Job Discussion Forums

inuzuki8605 · Joined: 01 Dec 2010 Posts: 98 Location: America

Hey! I recently got hired to work in Japan and I plan to move at the end of March for training. needless to say, I'm running around like a chicken with its head cut off (sorry chicken lovers).

I have student loans and a credit card that I am still paying on but I plan to be in Japan for 3 to 5 years plus and I need to find the easiest and cheapest way to pay my bills back home and I'm assuming Japanese Bank Cards (debit/credit) won't work for an online payment with an american company like Bank of America or the Direct Loans company, correct? Who do you pay your loans? (If you have them)

I heard about a company called Remit where you can go to a Family Mart and transfer money back to your country for really cheap. It's really new, I read that they passed it on Tuesday of this week. Does anyone know about this company? Or any other way i can pay my bills easily and cheaply?

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

I haven't heard of Remit and would be interested to know more about it, but for other methods, try a search here for "sending money home" as it's one of the more frequently asked questions and has been discussed at length in other threads.

Basically, you have the choice of the post office or the GoLloyds remittance service. You used to be able to send it the xe.com website but that has apparently ended quite recently.

You can also send it through a major branch of your bank, but that means paying a lot of fees and doing a lot of paperwork, so most people don't go that route.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Do you have someone you can trust implicitly with your funds back home? If so, arrange to have them pay. A relative can sign checks for you, for example.

Also, you don't have to use a Japanese credit card. Keep your American one, and use that, thus avoiding charges for exchange rates. The only thing will be (as I wrote above) to have someone write the check to cover the credit card charge.

Alternately, have that trusted person make a bank transfer from your American funds, so that a check is not necessary.

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

It's very easy though just to set up a GoLloyds account, send money home, and then pay your bills there through online banking- I have been doing this for about 10 years now.

Are cheques still common in the US? People have all but stopped using them in NZ.

Bread · Joined: 24 May 2009 Posts: 318

the4th2001 · Joined: 04 Oct 2010 Posts: 130 Location: Tokyo

Lyrajean · Joined: 19 Jul 2006 Posts: 109 Location: going to Okinawa

I'd do what most everyone else had suggested. I have a savings and checking account back home with the local credit union. I remit money via golloyds for long term savings and to pay on student loans, CC etc...

Never had an issue. They even let my mom deposit $$ in the account, and if there is an emergency and I need things to work the other way I can use my debit for that acc. at the Japanese post office. the credit union/debit people were kind enough to open the card so they never question charges made in Japan.

G Cthulhu · Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 3:27 pm Post subject:

balvarez · Joined: 06 Feb 2011 Posts: 4

I currently live in the US and though checks are still used they are not common. They are generally used to pay rent and when payments are mailed out though even through the mail you can many times put in your CC payment info. I think a lot of people use a check because it tends to take longer for the payment to go through in comparison to a credit card though check payments go through faster now then years ago. When I go shopping I very rarely see anyone pay with a check, actually I'd say it has been years since I've seen someone pay by a check through that route.

Bread, it's tough that your local DMV didn't accept credit card payments. My local one accepts CC though they do not accept cash. I wouldn't be to happy if I had to leave the office after waiting for a while only to have to wait again.

ssjup81 · Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 3:21 am Post subject:

Sorry for hijacking this, but I felt it would've been better to just ask it in this thread instead of making a new one.

I did a bank transfer from my JP account to my checking account at my Credit Union back home. For bank transfers, how long does it usually take? I have a bill that's due to be paid by the 18th of February. I did the transfer on January 31 and when I checked, the money still wasn't there. This was my first time ever doing this too, but I was told 4-6 days at the most. Has anyone else ever been in this type of situation?

Lyrajean · Joined: 19 Jul 2006 Posts: 109 Location: going to Okinawa

No, that seems long unless you sent the transfer after 3 on friday (japan time) and it was a holiday weekend in the US or wherever its going...

It usually takes a day or two for the $$$ to show up in my US acc.

ssjup81 · Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2011 9:41 am Post subject:

What in the world is going on with it, I wonder. Here it is February 14, and it still isn't there. I have online banking with my Credit Union back home, but it's still not showing up. I'm curious as to which side I should bring this up to, though. Japan Post side or my Credit Union.

Does anyone here have any suggestions on what I should do to address this problem?

Edit: Never mind. The problem is on this side and the US side. By the sounds of it, I messed up with the account number (forgot about the zeroes in the beginning), and as for my account on the US side, well, seems I'm in a denial of service because of my filing for bankruptcy last year due to my medical bills.

move · Joined: 30 May 2009 Posts: 132

GoLloyds

+ fast
+ easy to do, no form to fill out
- fees are rather high, I remember it costing me about 4000yen + to transfer.

Post Office
+ 2000yen fee is reasonable
+ good exchange rate
- that form is a pain to fill out
- have to wait a week or so for it to cross the ocean, or pay more for express delivery
- somebody in your home country has to deposit the money order for you

I checked out that new Family Mart service, and its fees look similar to golloyds.

Now, what I do is I have a Japanese bank account with an international debit card. I mailed the debit card to my mom in the states. I then make my deposits with my passbook. I get charged $3 for every $300 ATM withdrawal from my bank in the states. Still though, if I transfer $1000 that is about 1000yen I pay for the transaction. My mom gets annoyed she has to go to the ATM again and again but that's ok with me. Smile

inuzuki8605 · Joined: 01 Dec 2010 Posts: 98 Location: America

Hey! Thanks for all of your answers and comments! It's a great help! I've heard of GoLloyds and was planning on doing that when I got to Japan. I assume you need a Japanese address before you can start the process of getting the account set up??

Here is the website for Remit I was talking about. Check it out and tell me what you think. It kinda seems like its too good to be true... but I don't really have much experience with this. It made it gaijinpot news so it could be ok.

https://www.remit.co.jp/MainVisitorsHome.jsf?menuid=1&lang=en

BTW, I've seen people still use checks while shopping but it's mainly the older population (set in their ways) shopping for food. I haven't seen it anywhere else like clothes or electronic shopping.

I don't know how the DMVs are in other counties, but here in the US, they are the devil. Mean people, stupid policies, longs lines.... I'd much rather go to the doctors office....maybe... ^_^

inuzuki8605 · Joined: 01 Dec 2010 Posts: 98 Location: America