

  • DealWatcher27 on 01/11/2023 - 17:48

    With the Revolut card, is it possible to convert Australian Dollars to Japanese Yen before and then use JPY for expenses in Japan? Are there any fees or charges when making card payments in Japan?

    • squish y on 04/01/2024 - 22:19

      This is late, but went to Japan for 3 weeks about a month ago. I took m Revolut card as my main, topped up with AUD and converted to JPY before I left (and topped up while I was there).

      No card payment fees as far as I was concerned, whatever the cashier said/displayed on register was what was deducted from my JPY account in Revolut.

  • OzFrugie on 11/01/2024 - 12:07

    It seems that 7 11 atm in Jap now charge some fees when taking money out based on my recent experience.
    Tried both with Revolut and Wise debit cards, which are both Visa cards.
    I read somewhere Mastercard cards may not be affected.
    Can anyone confirm?

  • varvaz on 18/01/2024 - 20:19

    Just came from Japan. Used Wise. Familymart ATM allowed to take out 40000yen charged 3aud for it. Cheaper than taking out Australian dollars out from those dodgy ATMs here. That covered my cash needs, rest I paid with Wise card. Transferred more money to my wise when I needed via netbank. Total I had 100000yen on my wise card (took 40000 out). To get this to my account wise charged bit more than 5$ so for 100000yen spending money, I had to pay 8$ pretty cheap I think.

  • OzFrugie on 19/01/2024 - 09:31

    To get this to my account wise charged bit more than 5$ so for 100000yen spending money

    What do you mean? You had to pay Wise a fee to deposit money to the account?

  • varvaz on 20/01/2024 - 17:49

    It's conversion from AUD to yen

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