Start of “Minor Points” Cashless point redemption at 4:41 on September 1
The "minor point" system will be started from the 1st day, where points of up to 5000 yen can be returned by cashless payment to those who have a My Number card.
Minor points are a system in which 25% of the usage amount is returned as points that can be used for shopping when using a cashless payment service as part of economic measures accompanying the consumption tax rate increase.
The maximum point reward is 5,000 yen, and you can receive the rewards until the total of shopping and charges at the payment service reaches 20,000 yen by the end of March next year.
To use it, you need to apply in advance using the My Number Card on the Internet, and select only one payment service from which you can receive points, from over 100 such as credit cards and electronic money.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications calls on those who do not have a My Number card to obtain one by the end of the year and apply for it.
The government expects the number of My Number Cards to be issued by the end of March next year to be over 60 million due to the minor point system, but there are more than 3.7 million people who have applied for the system by the end of last month. , The number of issued cards is only 24.5 million.
Some point out that the system is not well known and that the application process is complicated, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications wants to put more effort into public relations activities.
Apply by individual
Anyone who has a My Number card can apply for "Minor Points" regardless of age or nationality.
The application is supposed to be made by the individual, but for children under the age of 15, parents can also do the procedure instead.
At that time, you can also choose a payment service that receives points in the name of your parent, but it must be different from the payment service that you choose to receive your points.
The period of the system is until March 31, next year, and even if you use the payment service after the period ends, no points will be returned, but you can continue to use the acquired points.
How to apply
The procedure for applying for "Minor Points".
To apply, you need a smartphone with a function to read the information of My Number Card or a computer connected to a card reader. The smartphone is a dedicated app and the computer is a dedicated homepage.
The procedure is a two-step process.
First, read the information on My Number Card, and then enter the 4-digit PIN.
The PIN is set by yourself when you receive the card.
If you make a mistake in entering the password three times in a row, it will be locked and you will need to reset the number at the window of the municipality where you have your resident card. If you forget your PIN, you will need to perform the same procedure.
Next, select a cashless payment service that receives points.
There are 109 types of applicable payment services, including credit cards, electronic money for transportation, QR code payment for smartphones, etc., and only one can be selected.
When selecting it, you need to enter the ID and security code of the payment service, and once you select it, you cannot change it.
Finally, scan your My Number Card again and enter your 4-digit PIN to complete the procedure.
If you do not have the necessary equipment to apply, you can apply at the "Minor Point Procedure Spot" established by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
"Spots" are available at approximately 1500 municipal offices, post offices, convenience store "Seven-Eleven" and "Lawson" stores, "KDDI", "NTT Docomo", and "SoftBank" mobile phone companies. It is installed in more than 90,000 places in total including retailers.
Campaigns unique to businesses
In the "minor points" system, users are required to select only one cashless payment service that receives point rewards, so some payment service providers have their own campaign to acquire users. There is also a place to launch.
According to what the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has heard from business operators and summarized, about 40 of the 109 payment services participating in the system have launched their own campaigns so far.
In the campaign, there are various things such as further increasing the point return rate from 25% of the country and providing certain points to those who chose their own payment service.Detailed contents can be found on the website of each company etc. It means you can check.
On the other hand, some local governments are also implementing their own measures so that they can shop locally using the system.
Of these, in Kishiwada City in Osaka and Miki City in Hyogo Prefecture, when shopping in the city with a payment service affiliated with the city, a maximum of 5,000 yen points will be added in addition to the national return.
Also, in Nishiizu Town, Shizuoka Prefecture, we are planning to give back points by adding up to 5000 yen to people who shop with their own electronic money that can be used in the town.