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Hello, this is Sierra from the Sony Bank market research team!
After becoming a customer of Sony Bank in early 2019, I noticed that I was only using my Sony Bank WALLET occasionally. So, in December 2019 I decided to use my Sony Bank WALLET to check if I could really go cashless in Japan.
I set out to use my Sony Bank WALLET as much as possible to pay for goods and services day to day, to check how easy it is to use around town, and if there were any benefits from using it.
Mission - Live a cashless life for one month using Sony Bank WALLET in Tokyo
- Objectives:
- To confirm the extent to which I could use my Sony Bank WALLET to pay for things (and whether there were any places where I could not use my card)
What is Sony Bank WALLET
It is a cash card with Visa Debit functionality, that can be used to pay for goods and services at Visa merchants worldwide. Cardholders can get cashback (0.5-2.0%) on purchases made in Japan, so the more you use it, the more benefits you get!
Here are some of the things that I found out during my one-month experiment with Sony Bank WALLET, including instances when I had to pay using cash or e-money.
Discovery 1: Using Sony Bank WALLET instead of e-money eliminates the need to charge your card.
Target merchants: Convenience stores, commuter pass office, hotels, restaurants
Goals: Rethink how I use electronic money (which I use occasionally) and clean out my wallet
The biggest thing that changed in my day-to-day life as a result of using Sony Bank WALLET is how I make payments at convenience stores. While I have used e-money to pay for purchases for some years now, recharging e-money cards with cash whenever the balance runs out was a hassle. I always felt that I was inconveniencing the people waiting behind me when I ran out of money.
However, since switching to Sony Bank WALLET, I no longer have to worry about charging my card, since I don’t need to withdraw cash from the ATM to charge it. In many cases signing for purchases is not required below a certain amount, so payments can be completed quickly by simply handing your Sony Bank WALLET to the store clerk.
Impressions: It was freeing not to have to recharge my e-money card. After organizing the cards I use, my wallet is now half empty.
Discovery 2: I was able to use my Sony Bank WALLET even at shops where I had always assumed I had to pay with cash.
Target merchants: Privately-run shops, supermarkets, cafes, flea markets, beauty salons
Goals: Check if the Visa mark is displayed by the cash register, and confirm the minimum payment amount
I often thought that using cards for small payments or at local mom-and-pop shops might be inconvenient for the shop owners. During my month-long mission, however, I decided to not carry any cash and consciously keep an eye out for the Visa mark wherever I went. Given how uncommon it used to be for many restaurants and stores to accept credit or debit cards, I’d always assumed paying by cash was the norm and made sure I always had some on me. However, when consciously keeping an eye out for the Visa mark, I found that there are many places, such as my local supermarket, hair salon, and even acupuncture clinic, that accept Visa Debit cards.
The use of tablet-based app payment systems has also become increasingly common among certain types of businesses. I even found a shop where you can pay by card at an outdoor flea market! This gives me hope that cashless payments are taking root in Japan after all.
Impressions: Surprisingly, there are now many places where you can pay using your debit card. However, there may be a minimum purchase amount, as I found when I inquired at one place where I ate lunch. Now I always look for the Visa mark at the cash register.
Discovery 3: There are some places where you can’t use Sony Bank WALLET
Target merchants (where e-money is accepted): Low-value purchases at small local shops, vending machines, trains/buses
(Cash only) Splitting bills between friends, event fees, coin laundries, monetary gifts
Goals: To determine the best way for me to use e-money and cash
Some stores that don’t accept credit or debit cards do accept payments using e-money. I was able to complete most of my purchases simply by carrying around my Sony Bank WALLET and using e-money for places they did not accept cards.
I found I only needed cash when I had to exchange money with other people, such as paying for my share of dinner or attending a party. On several occasions, I actually used bank transfers when splitting payments with fellow Sony Bank account holders. On top of transfers between Sony Bank accounts being free, it was also easy to chip in the correct amount.
Impressions: Sony Bank WALLET, e-money, and cash are my three staples. I definitely used my card the most, and the remaining payments were split equally between e-money and cash.
With my mission complete, my New Year’s resolution was to continue my cashless life in 2020, as I found it very convenient. I was also excited to see how much cashback I earned in a month, simply by making a conscious effort to replace e-money and cash with Sony Bank WALLET.
Learn more about Sony Bank WALLET
If you don’t yet have a Sony Bank account
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