Mastercard, Visa and JCB are the three most common cards accepted in Japan. This includes Mastercard debit, Mastercard credit, Visa debit and Visa credit cards. American Express and Diners cards are rarely accepted because the cost is too high for the merchant.
Most travel money cards for Japan should be free of charge. On some prepaid travel cards you might have to pay for load, unload and inactivity fees, however if you choose a HSBC Global or Citibank Everyday card you will not have to pay these fees. You will also not have to pay an international transaction fee.
You should bring both card and cash to Japan. Japan relies heavily on cash and cards are needed to pay for big items like accommodation. We advise you to buy Japanese yen before you leave and take a prepaid card like Wise, a card to withdraw money from ATMs like HSBC or Citibank and a credit card as a back up like Bankwest Breeze Platinum.
According to NerdWallet Mastercard gives the best currency conversion rates globally, giving better rates 70% of the time. This includes the major traded currencies such as the US dollar, Euro, Great British Pound, Australian dollar, Japanese yen, Hong Kong dollars, Canadian dollars, Singapore dollars, Swiss francs and New Zealand dollars. However Visa does give better currency conversion rate for Thai baht, Hungarian forint, Icelandic Krona and Tunisian dinar.
The best reloadable prepaid travel card is the Wise Multi Currency card because you can spend at close to market rate in over 40 countries. You can send money overseas at the lowest cost and receive money from overseas for free. In addition you can withdraw up to $350 a month for free. It is a low cost card with the best exchange rates globally.
Yes you can use a prepaid Visa card overseas. Visa is one of the two commonly accepted credit cards globally. It would be considered unusual if the vendor did not accept Visa for payment.
Like all reputable money exchanges, we are registered with AUSTRAC and regulated by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC).
S Money complies with the relevant laws pertaining to privacy, anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism finance. This means you are required to provide I.D. when you place an order. It also means the order must be paid for by the same person ordering the currency and you must show your identification again when receiving your order.