It’s a Waste to Just Use Credit Cards! In the New NISA Era, “Preferred Share Point-Earning” Is Booming—Where Is the Best Economic Ecosystem?

“Shareholder Perks and Points” in the New NISA Era

In May 2026, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (hereinafter “SMFG”) announced the launch of a new shareholder benefit program that awards “V Points” to “shareholders” who meet certain conditions.

Amid rising prices and the New NISA boom, simple “point-earning activities” are now a thing of the past. A new wave of “Shareholder Benefit Point-Earning” is emerging, where people earn points not only through daily shopping but also by investing in stocks that offer shareholder benefits.

While regular “point-earning activities” are easy to do, there’s a risk of making unnecessary purchases just to earn points. With “Shareholder Benefit Point-Earning,” however, all you need to do is buy shares using the New NISA growth investment quota or similar programs. The biggest appeal is that you can enjoy tax-free benefits—such as points and dividends—while receiving rewards with minimal effort.

As “Rakuten’s dominance”—once unchallenged—begins to waver, which of the “Big Five Point Ecosystems”—comprising Docomo, au, SoftBank (PayPay), and the rapidly catching-up Sumitomo Mitsui (V Points)—offers the best value right now? We’ll thoroughly compare the reality of the most powerful ecosystem that could transform your life and the essential credit cards you’ll need.

Is the “Rakuten Monopoly” Coming to an End? The Current State of the Five Major Ecosystems

[Rakuten (Rakuten Points)] [Docomo (d Points)] [au (Ponta Points)] [SoftBank (PayPay Points)]The “ Top 5 Points Ecosystems”—[Mitsui Sumitomo (V Points)] —each operate across a wide range of sectors, from payment services (mobile payments and credit cards) to finance (banking, securities, and insurance), telecommunications, and retail/services (e-commerce, booking sites, etc.).

Since each has different “strengths,” it’s best to determine your primary ecosystem based on the services you use most frequently (such as your telecom provider, credit card, or bank).

◇【 Rakuten Ecosystem】 (Rakuten Points)……Recommended for people who shop online frequently  

An ecosystem centered on Rakuten Group services such as “Rakuten Ichiba” and “Rakuten Card.” Its strengths lie in the breadth of its service offerings and high point redemption rates. By using Rakuten Group services eligible for the SPU (Super Point Up Program)—such as Rakuten Card and “Rakuten Mobile” —and meeting the conditions, you can dramatically increase your redemption rate on Rakuten Ichiba.

◇【Docomo Ecosystem】 (d Points )……Recommended for Docomo users  

An economic ecosystem centered on Docomo Group services such as “Docomo” and “d Card.” It offers generous rewards for Docomo users, including 1% to a maximum of 20% back when paying Docomo service fees with a d Card.At d Points partner stores—such as “Lawson, ” “FamilyMart, ”and “Matsumoto Kiyoshi” —you can efficiently earn points by using a combination of the d Card, d Pay, and the d Points Card. In recent years, the group has acquired “Monex Securities” and “SBI Sumishin Net Bank,” significantly strengthening its financial services, which had previously been a weak point.  

◇ [au Ecosystem] (Ponta Points)……Recommended for au users and those who use many subscription services  

An ecosystem centered on KDDI Group services such as “au” and“au PAY.” Linking your mobile service with the “au PAY Card, ”“au PAY, ” and “au Jibun Bank” increases your cashback rate.Rewards for au users are particularly generous, including the user-exclusive “Mane-Katsu Plan” and cashback (up to 10%) when paying “au/UQ mobile” service fees with the “au PAY Gold Card.” There are also plans that offer up to 20% point rewards on monthly fees when you subscribe to eligible services like “Netflix” or “YouTube Premium” through au/UQ mobile, making this card a great choice for users of these subscription services as well.  

◇【 PayPay ( SoftBank) Ecosystem】 ( PayPay Points )…… Recommended for SoftBank and Y!mobile users, as well as those who frequently make cashless payments in town

An ecosystem centered on SoftBank Group services such as“PayPay,”“SoftBank,” and “Yahoo!” PayPay is accepted at many locations, from convenience stores to independent shops, making it convenient for cashless payments around town. Linking services such as the“PayPay Card,” “PayPay Bank,” and “Yahoo! Shopping” increases your cashback rate.SoftBank and Y!mobile users can subscribe to “LYP Premium”—which normally costs 508 yen (tax included) per month—for free, and enjoy benefits such as higher cashback rates on Yahoo! Shopping, PayPay coupons usable at nearby stores, and free LINE stickers.

◇【 Mitsui Sumitomo Economic Circle] (V Points)……Recommended for people who frequently use convenience stores or want to earn points through investing and asset management  

An ecosystem centered on services from the Sumitomo Mitsui (SMBC) Group, such as “Sumitomo Mitsui Card.” It excels in financial services, including “SBI Securities,” allowing you to efficiently earn points while building your assets. V Points merged with T Points in ’24, dramatically expanding the range of stores and services where you can earn and use points.

When you use contactless payments or mobile ordering with a Sumitomo Mitsui Card or “Olive” (the Sumitomo Mitsui Group’s all-in-one card) at eligible convenience stores and restaurants, you receive an 8% cashback; this rate can increase to a maximum of 20% if you meet certain conditions, such as using eligible services.In March ’26, V Points and PayPay Points became mutually exchangeable, making it easier to use the points across both ecosystems.

The 5 Major Economic Regions! A Comparison of the Best and Most Essential Credit Cards  

If you want to earn points efficiently, using a credit card is a must. In particular, “credit card investment fund savings” —where you use your credit card to make regular investments in mutual funds—is a powerful tool that automatically earns you points every month.

◇ Rakuten Card [Rakuten Economic Zone]  

The base cashback rate is 1.0% across all cards (0.2% for utility bills and taxes; 0.5% for insurance premiums and cell phone bills).

It qualifies for the Rakuten Marketplace reward rate boost (SPU), which includes a +2x multiplier (standard + bonus) for using the Rakuten Card and a +0.3x multiplier for direct debits from a Rakuten Bank account.

The cashback rate for credit card-based mutual fund savings plans through “Rakuten Securities” ranges from 0.5% to 2.0%, increasing as your card tier rises.

◇d Card [Docomo Ecosystem]  

The base cashback rate is 1.0% (0.5% for utility bills, etc.).

Paying Docomo mobile phone bills with the d Card earns 1% (Standard Card) to a maximum of 20% (PLATINUM) in rewards (however, ahamo is excluded). Purchases at d Card partner stores offer up to 6% in point rewards plus up to a 20% discount.

The cashback rate for credit card-based mutual fund investments through “Monex Securities” ranges from 0.2% to 3.1%, depending on the card tier and monthly investment amount (preferential rates apply to investments made through NISA accounts).

◇ au PAY Card [au Economy]  

Base reward rate: 1.0% ( same for utility bills, etc. ).

Cashback accumulates across all au-related services, including up to 10% cashback on au PAY Market; “Jibun Plus” (up to 15 points per month plus deposit interest plus 0.05% when paid via direct debit from an au Jibun Bank account); up to 2% cashback on au electricity and gas usage; and an additional 1% cashback on payments for various au-affiliated insurance premiums.With the Gold Card (annual fee: 11,000 yen, tax included), you’ll also enjoy benefits such as up to 10% cashback on service fees for au, UQ mobile, au Hikari, and more, as well as up to 5.5% cashback on automatic top-ups to au PAY (capped at 1,000 points per month).

The cashback rate for credit card-based mutual fund investments through “Mitsubishi UFJ e-Smart Securities” ranges from 0.5% to 1.0% and can increase to a maximum of 2% if certain conditions are met.

◇ PayPay Card [PayPay Ecosystem]  

Basic cashback rate: 1.0% (0.5% for utility bills, etc.).

Earn an additional 0.5% when you complete PayPay Step (30 or more payments of 200 yen or more during the campaign period, totaling 100,000 yen or more).Up to 5% cashback daily on Yahoo! Shopping and LOHACO (requires LINE integration); up to 9% cashback on days ending in 5. 1% (Standard Card) to up to 10% (Gold Card) cashback on payments for SoftBank, Y!mobile, SoftBank Hikari, and Air service fees.

The cashback rate for credit card-based mutual fund investments via “PayPay Securities” is 0.7% for both Standard and Gold cards. Gold cardholders receive 6,000 points when annual spending reaches 1 million yen or more (combined with the 5,000-point sign-up bonus, this effectively waives the first-year annual fee).

◇ Olive [ Mitsui Sumitomo Economic Ecosystem】  

The standard cashback rate is 0.5% for Standard and Gold cards, and 1.0% for Platinum Preferred and Infinite cards (the same rate applies to utility bills, etc.).

Cashback is particularly generous at eligible convenience stores and restaurants; in addition to 8% cashback for smartphone tap payments and mobile orders, you can receive up to 20% cashback by meeting certain conditions.For those aged 25 and under, there are additional benefits: +0.5% cashback on PayPay payments, up to +9.5% on eligible subscription payments, and up to +1.5% on mobile phone bill payments (“Reward Up U25”).

The cashback rate for regular investment fund contributions via credit card at “SBI Securities” is up to 6.0%, determined by factors such as card tier, monthly spending, and the amount of assets held.

Gold and higher-tier cards also offer generous loyalty benefits (e.g., Gold: 10,000 points for annual spending of 1 million yen or more; Platinum Preferred: 10,000 points for every 1 million yen spent annually, up to a maximum of 40,000 points). For Gold cards, if you spend 1 million yen or more during the eligible period—which runs until the end of the 12th month following your enrollment—your annual fee will be waived permanently starting the following year. 

The Appeal of “Reward Points” and Their Hidden Pitfalls  

In economic ecosystems other than Rakuten, the central listed companies in each ecosystem offer common points (including some forms of electronic money) as “shareholder benefits.” All of these benefits require continuous ownership for at least one year (two years for NTT), making long-term investment a prerequisite.

◇ NTT (9432) – d Points [Docomo Economic Ecosystem]  

If you hold 100 or more shares of NTT (9432) for two years or more but less than three years, you will receive 1,500 d Points; if held for five years or more but less than six years, you will receive 3,000 d Points.

Since the stock price hovers around 150 yen, the investment required to qualify for this benefit is approximately 15,000 yen, making it an accessible option.

However, it is important to note that this is not a benefit you can receive every year simply by continuing to hold the shares; benefits can only be received twice—in the second and fifth years—using the same shareholder number, for a maximum total of 4,500 points (after receiving the benefit in the fifth year, you will not be eligible to receive it again unless you sell all your shares and obtain a new shareholder number).

The projected annual dividend is 5.4 yen per share (dividend yield: 3.65%).  

◇KDDI (9433) − Ponta Points [au Ecosystem]  

If you hold 200 or more shares of KDDI (9433) continuously for at least one year, you will receive 2,000 Ponta points; if held continuously for five years or more, you will receive 3,000 Ponta points.

The investment required to qualify for this benefit is approximately 550,000 yen; the benefit yield is 0.36% for continuous holdings of one year or more and 0.54% for five years or more.

Ponta Points earned through this benefit can be exchanged for “au PAY Market-exclusive Ponta Points” worth 1.5 times their value at the shareholder-exclusive “Exchange.” As an alternative to Ponta Points, shareholders may also choose a “Lawson/Seijo Ishii product set” or to make a “donation.”

The projected annual dividend is 84 yen per share (dividend yield: 3.03%).  

◇SoftBank (9434) – PayPay Money Light [PayPay Economy]  

Shareholders who continuously hold 100 or more shares of SoftBank (9434) for at least one year will receive 1,000 yen worth of PayPay Money Light.

The investment required to qualify for this benefit is approximately 20,000 yen, and the benefit yield is 4.68%.

PayPay Money Light can be used as PayPay balance for payments and money transfers, making it more convenient than PayPay Points, which cannot be transferred.

The estimated annual dividend is 8.8 yen per share (dividend yield of 4.12%).

In addition to PayPay Money Light, shareholders holding 100 or more shares are eligible for a lottery to win invitations to events and campaigns, such as official games of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.  

◇Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (8316) — V Points [Sumitomo Mitsui Economic Circle]  

Shareholders who continuously hold 100 or more shares of Sumitomo Mitsui FG (8316) for at least one year will receive 5,000 V Points, and those who hold 1,000 or more shares for at least five years will receive 30,000 V Points.

The investment required to purchase 100 shares is approximately 640,000 yen, and the preferred shareholder yield for holding the shares for one year is 0.78%.

The estimated annual dividend is 180 yen per share (dividend yield of 2.81%).

Shareholders holding 100 shares or more are also eligible for benefits such as an additional 1.0% per annum (before taxes) on a 3-month yen time deposit at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (maximum deposit amount: 10 million yen) and the chance to win invitations to SMBC Group-sponsored events through a lottery.Please note that to receive these benefits, you must register within the specified period and have an “Olive Account” contract in effect as of the end of February of the year following the benefit eligibility date.

◇Rakuten Group (4755) Offers Free “Rakuten Mobile” Benefits [Rakuten Economy]

Rather than offering point-based benefits , Rakuten Group (4755) is providing a benefit to shareholders holding 100 or more shares: six months of free access to Rakuten Mobile’s “Voice & Data + 30GB/month” plan (extendable for an additional six months if continuation requirements are met).If you meet the renewal requirements and use the service for one year free of charge, the benefit is equivalent to 3,058 yen per month × 12 months = 36,696 yen.

The required investment is approximately 74,000 yen, and the benefit yield is 49.6%. Although the details of the benefit may change in the future, you can recoup your investment in about two years.

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As shown here, major companies are offering attractive shareholder benefits in an effort to lock customers into their own economic ecosystems.Identifying the economic ecosystem that best suits your lifestyle and wisely combining credit cards with shareholder benefits will be the first step toward building a more solid foundation for protecting your household finances in the new NISA era. However, it is important to remember that this is ultimately an investment, and you must exercise caution as there is a risk of incurring losses if stock prices have fallen when you sell your shares.

*This article is intended solely for informational purposes and does not constitute a solicitation to buy or sell any specific securities. Please make your final investment decisions based on your own judgment.The required investment amounts, expected dividend yields, and shareholder benefit yields (benefit amount / required investment amount) mentioned in this article were calculated based on stock prices (closing prices) and shareholder benefit details as of the date of writing (June 12, ’26).These figures are subject to change due to fluctuations in stock prices or changes to shareholder benefit programs. Please verify the latest information before considering a purchase.