Which Epos Card should you get? All 7 compared
A decision page for readers who have already settled on Epos Card and only need to pick the right card in the lineup. All 7 are compared here — 7 of them open to new applications, with annual fees of ¥0–¥30,000. The axis that actually decides it: annual fee against ordinary earning, plus any milestone bonus you would reach anyway.
Issued by Epos Card Co., Ltd. · 7 cards recorded, 7 open to new applications · verified 2026-08-13
Which one to get
If you want one answer, start with the Chiikawa Epos Card — no annual fee and a 0.5% published base rate. If you already know what you want the card for, take the matching row instead.
| Use case | Card | Annual fee | Fee condition | Base rate | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best no-fee starting point | Chiikawa Epos CardGeneral | Free | — | 0.5% | Character design |
| Best paid card with a fee-waiver path | Epos Gold CardGold | ¥5,000 | Waiver available | 0.5% | Can be very good after free invitation |
| Best premium / travel tier | Epos Platinum CardPlatinum | ¥30,000 | Invitation only | 0.5% | Spend-bonus premium card |
| Best specialist / co-brand | Epos Card VisaGeneral | Free | — | 0.5% | No-fee card with broad perks |
Each row is selected from the recorded data by rule — cheapest fee, a stated waiver, the highest published rate within a grade — not by editorial preference. Nothing here reflects how likely you are to be approved.
How to decide inside this lineup
3 rules apply to this lineup. Work down them in order — the first one usually settles it.
- Start with the strongest no-fee card, and move up only when a paid tier has a waiver you will actually reach, a milestone bonus you would hit anyway, or a recurring benefit worth more than its fee.
- These cards do not all earn the same currency: the lineup spans Epos Points and Epos Points / JR Kyushu Q points. A higher rate in a programme you cannot redeem well is worth less than a lower rate in one you can.
- This lineup has more than one grade, so an upgrade is an arithmetic question: divide the extra annual fee by the extra published rate to get the spend that repays it, then add only the benefits and milestones you expect to use.
Each rule is triggered by the recorded fees, grades, programmes and payment types rather than written per provider, so it changes when the lineup does.
Annual fees and what they really cost
4 of the 7 personal cards you can choose between here have no annual fee. The fee is the only cost you pay whether or not you use the card, so it is the first column to read.
| Card | Grade | Annual fee | Fee condition | Networks | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiikawa Epos Card | General | Free | — | Visa | Open to new applications |
| Epos Card Visa | General | Free | — | Visa | Open to new applications |
| MGA Epos Card | General | Free | — | Visa | Open to new applications |
| Sumikko Gurashi Epos Card | General | Free | — | Visa | Open to new applications |
| Epos Gold Card | Gold | ¥5,000 | Waiver available | Visa | Open to new applications |
| JQ Card Epos Gold | Gold | ¥5,000 | Waiver available | Visa | Open to new applications |
| Epos Platinum Card | Platinum | ¥30,000 | Invitation only | Visa | Open to new applications |
A waiver or a free first year still means you pay the fee until the condition is met. Family cards, ETC cards and optional programmes can carry their own charges, which are not in this column — check the issuer page. All amounts include tax.
Earning rates and what they earn into
These cards earn into 2 different programmes. Rates in different currencies are not comparable until you fix what a point is worth to you.
| Card | Base rate | Earns | Comparison-site range | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiikawa Epos Card | 0.5% | Epos Points | — | Free |
| Epos Card Visa | 0.5% | Epos Points | 0.5% | Free |
| MGA Epos Card | 0.5% | Epos Points | — | Free |
| Sumikko Gurashi Epos Card | 0.5% | Epos Points | — | Free |
| Epos Gold Card | 0.5% | Epos Points | 0.5%–1.25% | ¥5,000 |
| JQ Card Epos Gold | 0.5% | Epos Points / JR Kyushu Q points | — | ¥5,000 |
| Epos Platinum Card | 0.5% | Epos Points | — | ¥30,000 |
The base rate is the figure the issuer publishes; where none is published the cell is blank rather than estimated. The comparison-site range is calculated by Kakaku.com under its own assumptions about redemption value and bonus conditions — it is a secondary signal, not an issuer claim.
Every card compared
All 7 cards, ordered by grade and then by fee, with what each is for and what to watch on it.
| Card | Annual fee | Base rate | Best for | Main edge | Caution / status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiikawa Epos CardGeneral | Free | 0.5% | Character design | Character benefits | Issue fee and availability |
| Epos Card VisaGeneral | Free | 0.5% | No-fee card with broad perks | Marui discounts and partner offers | Base return modest; no family card |
| MGA Epos CardGeneral | Free | 0.5% | Fan benefits | Artist-specific benefits/designs | Designs open/close frequently |
| Sumikko Gurashi Epos CardGeneral | Free | 0.5% | Character design | Character benefits | Issue fee and availability |
| Epos Gold CardGold | ¥5,000 | 0.5% | Can be very good after free invitation | Chosen-shop bonuses and annual bonus subject to current program | Chosen-shop rules and recent program changes |
| JQ Card Epos GoldGold | ¥5,000 | 0.5% | Strong point-transfer utility | Point exchange and JR Kyushu benefits | Application route and selected-shop changes |
| Epos Platinum CardPlatinum | ¥30,000 | 0.5% | Spend-bonus premium card | Annual spend bonus; 2026 bonus schedule updates | Break-even depends on annual spend; 2026 program revisions |
The last three columns are the English research record for each card. Signup campaigns are deliberately excluded — they are not standing value.
Benefits, and what switches them on
7 of these cards have a recorded insurance, lounge, family-card or eligibility term. What decides a benefit’s value is not whether it exists but what switches it on.
| Card | Insurance | Lounge | Family / ETC | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epos Card Visa | Overseas travel insurance subject to use | — | ETC available; no standard family card | 18+; high-school students excluded |
| MGA Epos Card | Travel insurance | — | ETC available | 18+ |
| Chiikawa Epos Card | Travel insurance | — | ETC available | 18+ |
| Sumikko Gurashi Epos Card | Travel insurance | — | ETC available | 18+ |
| Epos Gold Card | Travel insurance | Domestic lounge benefits | Family Gold program; ETC | 20+ / invitation routes |
| JQ Card Epos Gold | Travel insurance | Domestic lounges | See official page | 20+ / conditions |
| Epos Platinum Card | Travel insurance | Priority Pass/concierge | Family Gold; ETC | 20+ / screening |
A blank cell means nothing was recorded, not that the benefit is absent. Travel insurance in Japan is often conditional on paying for part of the trip with the card, and lounge access usually caps visits and charges for guests — the activation rule is on the issuer page.
Upgrade maths: what a higher tier has to return
The published base rate does not rise as the fee does, so no amount of ordinary spending repays the difference. Only a waiver, a milestone or a benefit you use can justify it.
| From | Up to | Extra fee | Extra rate | Break-even spend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiikawa Epos Card | Epos Gold Card | ¥5,000 | 0% | Rewards alone never repay it |
| Epos Gold Card | Epos Platinum Card | ¥25,000 | 0% | Rewards alone never repay it |
- Reward-only break-even spend
incremental annual fee ÷ incremental effective reward rateThe eligible spend at which the higher tier’s extra earning covers its extra fee, and nothing more.- Upgrade net value
incremental rewards + used credits + used benefits + family-card savings − incremental annual feeCount a credit or benefit only at the value you would actually redeem, not at its advertised value.- Milestone expected value
milestone benefit value × probability you reach the threshold without changing how you spendIf reaching the threshold requires new spending, the milestone is a cost, not a benefit.
These figures use the published base rate only — no merchant multipliers, milestones, insurance, lounge access or family-card savings. Adding spending you would not otherwise do always breaks the arithmetic.
Check these on the issuer page before applying
The tables above narrow the choice; only the issuer can settle it. Check these four things on the official page before you apply.
| What to check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Credit limit | Almost every issuer sets an individual limit after underwriting. Do not infer a usable limit from the card’s tier unless an official public range is stated. |
| Rewards limits | Check monthly and annual bonus caps, annual-spend thresholds, whether enrolment is required, and whether taxes, utilities, e-money charging, securities accumulation, fees or cash advances earn a reduced rate or nothing at all. |
| Benefit limits | Confirm what activates the insurance, who is covered, lounge visit and guest rules, reservation channels, blackout dates, and whether a benefit renews by calendar year, membership year or card anniversary. |
| Payment and overseas use | Verify the foreign transaction fee, cash-advance terms, installment and revolving settings, the accepted network, and mobile-wallet compatibility. |
Important cautions
This page is a comparison, not advice. These hold whichever card you pick.
- This is a comparison guide, not approval advice. Issuers decide eligibility and credit limits, and nothing here predicts either.
- Never increase spending to reach a points threshold or a fee waiver. Interest and unnecessary purchases overwhelm rewards quickly.
- Use a conservative point value. The same point is worth different amounts as a statement credit, as merchant spend, as miles or as a limited campaign reward.
- Invitation, campaign, insurance and lounge terms change. Re-check the official terms immediately before applying.
- If you are a foreign resident, confirm accepted identification, name and address matching, Japanese-language requirements and any bank-account condition directly with the issuer.
Common questions
Which Epos Card should I get?
For most people the starting point is the Chiikawa Epos Card — no annual fee and a 0.5% published base rate. Move up to the Epos Platinum Card (¥30,000 a year and a 0.5% published base rate) only when the extra fee is repaid by earning and by benefits you will genuinely use. Epos Card decides eligibility and credit limits, so check the current terms on the issuer page before you apply.
Is a paid Epos Card worth the annual fee?
The published base rate does not rise with the fee here, so the extra fee cannot be earned back through ordinary spending. The only things that justify it are a waiver you will reach, a milestone you would hit anyway, and benefits you will genuinely use.
Do all Epos Cards earn the same points?
No. The lineup spans Epos Points and Epos Points / JR Kyushu Q points. Rates in different currencies are not directly comparable, so decide how you would redeem before you compare them.
Sources and freshness
Everything on this page comes from the issuer’s own product and lineup pages, and from the points programme’s official pages, as checked on 2026-08-13.
- www.eposcard.co.jp/cardlineup/index.html
- www.eposcard.co.jp
- www.eposcard.co.jp/goldcard/index.html
- www.eposcard.co.jp/platinumcard/index.html
- www.eposcard.co.jp/collabo/jq/index.html
- www.eposcard.co.jp/gecard/ec00007/index.html
- www.eposcard.co.jp/gecard/chiikawa/index.html
- www.eposcard.co.jp/gecard/sumikko
Card facts are from the research database as of 2026-08-16; the points and benefit records are from the 2026-08-17 pass. Fees, benefits, campaigns and application rules change without notice. If something here is wrong, tell us on the corrections page.