When you open a new credit card, there’s not a day that goes by that you don’t see a flashy advertisement that says, “You can get up to 〇〇〇〇〇〇 points by signing up and using the card!” It’s very attractive because you can get points worth tens of thousands of yen, but this word “maximum” has a tricky pitfall. We have summarized the “Do’s” and “Don’ts” in an easy-to-understand comparison list format to ensure that you receive 100% of the benefits of the campaign and avoid any losses.

⭕️ Do’s

• Register achievement conditions and deadlines in your smartphone calendar The most common condition is one with a time limit, such as ``Use a total of 100,000 yen by the end of the month after joining.’’ Register the expiry date on your smartphone’s calendar with an alert based on the day the card arrives at your home. Tens of thousands of points can become par if you accidentally forget and just one day passes.
• Temporarily “focus all your daily payments on the new card” In order to easily meet the usage amount requirements, you can temporarily concentrate on your new card all the expenses you would normally pay for, such as utility bills, food, and commuter pass purchases, on your new card. If you are really short on a few thousand yen by the deadline, an effective technique is to charge an Amazon gift card and adjust the amount.
• Task manage “immediate cancellation” of revolving payment campaign If you meet a condition such as “just register your payment method as revolving payment and get +3,000 points,” don’t forget to immediately switch back to a lump-sum payment (or make a lump-sum prepayment) as soon as you see that points have been awarded on your statement. If you forget this, you will end up paying interest fees that are higher than the points.

❌ Don’ts

• “Waste” to get points There is no point in saving money or making the most of your savings if you buy brand-name products you don’t need or home appliances you don’t want just because you can’t reach the required amount. Before applying, it is important to calmly conduct a simulation to see if you can meet the conditions with just ``expenses necessary for daily life’'.
• Do not read campaign details (notes in small print) There are often restrictions such as The reward points you receive are limited-time points,’’ and their use is limited to the company’s services. Be sure to check in advance when the large amount of points you have earned will disappear and what you can use them for.
• Get points and cancel immediately If you join for the purpose of a campaign and cancel your membership a few months after receiving points, you may be blacklisted by your credit card company. It is good manners to keep it for at least six months to a year and use it several times.

If you correctly understand the rules and conquer the new membership campaign, it will become a very powerful ally for your household finances. Use it wisely.