Monex Securities is one of Japan’s leading securities companies, renowned for its strength in foreign stocks. Did you know that Monex Securities also offers a credit card that you can use while making regular investment trust contributions?
The Monex Card is ideal for those who value practical benefits, offering a 1.1% point rebate on investment trust purchases made with the card. Since the card is JCB-branded, it's also perfect for use within Japan.
In this article, we’ll explain the features of the Monex Card and how to apply.
3 Great Features of the Monex Card
The Monex Card isn’t just a regular credit card—you can also use it for automatic investment trust payments. With credit card-based investing, your monthly contributions are paid automatically via your credit card. The biggest advantage is that you can earn credit card points while investing.
Plus, the Monex Card features a numberless design. Since card numbers aren’t printed on the front, it has a sleek look and offers extra security.
Earn Points More Easily Compared to Similar Cards
When using the card for investment trust installments, you’ll receive 1.1% points back on the purchase amount, and you’ll also earn a high 1% points back on regular shopping. For example, if you invest 50,000 yen each month, you can earn 6,600 points in a year. The annual fee is free for the first year, and as long as you continue making investment trust installments, the fee remains free in subsequent years as well. If you don’t use the card for investment trust installments, an annual fee of 550 yen (tax included) will apply.
Practical Redemption Options for Points
The points you earn with the Monex Card can be exchanged for practical, everyday options like d Points, Amazon gift cards, nanaco, and T Points.
Since you can invest at SBI Securities using T Points, it’s also possible to convert your Monex Card points into T Points and then use them for investments at SBI Securities… and so on.
You can also use your points to pay stock trading fees or even exchange them for cryptocurrencies. Plus, you have the option to convert your points into ANA or JAL miles, making this card a great choice for travel enthusiasts and frequent flyers. By the way, all of these exchanges happen instantly.
You Can Also Enjoy Aplus Card Benefits
The Monex Card is issued by Aplus Card. This means you not only receive the benefits of the Monex Card, but you can also take advantage of Aplus Card perks.
You’ll have access to Aplus's member website, "APLUS NEWS@WEB," allowing you to enjoy the combined benefits of both Monex and Aplus. Plus, as the card carries the JCB brand, you can make the most of exclusive JCB perks, including a wide range of Disney-related offers.
Three Drawbacks of the Monex Card
The Monex Card is highly rated among investors because it allows you to invest while using it as a credit card.
It also supports recurring investments, such as Tsumitate NISA, and offers several notable advantages—for example, with the Monex Card you can allocate up to 33,333 yen of your maximum 50,000 yen monthly investment to NISA.
However, there are also some drawbacks to the Monex Card that you should be aware of before applying. For example, it does not come with any insurance coverage, which may be a disadvantage for some users. Let’s go over the main drawbacks of the Monex Card.
Building Credit History Won't Benefit You in the Long Run
While the Monex Card offers a high point reward rate of 1.1% of your purchase amount when used for mutual fund investments, its status as a premium card is quite low.
You can't really plan to upgrade by building your credit history with this card, so it's better suited for people who value practical benefits over card prestige.
Low Cash Advance Limit
The cash advance limit for the Monex Card ranges from 100,000 to 990,000 yen, but when you first sign up, it is capped at 500,000 yen. If you want a higher limit, you'll need to provide documents that can verify your income.
While a 500,000 yen cash advance limit is fairly typical, some gold cards offer limits as high as 1 to 5 million yen, making the Monex Card’s limit seem quite low in comparison.
Charging Rakuten Edy Is Not Eligible for Points
Rakuten Edy, operated by Rakuten, is a popular e-money service accepted at around one million locations across Japan.
Many people use Rakuten Edy, but it's important to note that charging your Edy balance—including through Rakuten Edy Charge and BANKIT Charge—does not earn you any points.
While it would be great if you could earn both Rakuten Edy points and Monex Points at the same time, that's unfortunately not possible. If you're a Rakuten Edy user, please keep this in mind.
Eligibility Requirements for the Monex Card
The Monex Card was launched in 2021 through a partnership between Monex Securities and Aplus.
Anyone aged 20 or older (except high school students) can apply for the Monex Card. Students are also eligible to apply; however, you must have a Monex Securities general trading account to do so.
The Monex Card does not offer family cards. You can apply for an ETC card, but a separate issuance fee of 1,100 yen applies.
How to Apply for the Monex Card
To apply for the Monex Card, you will need to have a Monex Securities Comprehensive Trading Account.
The application for the Monex Card is made from the My Page section of your Comprehensive Trading Account.
Please note that you will not be able to apply if you do not have a Comprehensive Trading Account. For reference, you can also add an ETC card to your Monex Card for free annual fees, with a 1,100 yen issuance fee.
1. Open a Monex Securities Comprehensive Trading Account from the application page.
2. Enter the required information on the dedicated page.
3. After opening your account, apply for the Monex Card from your My Page.
Explaining the Strictness of the Screening Process
The screening process for the Monex Card is considered to be somewhat strict. Given its high rewards rate, it's understandable that the screening would be more rigorous.
To increase your chances of approval, avoid applying for more than two credit cards within a six-month period.
The screening process typically takes about two weeks. If your application happens to get rejected, wait for more than six months before trying again. Your credit history resets after six months, so your chances of passing the screening may improve.
Because the Monex Card’s screening process is relatively strict, make sure to fill in your occupation and workplace information accurately.
Also, as a general note, during periods when promotions cause a surge in applications, screenings are often handled automatically, and even minor points can lead to rejection.
If you’re not approved the first time, don’t be discouraged—try applying again after some time.
Things to Keep in Mind When Using the Monex Card
The automatic investment date for Monex Card is the 24th of each month. The amount invested will be debited together with your Monex Card bill the following month.
However, you can only choose to invest on a monthly basis — you cannot select from options like "every month," "every week," or "every day" for more specific timing.
In addition, the maximum monthly investment amount with Monex Card is 50,000 yen. Some people may think this is low, but since the purchase of securities is based on the credit limit of the card, the monthly cap is set at 100,000 yen, so the investment limit is kept on the lower side.
Lastly, although Monex Card is a JCB-branded card, it does not support JCB contactless payments.
Tap-to-pay, which doesn’t require a signature or PIN and is convenient for JCB users, isn’t available with the Monex Card, so please keep this in mind. If you want to use tap-to-pay, you can add your Monex Card to Apple Pay or Google Pay and use it via QUICPay.
Monex Card Fees and Interest Rates
The withdrawal fee from a Monex Securities Comprehensive Trading Account is 330 yen (tax included).
However, for Monex Card users, up to five withdrawal fees per month are reimbursed, making these withdrawals effectively free. Card payments are due on the 27th of each month, with a cutoff date on the 5th.
・Application fee: 0 yen
・Annual fee: 550 yen (tax included)
・Monex Points reward rate: 1.1% of the total amount executed each month
・Withdrawal fee from Trading Account: 330 yen (tax included)
・Cash advance limit: 100,000 yen to 990,000 yen
・Revolving payment interest rate: 18.00%
・Installment payment interest rate: 18.00%
・Maximum monthly automatic investment: up to 50,000 yen
・Installment payment handling fee: Free for up to 2 installments
・Paper statement issuance fee: 99 yen (tax included)
Monex Card: Operating Company and Contact Information
The Monex Card is operated by Monex Securities, a company involved in the securities business, but the credit card itself is issued by Aplus Co., Ltd., which is part of the SBI Shinsei Bank Group.
The headquarters of Monex Securities is located at 1-12-32 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-6025. For inquiries, please contact the issuing company, Aplus. The customer support phone number is 0570-008-789. It’s said that Aplus's customer center is relatively easy to reach, so you should be able to get assistance smoothly.
Summary
FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) has become quite the trend lately, but achieving it apparently requires building up assets worth 25 times your annual expenses.
The Monex Card is recommended for those who want to invest every month while also earning credit card points steadily. With a 1.1% point return rate on mutual fund accumulations, it offers the highest rate compared to other cards.
For example, SBI Securities provides a similar service using a Mitsui Sumitomo Card, but the point return rate in that case is only 0.5%. Credit card accumulation can be more rewarding than investing with cash, so we encourage you to check out the details of the Monex Card as discussed in this article.
*Applying for a credit card always carries some risk. Before applying, please make sure to read the terms and conditions and proceed at your own risk.
