brynski 0 Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Hey just got a tip off from the manager of the hostel I'm staying that I should stock up on Yen at the airport because cash is a hard commodity to find in Niseko ? If there's any truth to this, why is this so ? Will I be able to use my Aussie Visa card most places? Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Credit card accepted @ SeicoMart for groceries - some bars/restaurants - for lift tix etc. We use credit where we can....but cash is definitely king, and a hell of a lot easier. Friends tried to change over Aussie Dollars for Yen in Kutchan - Lordy be what a long drawn out nightmare of an experience that turned out to be. My advice: order your Yen through your bank a week before you leave and pick it up before you depart Oz. Take your credit card and some debit cards with various symbols (I don't think the Cirrus cards work in the Niseko ATM) and enjoy. Beware that some money changers including the airports were experiencing a run on Yen (people all going skiing!) and were running out. My Mum tried to get the equivalent of $50AUD for each kid (4) to stick in their new wallets for Christmas and had to wait a WEEK for the money changer to get some more Yen in!!! Link to post Share on other sites
Jimmer 2 Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Mastercards aren't accepted at the Hokkaido Tracks machine in Hirafu, but Visa is fine. Cards are accepted at most western shops, but rarely (not that I have tried that much) in restaurants. Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 We are always paying the bill on ONE persons credit card and the others are ponying up the cash to that person - so we STILL need the cash. Link to post Share on other sites
brynski 0 Posted January 12, 2010 Author Share Posted January 12, 2010 I love this site, thanks again ! Probably should of ordered money from the bank by now as I'm leaving Tuesday week, but oh well I'll go suss it out tomorrow. Hey mamabear, just so I don't grave dig the old lift tickets thread, I forgot to ask, how much was the pass you bought for grand hirafu, and for how long ? Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 4 week season pass for Grand Hirafu 42,000 Yen (for the Adults) Senior High Schooler Full Season Pass (16-18yrs) for Grand Hirafu 40,000 Yen (perfect for our eldest who is not 18 until March, who will be coming back with mates in Feb for 2.5 weeks as well as the 3 weeks we have had) We HAVE had to buy day passes or points tickets when we have visited Annupuri or Higashiyama, but we are still in front. Compared to the prices we pay in Aus - that is like 3 weeks for the price of ONE! Link to post Share on other sites
blu 3 Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Jimmer, thanks for clarifying what was turning out to be one of the mysteries of Hirafu (the HT ATM). Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Hey, brynski, Check out Amex foreign exchange (fx4you.com, I think) they deliver to PO around Australia within a week. You can also buy yen at the major Post Offices, but I don't know their rates or timeframes. Link to post Share on other sites
snowdude 44 Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Just use any seven 11 convenience stores ATM 7 bank and you should be able to withdraw money from your foreign card. They seem to accept virtually any card, as they are linked to SHINSEI bank which is a foreign bank here in Japan. My mother used her visa cash travel card in seven 11 with no problems! Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Except that the 7-11 ATM now will not accept mastercard, I believe. Link to post Share on other sites
Thundercat 60 Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 And it's in the middle of no where! Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 No 7-11 in Niseko. The ATM in the Hokkaido Tracks office in Hirafu is exactly the same as the ones in the 7-11's. It accepts Visa but not Mastercard (as with all 7-11 ATM's). brynski you'll find in Hirafu many businesses accept credit cards but this is not normal in Japan. They are only gradually working out that it is very convenient to use cards in this country, like with everything else here change comes very, very slowly. Link to post Share on other sites
snowdude 44 Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 I see, Didn't know they don't accept Master card at the 7 seven banks, has that always been the case or they changed it? Sure right about change coming very slowly here, too slow I feel for some things! Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 It started December 14th 2009. Link to post Share on other sites
tripitaka 0 Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 Originally Posted By: thursday It started December 14th 2009. I think you're right Thurs. From Dec 14th, MasterCard and cards on the Maestro system can't be used at 7-11. Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 Originally Posted By: snowdude I see, Didn't know they don't accept Master card at the 7 seven banks, has that always been the case or they changed it? Don't you read the threads here, snowdude? Sandy and GN have told almost everyone individually. Link to post Share on other sites
brynski 0 Posted January 13, 2010 Author Share Posted January 13, 2010 Thanks for all the info. I'll be sure to let you guys know my findings about the atms and credit card usage. And JA, I checked out the company you suggested, however I'm not going to be at my home address long enough to receive it via mail. Are their rates pretty good ? I ended up going with Travelex, as I can just order it online and pick it up at Coolangatta international the day I leave. Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 I have found that the rates are better at Amex, and they have a lower charge rate as well, so you get more yen for your buck (to coin a phrase!) That plus they will deliver to ANY post office, just tell them which one by postcode, I get a heap of options when I input my postcode - they even deliver to "unofficial" POs. So, I guess that means that you COULD order from home, pick up in Gold Coast/Coolangatta at the PO. Nec]ver tried that. The PO will hold the package for a set length of time and then return it to Amex, so you'd need to be sure you were gonna be there in that window. We generally travel the day before flight, stay o'nite somewhere handy to the airport. If we could also collect yen that day, might be a good idea. Link to post Share on other sites
foreversnow 5 Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 Hi JA do you think AMEX is a better way to go than Travelex. Just looked at the Westpac and they are offering super rates with only a $4 fee. Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 FWIW, the current rates are:- Amex 80.15 - fee is AUD8 so that AUD1018.61 buys you JPY81000.00 Trav-ex 80.08 - so that AUD1011.49 buys you JPY81000.00 (as of 12.01pm Aus Eastern Summer Time 13 Jan) Travelex collection has to be from a Travelex agency. None of them around here, one at the airport, but I am not sure how long they'll hold it for. We bought through the local Credit Union, who use/quote T'ex rates, but they (the CU) added a 1.5% fee, so that killed the argument as far as I was concerned. rates are only one part of the matter, the others are convenience of collection and fees. I'll stick with Amex, methinks. Link to post Share on other sites
brynski 0 Posted January 13, 2010 Author Share Posted January 13, 2010 Ok thanks for the breakdown JA. In the future I will probably go with Amex, as Travelex also charges a credit card fee (not sure about Amex?) just to save myself a couple of bucks, but with travelex you can pick it up from the airport within two days time so I went with them just because of my time constraints. Hey, it sure as hell beats the exchange rate a year ago either way! Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 Not wrong there, brynski, not wrong at all! That (the 50yen rate) was the reason we aren't sliding there this year. Still paying for the last year trip. The rate plummeted between the time we booked and the time we went. So effectively, all our purchases in Japan cost us nearly double what we'd budgeted for. Link to post Share on other sites
foreversnow 5 Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Thanks JA - I went online this morning and everything had dived a little so I will wait a few more days in the hope of it going back up. Travelex with also deliver to the nearest Harvey World Travel. Think I will end up sticking with them. I don't get a charge if I BPay and the nearest Harvey World Travel is 5 mins away. Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Whatever works for you, as I said, convenience is a big part of what choice I make. I've noticed that Amex change their rate before Travelex, so if it's going up, they will be best, if it's on the dive, t'ex will be better. Swings and roundabouts! And, of course, if you buy at T'ex airport, they guarantee to buy back at the rate you got in the first place. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 There's always the good old barter system. Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts