Apply for the Amazon Mastercard in Japan and you never get to pick a card. Your Prime status at sign-up picks it: 2.0% back on Amazon.co.jp for Prime members, 1.5% for everyone else.
The Gold version no longer accepts new applicants. The card now comes from Sumitomo Mitsui Card (SMBC), so its forms, billing and support all run through SMBC.
This guide is for foreign residents in Japan, meaning students and workers on a residence card, who shop on Amazon.co.jp every week and want to know if the Japanese-only application is worth the effort.
How Do You Apply for the Amazon Mastercard in Japan in 2026?
You start on Amazon.co.jp and finish on Sumitomo Mitsui Card's online form. The Amazon Mastercard has no annual fee, and SMBC's instant screening (即時審査) can issue a temporary card number in about three minutes.
The physical card arrives at your Japanese address within one or two weeks. Every page is in Japanese, so keep a browser translator open and your residence card next to the keyboard.
That covers the steps. For a foreign resident, the harder questions are whether you will pass screening and whether this card beats the one already in your wallet.
Amazon Mastercard vs Amazon Prime Mastercard: Which One Do You Get?
Prime members get the black Amazon Prime Mastercard, which earns 2.0% on Amazon.co.jp. Everyone else gets the silver Amazon Mastercard, which earns 1.5% there.
The two cards share almost everything else
Both cards earn 1.0% at other Mastercard merchants and 1.5% at Seven-Eleven, FamilyMart and Lawson. Both include overseas travel insurance up to ¥20 million and shopping protection up to ¥2 million a year.
If you join Prime after approval, Amazon mails you a Prime Mastercard to replace the silver one. The card changes automatically with your membership.
What happened to the Amazon Mastercard Gold?
Amazon and Sumitomo Mitsui Card closed the Gold card to new applicants in September 2021. Both old cards became the current free versions that November, according to Impress Watch's report on the renewal.
The old Gold cost ¥11,000 a year and included Prime. Former Gold holders who keep Prime still earn 2.5% on Amazon, a rate no new applicant can get. If you were holding out for Gold, it left the party five years ago.
Who Can Get an Amazon Mastercard as a Foreigner in Japan?
Foreign residents can apply. The card is open to applicants aged 18 or older, excluding high school students, and permanent residency is not a stated requirement.
Screening looks for signs that you live in Japan and can repay. Have these ready when you open the form:
- A residence card (在留カード), My Number Card or Japanese driver's license as photo ID
- A Japanese address that matches your ID exactly, apartment number included
- A Japanese mobile number that can take calls during screening
- A Japanese bank account for automatic monthly payment
- Your employer details or student status, plus your visa type
Why foreign applicants sometimes get extra questions
Non-Japanese applicants may see extra fields for visa status and employer. Some also get a follow-up call or a request for documents, while others are approved within minutes.
Enter your name exactly as the romanized spelling on your residence card. If the form and your ID don't match, the application can stall.
Mistakes that slow approval
Applying for several Japanese credit cards at once can draw closer scrutiny. Keep your address current with your city office first, since your ID and the form need to match.
Is Paying for Prime Worth It Just to Get the 2% Card?
For light Amazon shoppers, usually not. Amazon Prime in Japan costs ¥5,900 a year or ¥600 a month, and the Prime card adds just 0.5% on Amazon over the free silver card.
A popular tip says to start Prime, even the 30-day free trial, right before you apply so the black card shows up. I wouldn't pay for Prime only for the card: covering ¥5,900 with a 0.5% bonus takes ¥1,180,000 of Amazon.co.jp spending a year.
The break-even math at real spending levels
Here is the extra 0.5% from the Prime card against the ¥5,900 yearly Prime fee:
| Monthly Amazon spend | Yearly spend | Extra points from Prime card | Covers ¥5,900 fee? |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¥10,000 | ¥120,000 | ¥600 | No |
| ¥30,000 | ¥360,000 | ¥1,800 | No |
| ¥50,000 | ¥600,000 | ¥3,000 | No |
| ¥100,000 | ¥1,200,000 | ¥6,000 | Barely |
The card bonus covers Prime on its own only at around ¥100,000 a month, so decide on Prime for its shipping and video perks.
What the free-trial trick misses
The 2.0% rate depends on your live Prime status each time you buy. If you cancel the trial, your black card earns 1.5% on Amazon, the same as the silver one.
How much do you spend on Amazon in a normal month? If you already pay for Prime, the 2% card is a free upgrade. If you don't, the silver card costs you very little.
Step-by-Step: Applying Through Amazon.co.jp and SMBC
If your documents match, the whole application fits into one sitting. Sumitomo Mitsui Card handles the form, screening, billing and customer support. Amazon only hosts the entry page.
Step 1: Start from the Amazon.co.jp card page
Log in to Amazon.co.jp, search for "Amazon Mastercard" and open the card page. It shows the card that matches your current Prime status and links you to SMBC's form.
Step 2: Fill in personal, work and housing details
The form asks for your name, address, phone number, occupation and annual income. It also asks about your housing type and how long you have lived there, and foreign applicants answer extra visa and employer questions.
Step 3: Verify identity and set up payment
Identity checks happen online, usually with a photo of your ID. Register your Japanese bank account for automatic monthly payment, because late payments go on your Japanese credit record.
Step 4: Screening, temporary card, then the real card
Instant screening can approve you in minutes and give you a card number to use on Amazon right away. If SMBC needs more information, it contacts you by email or phone, and the decision can take a few days.
After Approval: Points, Exclusions and Campaign Fine Print
Amazon Points from the card are worth ¥1 each on Amazon.co.jp and expire one year after the last date you earned points. They apply automatically at checkout.
Purchases that skip the boosted rate
Not every Amazon charge earns 1.5% or 2.0%. These are excluded from the boost:
- Kindle books and other digital content
- Prime membership fees and Audible subscriptions
- Amazon Pharmacy and Amazon furusato nozei (hometown tax) donations
- Amazon Web Services and payments made through Amazon Pay
Read the cashback campaign before you tick any box
SMBC's April 2026 campaign paid ¥3,000 cashback only to applicants who registered My Pay-su Revo (マイ・ペイすリボ) revolving payments and spent ¥60,000 by July 31.
I would skip that ¥3,000, because revolving payment charges interest on any balance you carry. Check the current terms on Sumitomo Mitsui Card's official site before you agree to anything at sign-up.
Questions People Ask About the Amazon Mastercard in Japan
These are the questions foreign residents ask most once they start the form.
- Q: Can I get an Amazon Mastercard in Japan without permanent residency?
Yes. Residence card holders can apply, and permanent residency is not a listed requirement. Screening weighs income stability and time at your address, so newer arrivals may get more follow-up questions. - Q: Does the Amazon Mastercard work outside Amazon?
It does. It earns 1.0% at any Mastercard merchant and 1.5% at the big three convenience stores, and it works with Apple Pay, Google Pay and Mastercard contactless. - Q: Can I hold both the Amazon Mastercard and the Amazon Prime Mastercard?
No. You hold one card, and it switches between silver and black as your Prime membership changes. You can add up to three family cards at no fee. - Q: Can I use a foreign address or overseas bank account?
No. The card needs a Japanese address, phone number and bank account for billing. If you are moving soon, apply after your new address appears on your residence card. - Q: Is the Amazon Mastercard Gold still available?
Not for new applicants since September 2021. If someone offers you a "Gold upgrade," treat it as outdated information or a scam.
Conclusion
The Amazon Mastercard in Japan is free and open to most foreign residents whose address and bank account are Japanese. Your Prime status decides the card and the rate, so check it before you open the form.
Skip paying for Prime just for the extra 0.5% unless your Amazon spending runs near ¥100,000 monthly. Start with the silver card, track your spending for six months, and let the numbers make the call.
