Since you are an Amazon customer, apply for their Amazon Prime MasterCard. Get those benefits plus you can use it for Costco purchases as well. No annual credit card fee.
Prices have gone up, but.i would in no way say that the quality has gone down.
Kirkland Prosecco is still the bomb.
I couldn't get a Costco credit card because my name is too long.
My full name doesn't fit in the online application.
Can't used a shortened version of my name because it doesn't match my id or bank details
We tried online, in store on the iPad thing, and even a paper application. Same problem.
Costco's answer was..."Sorry. Sucks to be you"
I used my Docomo MasterCard at Costco.
I have other credit cards so it's not a foreigner/no credit history problem.
Cheat code to get a MasterCard is to open an account with Wise and get their MasterCard debit card. I've used mine at Costco before without any issues.
We do a lot of shopping at Costco, there are some great deals to be had and the quality is still excellent. I'll pay for the quality, it doesn't always have to be cheaper.
Timing Costco visits to fill up with gas helps cover any transport costs to get there, assuming your local Costco has a gas station. We also go on weekday mornings when it tends to be pretty quiet so the lineups really aren't bad. Weekday evenings can be good too. Avoid weekends and holidays like the plague, obviously.
Edit: The most likely reason for credit card rejection is an issue with the application. For example your name not matching up perfectly with your ID, something like that. Katakana vs English. Also possible that whatever credit reporting agency Orico uses doesn't match what SMBC uses, and therefore you had no visible credit history. There are three different reporting agencies.
> Cheat code to get a MasterCard is to open an account with Wise and get their MasterCard debit card. I've used mine at Costco before without any issues.
That must be new — a few years ago, it didn’t work. Luckily it was my first time trying it so I was prepared with a different MasterCard just in case. I’ll give it another try next time I’m there.
Have to make sure you turn it on before you use it. Can't remember if they used the chip or if they swiped it, but I had both turned on. I think I had to enter my PIN, but otherwise it went through without any issues. This was within the last 6 months.
(Hard to believe it's been 6 years since Costco Japan switched from AMEX to MC...)
Hey man, that sucks. And yes, Costco Japan is not what it used to be. It isn't what it used to be 10 years ago when it also then wasn't what it used to be. All the places I used to rely on for imports aren't what the used to be.
And on the subject of credit cards, I totally sympathize. I still don't have a proper Japanese credit card - the many, many rejections I've gotten over the years have basically beaten the drive to apply for one out of me.
A few people in the replies are snarking at you for thinking the cause is racism, and unfortunately I think that will grow as this thread goes on. I *don't* think the cause is likely to be racism, at least not directly. The thing is, the application process here is so random and unreliable that I totally understand why someone would jump to the conclusion that it was a racist decision. The acceptance process seems to defy all logic and evidence. I don't think it's racism, but with as opaque as the process is, there is just as much evidence that it's not racism as there is evidence that it's not which constellation is ascendant at the time of submission or which way the starlings mumurated at dawn on the day you apply. And all these replies of "I got mine, so it can't be racism!" aren't helpful because they don't really add transparency to the process, they just add more anecdotes that make the data more chaotic without leading to any helpful conclusion. Or what I think most people in your situation would like: to be heard. You are right to be frustrated. It sucks to want to spend money at a shop and have them throw up barriers to make that a difficult experience.
And I think what the "I got mine, Jack, so it can't be racism," replies miss is that the most common form of racism these days is not some moustache-twirling Showa-Era villain throwing up a batsu gesture every time they see a foreign name. Most discrimination these days is systemic. Rules and processes that deny people from outside groups more often than they deny people from inside groups, but accepting just enough to have plausible deniability. There might be any number of ways that systemic discrimination may have led to your application being rejected on grounds that aren't directly your foreign-ness, but they just happen to be much more common for foreigners. Hell, the decision may even be in the hands of an algorithm that the people who designed it don't even realize they have trained to discriminate. Such incidents are quite common in modern AI systems.
Again, I don't think you were directly discriminated against. But you're in a chaotic system whose outcomes are nearly impossible to predict, and despite achieving success that should make you a good bet, you got rejected. That's got to be an awful feeling, and people trying to score points on you for feeling like being gaijin had something to do with it are IMHO missing the point.
>Or what I think most people in your situation would like: to be heard.
100% this. I can't agree that racism is at work here, but for sure I get that the OP wants to be heard.
Prices have definitely increased due to the Yen weakening and prices outside Japan increasing more rapidly. Also I've noticed some items such as breakfast cereals not being imported now, probably because it's simply not profitable to do so anymore. I still need Costco for deli meats & cheeses though.
As for banks, they give everyone a hard time here. It's not you, it's them. If you're really that miffed about it, I'd write Costco corporate in the States and tell them what a terrible financial partner they chose here, and how it's costing them business.
Just because Costco isn't a good deal on *everything* doesn't mean writing off Costco entirely. Part of what I'm paying the membership fee for is the "any reason" return policy, and I'm happy to do that for the pricier items they carry. My cooking ability is also limited so I'm happy to pay for the meal kits in the deli.
We make a Costco run every two or three months because the things we buy in bulk there are much cheaper on a per-gram basis than we can buy locally. We don't buy things that are more expensive than we can get here. We only do online ordering if we run out of something that we need before our next Costco run because online prices are marked up, they're higher than in-store prices.
AFAIK, though, you can use any Mastercard at Costco, I don't think it specifically has to be a Costco Mastercard. If you sign up for a PayPay bank account they give you the option of getting either a Visa or Mastercard, depending on your preference. Just make sure you transfer enough money into your account every month to pay the bill on time.
Don't read too much into the card rejection. I, too, was rejected by Costco. I was even once rejected by a bank for which I had over an oku-en on deposit(!) But was accepted with open arms by a major bank that I had no account at, but was simply introduced from a different bank. It makes no sense.
Definitely doesn't have to be a Costco credit card, I've used their online store a bunch and I've never owned one. Could be limited to Mastercard though, it's convenient to have a Visa and Mastercard combo for this reason.
I would put my bet on something about the name that you tried to use on the application not matching how your name is listed in official records etc. as to why you got rejected.
I wrote once on Japan Finance and believe it’s random.. now you may have been more likely to be turned down because you’re a foreigner .
I got mine approved on my first try with a work visa and no credit..
I was talking to my Japanese wife about this and there isn’t a standard credit score like in the US .. though there may be some kind of blacklist ..
So how do they approve/ reject people? and it’s not transparent so there’s no way of knowing exactly.. very shitty
The only card that asked for my residence card was.Citibank back in 2009 (so actually the old ARC) and even then it was like "oh we just need to check you have an actual visa before giving you a card")
Its discriminatory by nature, that's the point of a risk calculation.
Its not racism.
Are you arguing that the math used to calculate the risk is racist? That being a foreigner should be considered a safer bet? Maybe, we can't look at the data though but the company wants as many users as possible within a certain risk.
OK. I remember applying to a credit card with a Chinese friend who came to Japan in the same day, working in the same company, with the same position, salary and even the same apartment building. The only difference was 3 years younger, Kanji name and nationality. He got the card, I was rejected. 2 years later he left to China with 500K debt.
Actually, the same Orico.
> I can't help but think my application was only declined because I'm a gaijin
Why? Why would they bother to call to ask how you want your "gaijin" name written if they were going to reject you for being non-Japanese?
So you think OP is claiming that that one employee is racist, not that the card company has racist policies?
I think that neither is the case but it would answer my question.
No. I think credit card companies have a policy not to lend to high risk customers.
The administrator called to confirm the information then the application went to another department which declined it.
I wanted to have the Costco card to get the points for gasoline and such. Eventually I gave up. Now, you got called because your name was wrong. I got e-mailed once because I'd applied online and accidentally hit a wrong number when putting in my phone number. It was humorous, but annoying.
A lack of credit history makes them doubt. And they don't mean a history of screwing yourself up. They mean a history of being reliable. Take out a loan to buy a car. Pay back that loan over time. Now you have a credit history. At least, I think that's how it works. I've never owned a car that cost enough for me to want a loan. I'm a bleeding cheapskate, I am.
I got the PayPay Mastercard. Then I made the mistake of signing up for an e-mail that promised me 9,000 points if I signed up for a revolving payment plan! For which, by the way, they charge you 3,000 yen per month. It's down at the bottom of the e-mail. Anyway, I managed to get off that stupid revolving plan and things are fine now. Didn't get my 9,000 points, but I don't think it was worth 9,000 yen.
What is it that make people go crazy over American beef? I remember seeing a documentary about the food chain in the US 20 years ago, back in high school and I’ve been avoiding anything American ever since. I just don’t get it.
Costco mixed nut butter is one of the only reasons I kept my membership for a good while after I moved and no longer lived near one. Then this too finally appeared on Amazon for a markup of course, but I was like awesome, no need to renewing the membership!👌 The membership and transport ¥ saved waaaay more than covers the Amazon markup and I no longer have to deal with ten bazillion humans crammed in there like it’s the last place remaining to buy food on earth.
Why so quick to jump to the “cuz I’m a foreigner!”
I’ve gotten rejected from CCS before but have rakuten, smbc Amazon, and an Orico Costco credit card.
So many reasons why you could have been rejected. I got all three of those cards before I have PR btw. Have you changed jobs recently? Any late or unpaid bills anywhere?
...that's not how it works. Regardless of if you pay all your balance, you use installments, or you use revolving payments, you still build up a "reputation" visible to any lender, which you can see if you pull your CIC report (which is one of the reports pulled when you apply for a new credit card, installment agreement, etc). It shows if you've made the agreed-upon payment amount each month.
If you have a credit card and your CIC report doesn't show it, then there's something wrong. If it shows your credit card, loan, etc, then it should also show a line of boxes underneath with $ signs in them. Each $ sign is a month that your agreed-upon payment (whether full or partial depending on use of installments/revolving) was received.
Source: the CIC "how to read your credit report" [guide](https://www.cic.co.jp/en/mydata/report/documents/How%20to%20read%20a%20disclosure%20report%20on%20credit%20information.pdf).
Costco never struck me as much of a bargain except their rotisserie chicken and pizza; I've never enrolled in those Sam's Club like places back home so I don't have much to compare against.
but it's the only place I know where you can buy pounds of red meat and pure cow ground beef, not that cow/pig chimera ground meat many JPN supermarkets carry.
post pandemic, they must've changed their supply chain because many products have disappeared never to return.
How dare you challenge these people’s comfort zones!! Don’t you know that all outsiders in this country are the main character!!?!??!!
You’re right. Fuck Costco.
Calling yourself a gaijin is just dumb. You want racism and xenophobia to die? One of the first steps is to stop applying the words used to denigrate you to yourself like this.
Gaikokujin then ?
Seriously, this is exactly how I am perceived and that will never change: I will never be allowed to vote - despite paying a huge amount of taxes - and my kids will forever be tagged as "hafu"
OK, accept your fate and stop crying about not being able to get a credit card? Move out of the country to somewhere more accepting? Do you wanna just cling onto your little pathetic victim complex or actually stand up to be counted?
"hurrrr I'm a gaijin!" is just stupidly accepting all the negative connotations that word has, and how they apply in Japanese society, to foreigners. If you don't want to accept, or understand, the difference between it and something like gaikokujin, ask yourself why one is used on TV, radio, government communiques and otherwise, and the other isn't.
[удалено]
I'm here on behalf of 4 banks and your ex wife to tell you you're late in your payments again🤬
Since you are an Amazon customer, apply for their Amazon Prime MasterCard. Get those benefits plus you can use it for Costco purchases as well. No annual credit card fee.
Just applied - thanks for the tip.
Prices have gone up, but.i would in no way say that the quality has gone down. Kirkland Prosecco is still the bomb. I couldn't get a Costco credit card because my name is too long. My full name doesn't fit in the online application. Can't used a shortened version of my name because it doesn't match my id or bank details We tried online, in store on the iPad thing, and even a paper application. Same problem. Costco's answer was..."Sorry. Sucks to be you" I used my Docomo MasterCard at Costco. I have other credit cards so it's not a foreigner/no credit history problem.
Cheat code to get a MasterCard is to open an account with Wise and get their MasterCard debit card. I've used mine at Costco before without any issues. We do a lot of shopping at Costco, there are some great deals to be had and the quality is still excellent. I'll pay for the quality, it doesn't always have to be cheaper. Timing Costco visits to fill up with gas helps cover any transport costs to get there, assuming your local Costco has a gas station. We also go on weekday mornings when it tends to be pretty quiet so the lineups really aren't bad. Weekday evenings can be good too. Avoid weekends and holidays like the plague, obviously. Edit: The most likely reason for credit card rejection is an issue with the application. For example your name not matching up perfectly with your ID, something like that. Katakana vs English. Also possible that whatever credit reporting agency Orico uses doesn't match what SMBC uses, and therefore you had no visible credit history. There are three different reporting agencies.
> Cheat code to get a MasterCard is to open an account with Wise and get their MasterCard debit card. I've used mine at Costco before without any issues. That must be new — a few years ago, it didn’t work. Luckily it was my first time trying it so I was prepared with a different MasterCard just in case. I’ll give it another try next time I’m there.
Have to make sure you turn it on before you use it. Can't remember if they used the chip or if they swiped it, but I had both turned on. I think I had to enter my PIN, but otherwise it went through without any issues. This was within the last 6 months. (Hard to believe it's been 6 years since Costco Japan switched from AMEX to MC...)
Hey man, that sucks. And yes, Costco Japan is not what it used to be. It isn't what it used to be 10 years ago when it also then wasn't what it used to be. All the places I used to rely on for imports aren't what the used to be. And on the subject of credit cards, I totally sympathize. I still don't have a proper Japanese credit card - the many, many rejections I've gotten over the years have basically beaten the drive to apply for one out of me. A few people in the replies are snarking at you for thinking the cause is racism, and unfortunately I think that will grow as this thread goes on. I *don't* think the cause is likely to be racism, at least not directly. The thing is, the application process here is so random and unreliable that I totally understand why someone would jump to the conclusion that it was a racist decision. The acceptance process seems to defy all logic and evidence. I don't think it's racism, but with as opaque as the process is, there is just as much evidence that it's not racism as there is evidence that it's not which constellation is ascendant at the time of submission or which way the starlings mumurated at dawn on the day you apply. And all these replies of "I got mine, so it can't be racism!" aren't helpful because they don't really add transparency to the process, they just add more anecdotes that make the data more chaotic without leading to any helpful conclusion. Or what I think most people in your situation would like: to be heard. You are right to be frustrated. It sucks to want to spend money at a shop and have them throw up barriers to make that a difficult experience. And I think what the "I got mine, Jack, so it can't be racism," replies miss is that the most common form of racism these days is not some moustache-twirling Showa-Era villain throwing up a batsu gesture every time they see a foreign name. Most discrimination these days is systemic. Rules and processes that deny people from outside groups more often than they deny people from inside groups, but accepting just enough to have plausible deniability. There might be any number of ways that systemic discrimination may have led to your application being rejected on grounds that aren't directly your foreign-ness, but they just happen to be much more common for foreigners. Hell, the decision may even be in the hands of an algorithm that the people who designed it don't even realize they have trained to discriminate. Such incidents are quite common in modern AI systems. Again, I don't think you were directly discriminated against. But you're in a chaotic system whose outcomes are nearly impossible to predict, and despite achieving success that should make you a good bet, you got rejected. That's got to be an awful feeling, and people trying to score points on you for feeling like being gaijin had something to do with it are IMHO missing the point.
>Or what I think most people in your situation would like: to be heard. 100% this. I can't agree that racism is at work here, but for sure I get that the OP wants to be heard.
Recommend the Amazon Japan mastercard.
Prices have definitely increased due to the Yen weakening and prices outside Japan increasing more rapidly. Also I've noticed some items such as breakfast cereals not being imported now, probably because it's simply not profitable to do so anymore. I still need Costco for deli meats & cheeses though. As for banks, they give everyone a hard time here. It's not you, it's them. If you're really that miffed about it, I'd write Costco corporate in the States and tell them what a terrible financial partner they chose here, and how it's costing them business.
Just because Costco isn't a good deal on *everything* doesn't mean writing off Costco entirely. Part of what I'm paying the membership fee for is the "any reason" return policy, and I'm happy to do that for the pricier items they carry. My cooking ability is also limited so I'm happy to pay for the meal kits in the deli.
We make a Costco run every two or three months because the things we buy in bulk there are much cheaper on a per-gram basis than we can buy locally. We don't buy things that are more expensive than we can get here. We only do online ordering if we run out of something that we need before our next Costco run because online prices are marked up, they're higher than in-store prices. AFAIK, though, you can use any Mastercard at Costco, I don't think it specifically has to be a Costco Mastercard. If you sign up for a PayPay bank account they give you the option of getting either a Visa or Mastercard, depending on your preference. Just make sure you transfer enough money into your account every month to pay the bill on time.
I got rejected for the costco master with good credit, steady job, etc. applied for amazon one shortly after and got approved easily enough.
Don't read too much into the card rejection. I, too, was rejected by Costco. I was even once rejected by a bank for which I had over an oku-en on deposit(!) But was accepted with open arms by a major bank that I had no account at, but was simply introduced from a different bank. It makes no sense.
Comforting comment - thank you !
Won’t be because you’re a gaijin but maybe credit card payment missed or you have applied for credit recently, car loan or another CC.
"applied for credit recently" wouldn't be a deal breaker, I got my SMBC Gold and Rakuten cards within 2 weeks of each other.
Sometime that does have an influence.
Since when do you have to use a costco credit card to shop online at Costco?
I thought it just had to be mastercard?
Definitely doesn't have to be a Costco credit card, I've used their online store a bunch and I've never owned one. Could be limited to Mastercard though, it's convenient to have a Visa and Mastercard combo for this reason.
I know mastercard only is a thing there. That's maybe what OP meant...
Yup, I just use my apple card
Yes, that's what I meant. Hopefully didn't weaken the point about being rejected for no other reason than being a foreigner.
I would put my bet on something about the name that you tried to use on the application not matching how your name is listed in official records etc. as to why you got rejected.
I can confirm I'm using a non-Costco Mastercard for my online Costco purchases.
>I have \[...\] a japanese wife There you go, no *Japanese wife*® allowed at Costco.
Lol right. Definitely a weird comment
Shouldn't it be (.) (.)?
If you got rejected, you’re better off waiting a few months before applying for another.
I wrote once on Japan Finance and believe it’s random.. now you may have been more likely to be turned down because you’re a foreigner . I got mine approved on my first try with a work visa and no credit.. I was talking to my Japanese wife about this and there isn’t a standard credit score like in the US .. though there may be some kind of blacklist .. So how do they approve/ reject people? and it’s not transparent so there’s no way of knowing exactly.. very shitty
Since I have a Costco credit card does this mean I am not a gaijin?
Congratulations!
Imagine being this desperate to look for racism.
Credit card companies risk calculation does include citizenship and age.
The only card that asked for my residence card was.Citibank back in 2009 (so actually the old ARC) and even then it was like "oh we just need to check you have an actual visa before giving you a card")
Its discriminatory by nature, that's the point of a risk calculation. Its not racism. Are you arguing that the math used to calculate the risk is racist? That being a foreigner should be considered a safer bet? Maybe, we can't look at the data though but the company wants as many users as possible within a certain risk.
OK. I remember applying to a credit card with a Chinese friend who came to Japan in the same day, working in the same company, with the same position, salary and even the same apartment building. The only difference was 3 years younger, Kanji name and nationality. He got the card, I was rejected. 2 years later he left to China with 500K debt. Actually, the same Orico.
"I know a guy" stories are pointless. Also your story only proves that they need to keep rejecting credit cards to foreigners?
As if anyone had to try to find racism here.
If you dont try you won't find it. If people are not nice to you it's probably a personal problem. Do better.
>If you dont try you won't find it. Good one! And they say comedy is dead...
If all you do is look for it, sure.
You two are pathetic.
> I can't help but think my application was only declined because I'm a gaijin Why? Why would they bother to call to ask how you want your "gaijin" name written if they were going to reject you for being non-Japanese?
Because the person calling and the person who made the decision to decline it were not the same person?
So you think OP is claiming that that one employee is racist, not that the card company has racist policies? I think that neither is the case but it would answer my question.
No. I think credit card companies have a policy not to lend to high risk customers. The administrator called to confirm the information then the application went to another department which declined it.
I wanted to have the Costco card to get the points for gasoline and such. Eventually I gave up. Now, you got called because your name was wrong. I got e-mailed once because I'd applied online and accidentally hit a wrong number when putting in my phone number. It was humorous, but annoying. A lack of credit history makes them doubt. And they don't mean a history of screwing yourself up. They mean a history of being reliable. Take out a loan to buy a car. Pay back that loan over time. Now you have a credit history. At least, I think that's how it works. I've never owned a car that cost enough for me to want a loan. I'm a bleeding cheapskate, I am. I got the PayPay Mastercard. Then I made the mistake of signing up for an e-mail that promised me 9,000 points if I signed up for a revolving payment plan! For which, by the way, they charge you 3,000 yen per month. It's down at the bottom of the e-mail. Anyway, I managed to get off that stupid revolving plan and things are fine now. Didn't get my 9,000 points, but I don't think it was worth 9,000 yen.
What is it that make people go crazy over American beef? I remember seeing a documentary about the food chain in the US 20 years ago, back in high school and I’ve been avoiding anything American ever since. I just don’t get it.
Costco mixed nut butter is one of the only reasons I kept my membership for a good while after I moved and no longer lived near one. Then this too finally appeared on Amazon for a markup of course, but I was like awesome, no need to renewing the membership!👌 The membership and transport ¥ saved waaaay more than covers the Amazon markup and I no longer have to deal with ten bazillion humans crammed in there like it’s the last place remaining to buy food on earth.
Just apply under your wife’s name. Case solved.
Isn’t USDA prime beef full of chemicals?
Why so quick to jump to the “cuz I’m a foreigner!” I’ve gotten rejected from CCS before but have rakuten, smbc Amazon, and an Orico Costco credit card. So many reasons why you could have been rejected. I got all three of those cards before I have PR btw. Have you changed jobs recently? Any late or unpaid bills anywhere?
I realize there can be many reason and the ones you listed are valid ones. But they do not apply to me : stable job, good income, no debt.
I think you may have identified your problem. No debt equals no payment record equals unknown risk. Maybe check your credit reports in Japan?
But I do have an SMBC credit card already that I heavily use.
Good point. Maybe Costco and SMBC use different credit reference agencies?
It probably goes back to the no debts. You always pay for your card, don't you? I always do mine as well.
But that's how cards work by default in Japan. The entire balance is paid every month unless you opt for リボ.
Exactly. You don't get either a negative or a positive reputation except with the credit card company you already use.
...that's not how it works. Regardless of if you pay all your balance, you use installments, or you use revolving payments, you still build up a "reputation" visible to any lender, which you can see if you pull your CIC report (which is one of the reports pulled when you apply for a new credit card, installment agreement, etc). It shows if you've made the agreed-upon payment amount each month.
I did check my CIC report, recently. Nothing. Maybe I did it wrong.
If you have a credit card and your CIC report doesn't show it, then there's something wrong. If it shows your credit card, loan, etc, then it should also show a line of boxes underneath with $ signs in them. Each $ sign is a month that your agreed-upon payment (whether full or partial depending on use of installments/revolving) was received. Source: the CIC "how to read your credit report" [guide](https://www.cic.co.jp/en/mydata/report/documents/How%20to%20read%20a%20disclosure%20report%20on%20credit%20information.pdf).
Costco never struck me as much of a bargain except their rotisserie chicken and pizza; I've never enrolled in those Sam's Club like places back home so I don't have much to compare against. but it's the only place I know where you can buy pounds of red meat and pure cow ground beef, not that cow/pig chimera ground meat many JPN supermarkets carry. post pandemic, they must've changed their supply chain because many products have disappeared never to return.
How dare you challenge these people’s comfort zones!! Don’t you know that all outsiders in this country are the main character!!?!??!! You’re right. Fuck Costco.
Calling yourself a gaijin is just dumb. You want racism and xenophobia to die? One of the first steps is to stop applying the words used to denigrate you to yourself like this.
Gaikokujin then ? Seriously, this is exactly how I am perceived and that will never change: I will never be allowed to vote - despite paying a huge amount of taxes - and my kids will forever be tagged as "hafu"
OK, accept your fate and stop crying about not being able to get a credit card? Move out of the country to somewhere more accepting? Do you wanna just cling onto your little pathetic victim complex or actually stand up to be counted? "hurrrr I'm a gaijin!" is just stupidly accepting all the negative connotations that word has, and how they apply in Japanese society, to foreigners. If you don't want to accept, or understand, the difference between it and something like gaikokujin, ask yourself why one is used on TV, radio, government communiques and otherwise, and the other isn't.