Credit card comparison tables
Three tables over the same researched lineup, split by the question you are asking. Each one previews the seven cards with the highest overall score, and opens into the whole lineup with sorting, filtering and any of the thirteen scores as the order.
Credit card comparison table
Every researched Japanese credit card in one sortable table: annual fee, waiver, grade, network, points programme, published base rate and application status.
| Card | Overall score | Issuer | Grade | Annual fee | Waiver | Base rate | Points programme | Networks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 UPSIDER CardUPSIDER | 82.1/100 | UPSIDER | General | Free | — | 1% | UPSIDER automatic cashback | Visa |
 d CardNTT DOCOMO | 81.9/100 | NTT DOCOMO | General | Free | — | 1% | d POINT | Visa · Mastercard |
 apollostation THE PLATINUM Saison AmexIdemitsu Credit | 80.7/100 | Idemitsu Credit | Platinum | ¥22,000 | Waiver available | 1.2% | Plus Points | American Express |
 apollostation Platinum BusinessIdemitsu Credit | 79.6/100 | Idemitsu Credit | Platinum | ¥22,000 | Waiver available | 0.8% | Plus Points | Visa · American Express |
 Alpen Group Rakuten CardRakuten Card | 78.8/100 | Rakuten Card | General | Free | — | 1% | Rakuten Points / Alpen points | Mastercard |
 Mitsui Shopping Park Card SaisonCredit Saison | 78.8/100 | Credit Saison | General | Free | — | 0.5% | Permanent Points (永久不滅ポイント) + Mitsui Shopping Park Points | Visa · Mastercard · JCB · American Express |
 Rakuten CardRakuten Card | 78.8/100 | Rakuten Card | General | Free | — | 1% | Rakuten Points | Visa · Mastercard · JCB · American Express |
Credit card points comparison table
What each Japanese credit card earns and what those points can become: programme, base rate, value of a point, earning rule, expiry, airline and hotel routes and the highest-value redemption.
| Card | Overall score | Programme | Base rate | What a point is worth | Best for | Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPSIDER CardUPSIDER | 82.1/100 | UPSIDER automatic cashback | 1% | ¥1 of offset per ¥1 cash-back value | Limits up to issuer-approved maximum; granular card controls | No transfer |
| d CardNTT DOCOMO | 81.9/100 | d POINT | 1% | 1 point=¥1 for eligible uses | Simple 1% card for d POINT users | 1,000 d points→500 JAL miles; monthly exchange cap applies |
| apollostation THE PLATINUM Saison AmexIdemitsu Credit | 80.7/100 | Plus Points | 1.2% | Variable; bill, partner and mile routes differ | High base return plus fuel, road service and premium travel package | ANA/JAL transfer |
| apollostation Platinum BusinessIdemitsu Credit | 79.6/100 | Plus Points | 0.8% | Variable; bill, partner and mile routes differ | Fuel and business support in a premium corporate package | ANA/JAL transfer |
| Alpen Group Rakuten CardRakuten Card | 78.8/100 | Rakuten Points / Alpen points | 1% | 1 point=¥1 in eligible Rakuten uses | Sports retailer value | Rakuten Travel and ANA-mile exchange |
| Mitsui Shopping Park Card SaisonCredit Saison | 78.8/100 | Permanent Points (永久不滅ポイント) + Mitsui Shopping Park Points | 0.5% | Up to about ¥5 per point; bill credit is commonly 200 points→¥900 | Double earning at Mitsui Fudosan shopping facilities | ANA/JAL transfer; SAISON MILE CLUB on eligible cards |
| Rakuten CardRakuten Card | 78.8/100 | Rakuten Points | 1% | 1 point=¥1 in eligible Rakuten uses | Simple 1% and broad ecosystem | Rakuten Travel and ANA-mile exchange |
Credit card benefits comparison table
What each Japanese credit card gives you for its annual fee, in detail: what the travel cover includes, which lounges and travel services, family and ETC terms, category benefits, eligibility and the conditions attached.
| Card | Overall score | Annual fee | Waiver | Insurance and cover | Lounges and travel | Family and ETC | Category benefits | Built for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPSIDER CardUPSIDER | 82.1/100 | Free | — | Fraud-use support; not a travel-benefit cardNo travel cover recordedFraud support | Expense controls and accounting integrations | Unlimited virtual/physical cards subject to issuer controls | Basic 1.0%+ depending on merchant; automatically offsets billing | Limits up to issuer-approved maximum; granular card controls |
| d CardNTT DOCOMO | 81.9/100 | Free | — | Shopping/phone protection subject to termsShopping coverPhone coverConditions apply | — | Family card free; ETC terms applyFamily cardsETC cardFree additional cardsConditions apply | d CARD merchants and Docomo ecosystem bonuses | Simple 1% card for d POINT users |
| apollostation THE PLATINUM Saison AmexIdemitsu Credit | 80.7/100 | ¥22,000 | Waiver available | Travel and shopping protectionsTravel coverShopping cover | Priority Pass (annual free-use limit applies), domestic lounges, conciergePriority PassDomestic loungesConciergeUse limits apply | Family card and ETC availableFamily cardsETC card | 12 points per ¥1,000; fuel discount can rise to ¥10/L with spend | High base return plus fuel, road service and premium travel package |
| apollostation Platinum BusinessIdemitsu Credit | 79.6/100 | ¥22,000 | Waiver available | Travel, cyber and shopping protectionsTravel coverShopping coverCyber cover | Priority Pass terms and annual use limit applyPriority PassUse limits applyConditions apply | Additional cards available | 8 points per ¥1,000 including apollostation; redeem for statement credit, miles or partner points | Fuel and business support in a premium corporate package |
| Alpen Group Rakuten CardRakuten Card | 78.8/100 | Free | — | Travel insurance | — | Family/ETC availableFamily cardsETC card | Alpen Group bonuses | Sports retailer value |
| Mitsui Shopping Park Card SaisonCredit Saison | 78.8/100 | Free | — | Premium Amex version has travel insurance; standard versions differTravel coverEnhanced coverCheck the issuer page | Facility parking and member benefits | ETC available | At participating facilities, earn both shopping-park points and Permanent Points | Double earning at Mitsui Fudosan shopping facilities |
| Rakuten CardRakuten Card | 78.8/100 | Free | — | Overseas travel insurance subject to useOverseas travelConditions apply | — | Family/ETC available; ETC fee waiver conditionsFamily cardsETC cardConditions apply | Rakuten market/SPU bonuses subject to terms | Simple 1% and broad ecosystem |
The highest score in each category
The overall score is one weighting of twelve things a card can be good at, and it is almost certainly not yours. Each list below re-ranks the lineup on a single category, and the link opens the full table sorted the same way — so you can carry on comparing the cards that lead on the thing you actually care about.
Overall score
All twelve categories
The twelve category scores, weighted by a default profile, on a 0–100 scale. Recorded 2026-08-18.
Cost and fee value
13% of the overall
What the card costs to hold each year, and whether a realistic waiver exists.
Everyday rewards
13% of the overall
The published base rate on ordinary eligible spend, before campaigns.
Repayment risk
12% of the overall
Whether the card uses ordinary selectable repayment or steers you into revolving credit.
Acceptance and digital use
9% of the overall
Network acceptance plus wallet, digital-issue and additional-card availability.
Accessibility
9% of the overall
Whether applications are open and how restrictive the published eligibility looks.
Bonus categories
9% of the overall
How strong and how specific the merchant, ecosystem and spend-threshold bonuses are.
Travel and lounges
9% of the overall
Travel insurance, airport lounges, Priority Pass, concierge and related travel services.
- apollostation THE PLATINUM Saison AmexIdemitsu Credit10/10
- UC Platinum CardUC Card10/10
- Rakuten Premium CardRakuten Card10/10
- American Express Platinum CardAmerican Express10/10
- JCB PlatinumJCB10/10
- Saison Platinum Business American Express CardCredit Saison10/10
- MUFG Card Platinum American ExpressMitsubishi UFJ NICOS10/10
Insurance and protection
7% of the overall
Travel, shopping, fraud and purchase protection as the card documents it.
Redemption flexibility
7% of the overall
How many practical routes the points have — cash, shopping, miles, hotels, transit, partners.
Lifestyle perks
6% of the overall
Retail, transit, telecom, dining, entertainment and status benefits that stand year after year.
Signup offer
4% of the overall
Whether a public signup offer is running and how large the headline is.
Referral offer
2% of the overall
Whether a both-party referral award exists and roughly how strong it is.
- apollostation THE PLATINUM Saison AmexIdemitsu Credit10/10
- apollostation Platinum BusinessIdemitsu Credit10/10
- SMBC Platinum PreferredSumitomo Mitsui Card10/10
- SMBC Business Owners Platinum PreferredSumitomo Mitsui Card10/10
- Amex Gold PreferredAmerican Express10/10
- American Express Platinum CardAmerican Express10/10
- Amex Business GoldAmerican Express10/10
How the scores work
Every one of 222 scored cards is rated 0–10 in 12 categories, from the same records these tables render. The overall score is those 12 numbers on a 0–100 scale under a default weighting, and it is recomputed from them here rather than taken on trust. Scores summarise documented features as of 2026-08-18: they are not approval odds, not service quality, and not the value you will personally get. A card scores low in a category when the research found nothing there, which is not the same as the feature being absent.
231 cards and 391 network variants. Recorded from official issuer lineup and product pages as of 2026-08-16. Fees, benefits and campaigns change — check the issuer page before applying.