Article by: yana

How to use Japanese Point cards

If you ever went shopping in Japan, you have probably heard the question: ポイントカードをお持ちでしょうか？ ‘pointo kaado wo omochi deshouka’ or one of its variations. This means ‘do you have a point card?” and you will most likely be asked it whenever you go. At the convenience store, at the restaurant, at the drug store, at the coffee shop, at the bar, at the movie theater and so on. Finding a place in Japan that does not have a point car is a rarity.

There are two main point systems in Japan – gain points when spending money and use the points or meet certain requirements to get points and get a reward.

The first type is the most common one – you will see it at convenience stores, supermarkets, and drug stores. Basically, you accumulate points (like one point per 100 yen) and you can use them next time by simply exchanging points into money. While it is usually not much, sometimes shops would have promotions where you would get double the points by buying certain items or shopping on certain days etc. The most popular point card in this category is T-point card, since it is used in a variety of stores across Japan. Most grocery stores have their own point cards.

The second type is more common amongst restaurants and other entertainment facilities like cat cafes. Often, they use stamps instead of points and when you get a certain number of points you get a reward, like a free drink or a discount. While some can be generous – like getting a free drink at a coffee shop after buying five, others are less so.

Both types of cards usually have an expiration date – either for points or for the card itself so make sure to use it frequently. Also, most places will offer the card for free – or a very cheap price so if you think you might be going there a lot it is certainly worth purchasing. The only downside is that at certain point your wallet might just get too thick with point cards and you will spend forever looking for the one you need at a register.