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© KYODOCredit card transaction disruptions reported nationwide in Japan
TOKYO©2025 GPlusMedia Inc.
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© KYODO
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tora
The issue is when the thing doesn't work. Cash always works. And it needs to remain an option for times when the system is down, or for those who wish to pay with it when they want to.
The other month when travelling overseas, I remember trying to pay for a beer in cash, only be told that they didn't accept it, just like many other retailers and businesses. But they charged me 5% more to pay with my credit card. This nonsense has to stop. It should be illegal to refuse payments in cash.
Fighto!
Yet another example of why cash is king.
Who is "picking on" this tourist? Do you want Kyodo media to interview all the tens of thousands of affected customers? One is enough to illustrate the frustration.
Hervé L'Eisa
Cash is KING!
KaptainKichigaijin
All it is going to take is one giant solar flare and we will all be back in the Stone Age. This is just a tiny taste.
Norm
Good advice. On my long early morning walks, I sometimes drop in to convenience stores in the wee hours, and there’s a sign directing me to the self-checkout place. When I try it, there are many options except cash. So I bother the busy, beleaguered clerk and get my stuff the old-fashioned way.
Hervé L'Eisa
The outage could have been related to (but not very likely) the geomagnetc storm that occurred from 18:00 UT yesterday which was caused by a CME blast from Friday. Key word is that it COULD have been an effect.
Mocheake
Technology is convenient until one glitch or an unscrupulous person does something bad and then millions are unable to function. Use cash. On another note, the whole last paragraph should have been edited out. Absolutely no point there.
DR TAKAFUMI
Outage is outrageous
I tell friends use CASH
GBR48
If you are visiting Japan, everywhere takes cash and it is safe to carry wads of it. Most of the time you can load up your Suica card with it and have enough to get you through the day at the stations, in taxis and konbinis. Neither cash nor Suica will involve bank or card charges. Using debit or credit cards abroad often will.
Elvis is here
It's getting that way.
Many automated machines only do cashless but there is always a cash option somewhere near by if you can't/don't do cashless.
Yohan
We use now very little cash now and we carry never more than yen 20.000,- in cash with us. We pay in supermarkets, department stores, gas station, restaurants etc. always with our credit cards, but we use two credit cards from two different companies - sometimes - but rarely - one of them is not functioning and nobody knows why, connection problem or other technical issues...
Frequent payments like tax, insurance, maintenance fees, electricity, gas, mobile phone/internet are collected directly from our banking accounts.
However cashless payment using credit cards has also its risks and it is not only about malfunction of the system. This year my credit card company had to replace my credit card two times because of a very serious credit card/identity fraud hackers.
The Japanese credit card company reacted quickly and cancelled many credit cards of those affected customers and stopped these online-transactions. However for about 1 week in both security breaches I could not use my credit card while waiting for replacement with different card numbers and security codes.
I was just travelling outside of Japan at that time but luckily I could use my second creditcard - to be fair however, to carry cash is also a risk - thieves are everywhere...
What might be the best solution? Maybe have always some cash ready with you AND two credit cards from two different companies? At least this is what I do...
NotThe One
I think it is another cyber attack by sanctioned Chinese. Russian, or NK hackers. The public in Japan is not aware, but several major Japanese companies in various industries have been hack in the last month. They have been very good at keeping the information internally. Their public customers were simply contacted immediately that there was a minor problem; therefore, no media coverage, but their business partners are aware the specific problem.
Elvis is here
Each month, depending on how often I use it, my MUFJ debit card gives me money. No charges too for its services.
Peter14
No doubt those with cash had no problems what so ever. Cash never stops working, never goes down or gets hacked. Cash is still king!
Yubaru
Why? One tourist, out of how many, maybe 10's of thousands of other people? Why pick on one tourist?
sakurasuki
Japan is pushing for cashless
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/09/japan-cashless-society-digital-salary-payment/
but see what happened yesterday
diagonalslip
how many millions of cc transactions take place every day, year in year out, without problem.... sees to me to be more the point.