Rewards glossary, sources, and outdated-strategy archive
Key terms, the official-source approach, and superseded strategies you should stop using.
This hub defines core terms, explains why every claim cites official first-party sources with a verification date, and lists strategies that expired in 2025–2026 (Furusato Nozei points, PayPay Step without KYC, and more).
Key points
- Base rate vs effective rate; ordinary vs limited-time vs limited-use points.
- Stacking vs double counting; campaign entry vs automatic enrollment.
- Every factual claim cites an official source with a verification date.
- Furusato Nozei portal points were removed from October 1, 2025.
- PayPay Step requires KYC and excludes point-funded portions since June 2, 2026.
Core terms and the source approach
A few terms recur throughout this cluster. Base rate is the ordinary return before campaigns; effective rate is what you actually receive after caps, fees, exclusions, rounding, and realistic redemption. Ordinary points follow standard rules; limited-time points have a fixed deadline; limited-use points are restricted to specified uses. Stacking is receiving more than one legitimate reward on one purchase; double counting is incorrectly adding rates that include the same base. Because this is money-you-touch content, every factual rate, fee, expiry, and eligibility claim cites an official first-party source (issuer, program, airline, or the National Tax Agency) with a verification date — a search snippet is never evidence, and uncertain values are shown as unknown rather than guessed.
Superseded and unsafe strategies
Several once-common strategies are now expired or unsafe. Furusato Nozei portal points, SPU, and shopping-marathon bonuses were removed from October 1, 2025, though ordinary card-payment points may remain. PayPay Step no longer works without identity verification (June 2, 2026), and the portion paid with PayPay Points is excluded from Step rewards. PayPay Gold’s old extra base-rate bonus was superseded on June 2, 2026 by a one-percent basic rate and annual-spend benefit. Rakuten Pay’s announced March 1, 2026 change was postponed, not implemented. From September 1, 2026 the d Card-funded d払い bonus becomes limited-use points, and JRE Card station benefits change. Physical-card touch, smartphone touch, and iD are not interchangeable for SMBC’s selected-store seven-percent route. Airline award charts changed in 2026 for both ANA and JAL. Never repeat an expired card-to-e-money “loop” from an old blog post.
Who this is for
- Anyone verifying a rewards claim or a stale strategy
What this is not
- People who prefer undated blog claims
- Any strategy without a current verification date should be re-checked against official terms before use.
Frequently asked questions
Does Rakuten Furusato Nozei still earn marketplace points?
No. From October 1, 2025, portal-awarded shopping points, SPU, and shopping-marathon treatment were removed for Furusato Nozei donations. However, the card issuer may still award its ordinary payment reward where the transaction remains eligible.
Does paying with PayPay Points earn Step rewards?
No, since June 2, 2026 the portion paid with PayPay Points is excluded from PayPay Step rewards, and PayPay Step now requires identity verification. Ordinary PayPay Points still do not expire, and points cannot be sent or withdrawn.
How are the rewards facts on this site verified?
Every factual rate, fee, expiry, and eligibility claim cites an official first-party source — the issuer, program, airline, or the National Tax Agency — with a verification date. A search snippet is never used as evidence, uncertain values are shown as unknown rather than guessed, and superseded strategies are archived with their change dates.