Seven Bank

Seven Bank (セブン銀行) is a bank in Japan that is an interesting hybrid bank between physical and online presence. Functionally, it is accessed using 7-11 ATMs throughout Japan, and online banking. One of the unique appeals it has is that it offers a JCB debit card, in theory, without needing to be a resident for 6 months, like Sony Bank. It also offers free ATM cash withdrawals during business hours, has a fully English-supported app and ATM interface, and generally speaking is widely available throughout Japan.

• I applied on February 21, 2025 at 1:27.
• I got an SMS on February 25, 2025 at 17:25 confirming that FATCA forms would be sent.
• I applied by ATM. ATM application is by far the easiest bank account I've applied for. All information is captured from the Residence Card directly, so manual entry of the address and other pertinent information is not necessary.
• Manual entry of name in katakana is necessary. Unlike Sony Bank, no documents need to be provided to validate the name in katakana.
• I applied before I had been in Japan for 6 months, and seemingly the process does not require this. Their own documentation states that this is not necessary as long as you don't need a foreign deposit account. I believe this means Wise is fine, but you cannot directly use foreign currency remittance.
• The application supports English in a useful, easy to understand way. At least the procedure to apply for an account supports English well.
• The documentation for the JCB debit card seems to indicate that it cannot be used for recurring purchases, even at JCB merchants. I will test this, but I'm relatively not optimistic since there seems to be a set of specific procedures required to setup automatic withdrawal for very certain merchants like ISPs and mobile phone providers. This seems a little more cumbersome than just using the card directly.
• FATCA form arrived on Feb 28, 2025
• I sent the FATCA form back on Feb 28, 2025 before 14:00 – but becuase the next day is not a businss day, it may not be that useful to have completed it ASAP. * I got my cash card (not debit card) on March 12, 2025.
• Applying for online banking was pretty simple – just required visiting an ATM and scanning a QR code. The process of doing this was very simple and straightforward. Everything is in English.
• There are two apps for authentication on mobile – the My 7Bank app for Japanese Language users and the international money transfer app for English speakers. It seems both are setup independently. In other words, if you want to use the Japanese version of the online banking site, you need the Japanese app, and vice versa. The English and Japanese apps have wildly different designs, and the Japanese app is far better in terms of design aesthetics.
• Debit card was estimated to be delivered in two weeks (from March 12th, 2025). It was requested on March 12th, 2025, and arrived on March 23rd, 2025.
• Seven Bank documentation indicates that, though they issue JCB Debit cards, these cards may not be suitable for recurring transactions, with the exception of phone bill payments or other payments that have negotiated deals with Seven Bank.
• Though Seven Bank offers a JCB Debit card, it cannot be used on とらのあな.
• It cannot be used to charge PASELI.
• The JCB Debit card can be used on DLSite, Melonbooks, and DMM.