Using Foreign ATM Cards in Japan: 7-Eleven, Post Office, and Convenience Store ATMs

Which ATMs Accept Foreign Cards

Not every ATM in Japan accepts internationally-issued cards. These are the most reliable options:

Top recommendation: Seven Bank ATMs (7-Eleven) More than 28,000 machines nationwide, open around the clock, screens in 10 languages, and an overseas-card fee that appears on screen before you confirm — in practice ¥110 for most Visa and Mastercard withdrawals, more for some other brands. Japan Post Bank ATMs take most of the same cards but charge a published ¥220 per withdrawal and cap you at ¥50,000 at a time.

If you later open a Japanese account, the FamilyMart switch affects JP Bank cardholders too: a ゆうちょ cash card is free at ゆうちょATMs but costs ¥220–¥330 at Seven Bank and E-net machines. As those in-store ゆうちょATMs are replaced, convenience-store withdrawals get more expensive for Japanese cards as well.

Which Foreign Cards Work?

Visa / Mastercard Debit Cards

Yes — these work. Most internationally-issued Visa Debit or Mastercard Debit cards work at Japanese ATMs. Just confirm your card carries a Visa or Mastercard logo and that overseas ATM withdrawals are enabled.

Cards that work well in Japan include:

• Any Visa Debit or Mastercard Debit issued by a bank in your home country
• Wise Visa Debit card (recommended — low fees, mid-market rate)
• Revolut Mastercard, which still issues cards to people living in Japan
• Most bank-issued international debit cards, whether you bank in the US, the UK, the EU, Australia, Canada, India, the Philippines, Brazil or anywhere else

JCB Cards

JCB is a Japanese card network — acceptance in Japan is very high, and most ATMs support it. Many banks across Asia issue JCB cards.

UnionPay (銀聯)

Accepted at some ATMs but far less common than Visa/Mastercard. Don't rely on it exclusively.

💡 Before you travel: Contact your home bank to confirm that overseas ATM withdrawals are enabled on your card. Some banks disable this by default for security reasons.

Using a 7-Eleven ATM — Step by Step (English Interface)

Seven Bank's own instructions for a Visa withdrawal:

1. Insert your card — magnetic stripe down
2. Choose your language as soon as the screen loads (English, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Malay, Indonesian, Vietnamese, French, German or Portuguese)
3. Select the transaction type: tap "Withdrawal"
4. Select the account you're withdrawing from
5. Enter your PIN and press "Confirm"
6. Enter the withdrawal amount in yen
7. Choose the billing currency if the DCC prompt appears — pick Japanese yen unless you have a reason not to (see below)
8. Take your cash, then your card and receipt

⚠️ Important: If the ATM asks about DCC (Dynamic Currency Conversion), always choose "Continue without conversion" or "Decline conversion". Letting your home bank handle the conversion is almost always a better rate than what the ATM offers.

Using a Post Office (Japan Post Bank) ATM — Step by Step

ゆうちょ ATMs at post offices accept overseas cards carrying the Visa, PLUS, Mastercard, Maestro, Cirrus, JCB, UnionPay or Discover logo:

1. Insert your card
2. Pick English if the machine offers a language menu — ゆうちょ's international ATM documentation is in Japanese, so expect some machines to be Japanese-only
3. Select Withdrawal (お引き出し)
4. Enter your PIN, then the amount — up to ¥50,000 per withdrawal
5. Take your cash, then your card

Two things to remember: the ATM fee is ¥220 per withdrawal (double Seven Bank's typical charge), and balance enquiries aren't available to overseas cards. If your machine has no English menu, these are the terms you need:

• Withdrawal (お引き出し)
• Confirm (確認)
• PIN code (暗証番号)
• Correct / backspace (訂正)
• Cancel (取消)

Full Fee Breakdown

Every ATM withdrawal has two layers of fees:

ATM-Side Fee (Charged by the Japanese ATM)

Fees From Your Home Bank

On top of the ATM-side fee, your home bank typically charges:

• Foreign withdrawal fee: A flat fee per transaction (varies by bank and country — commonly $2–$5 USD equivalent or a local equivalent)
• Exchange rate spread: Your bank applies its "cash buying rate," which is typically 1–2% worse than the mid-market rate

Example: Withdrawing ¥10,000 at a 7-Eleven ATM

If you withdraw frequently in small amounts, fees accumulate quickly — choose a card with low foreign transaction fees, or use Wise (see below).

How to Reduce Withdrawal Fees

Option 1: Use a Wise Card (Recommended)

Wise issues a Visa debit card to people living in Japan. The card itself costs a one-off ¥1,200 to order, and you can skip that by topping up ¥3,000 and taking the digital card instead. On withdrawals:

• Free overseas ATM withdrawals up to ¥25,000 per month
• Above that: ¥100 plus 1.75% of the excess, on top of any fee the ATM operator charges
• Conversion at the mid-market rate, with no hidden spread

That covers a normal month of cash spending in Japan, and everything is visible in the app before you confirm. See How to Send Money from Japan: International Remittance Guide.

Option 2: Withdraw Larger Amounts Less Often

Withdraw larger sums each time (e.g., ¥50,000–¥100,000) to spread the fixed per-transaction fee over more yen.

Option 3: Open a Japanese Bank Account

Once you have a Japanese bank account (e.g., Japan Post Bank), withdrawals at that bank's own ATMs are completely free. Open an account as soon as possible after arriving. See How to Open a Bank Account in Japan.

Withdrawal Limits

If you need more cash than the per-transaction limit allows, make a second withdrawal. Japanese ATMs dispense ¥1,000 notes, so odd amounts are not a problem.

Common Problems and Solutions

"Card Not Read" or "Transaction Declined"

Possible causes:

1. Damaged magnetic stripe: Try a different ATM, or insert the chip side
2. Overseas withdrawal not activated: Contact your home bank to enable "overseas ATM withdrawals" on your card before using it abroad
3. Daily limit already reached: Check whether you've already hit your limit today
4. ATM malfunction: Try a different machine

Japanese-Only ATM Interface

Memorize these key terms:

• Withdrawal (引き出し)
• PIN Code (暗証番号)
• Confirm Amount (金額確認)
• End Transaction (終了)