A Thorough Comparison of Credit Cards and Point Cards that Maximizes Points and Cash Backs

With the boom in “poikatsu,” the practice of accumulating points by using apps and cashless payments, issuing a credit card is becoming a necessity. There are countless brands that claim to offer a wide range of benefits and incidental insurance, as well as high point redemption rates.

Takahito Kikuchi of Poi-Tan Co., Ltd. thinks it is best to use the Rakuten Card as a main card.

Rakuten’s ‘Super Point Up Program’ has been continuously revised, but it is still the most efficient service for earning points,” he said. “The monthly “Shopping Marathon” and “Points +2x on days with 0 and 5″ campaigns are great for earning points, and the fact that Rakuten points can be used like cash on the web and in brick-and-mortar stores is also a strong point. However, the service continues to undergo changes. I don’t think it is necessary to create a Gold or Premium card.”

Sumitomo Mitsui Card is trying to break the stronghold of Rakuten’s dominance. The brand’s “numberless card,” which does not have a number on its face, is gaining popularity due to its high security.

The Sumitomo Mitsui Card Gold offers a 5% discount just for spending at three convenience stores and McDonald’s, and up to 10% if you add a family card to the card. It is simple and easy to save, and is recommended for people who buy in real stores rather than online. Also, if you link up with SBI Securities and accumulate mutual funds, you will get 1% back. Since Rakuten will be revamped by the end of the year, Sumitomo Mitsui Card has gained an advantage. The annual fee of 5,500 yen is a bottleneck, but if you spend more than 1 million yen a year, the annual fee for the next and subsequent years will be “waived forever”. It is a very economical card that can be used all the time once it has been used.

Strong au economic zone

If you register for Sumitomo Mitsui Card Gold via “MOPPY”, a service that supports poiety, you can earn 8,000 MOPPY points (equivalent to 8,000 yen), which is unique to MOPPY, and you can use it for your campaign, so be sure not to miss the campaign.

The presence of “au Economic Circle” (Ponta Point) is increasing as a point system to follow “Rakuten Ponta Point” is gaining in prominence as a point system to follow Rakuten. Seita Ikeda, cashless expert and editor-in-chief of Otokure, explains as follows.

The best choice among mobile carriers is the au PAY Gold Card, which has an annual fee of 11,000 yen. Although the annual membership fee is 11,000 yen, it offers a high reduction rate of up to 11% on cell phone charges, and it can be used to pay for “au PAY,” a smartphone payment application, from the credit card. au PAY, a smartphone payment application, and 2.5% reduction when charged from the credit card and settled with a code. The specifications of the credit card itself and the high redemption rate in the au economic zone are the main selling points of the credit card, which is ahead of Docomo (d card) and SoftBank ( PayPay Card).

Convenient automatic redemption

Speaking of practical and point-earning credit cards, “PASMO” and “Suica” are the most popular. The most practical credit cards that earn points are those that are integrated with transportation system IC cards such as PASMO and Suica. Ikeda recommends the following two cards.

The BIC Camera Suica Card offers a high redemption rate of up to 11.5% at BIC Camera, and 1.5% for auto-charging. . Also, unlike other View cards, if you use it even once a year, the annual fee for the following year is waived. In terms of PASMO, TOKYU CARD ClubQ JMB PASMO also offers 1% points for commuter pass purchases and auto-charges. The points accumulated can be converted to JAL miles for a high redemption rate, making it one of the most efficient cards for becoming a so-called “land (陸(おか) miler.”

If you do a lot of shopping at actual stores, you may be wondering whether to get a department store or department store credit card. Among them, the Daimaru Matsuzakaya Card stands out for its high rate of return. Akio Iwata, a consumer affairs journalist, says, “The Daimaru Matsuzakaya Card was relaunched in 2021.”

The Daimaru Matsuzakaya Card, which was renewed in 2021, offers a 5% reduction rate on in-store purchases, plus one “QIRA point” for every 200 yen spent. The affiliated department stores also earn Rakuten points, making it an efficient way to earn points.

To earn more points, it is necessary to combine various applications and campaigns, which some may find troublesome. In that case, one option is to have a simple card that earns cash back just by using it.

“The P-one card, issued by an ITOCHU affiliate, automatically gives 1% off your bill. The advantage of this card is that it offers 1% off not only purchases but also utility bills such as electricity and gas, and is recommended for those who cannot choose from too many different types of cards. Likewise, the Likeme by saison card, which is also a saison card, automatically gives 1% cash back and offers the same saison-related benefits as other cards,” said Kikuchi.

The table below lists the most noteworthy cards that could not be introduced in the main text. In the age of “poikatsu,” it is a theory that you should use two cards, one as your main card and the other specialized for transportation and stores that you frequently use.

The top 12 “god cards” that can earn you points

From the May 6-13, 2022 issue of “FRIDAY