The number of stores where credit cards are accepted and the availability of touch payment services The increasing use of cashless payment systems for various everyday payments, as well as the use of online reservation services and online shopping. Given these circumstances, credit cards are definitely a necessity. However, there are too many choices. Distribution companies, transportation companies, and financial institutions are all advertising the possibility of getting a credit card. So, what kind of choice should we make if we focus on “rail travel”? If we consider it simply as a means of payment, it comes down to “how many stores accept the card”. The decision criteria will differ depending on whether or not the train will be used overseas and in which regions the traveler will be going. Another important question is whether or not there are cards that support touch payment (contactless), given the current situation. In the author’s case, in Japan, the transportation system IC card is the only choice, but overseas, the situation is different. In fact, I have used the New York and London subways, as well as the MRT in Singapore, and it is very convenient to be able to board a train by simply “popping” a credit card on hand. Another important point to note is that some credit cards come with travel insurance. If you take a lot of trips, especially overseas, this is an advantage that cannot be ignored. In fact, however, this is not all there is to it.
Is a local, frequently-used operator’s card the basic? Many major railroad operators offer credit cards bearing their own signage. In most cases, the credit card offers a point service for using the company’s services. This includes not only use of the railroad, but also use of the distribution division of the same group. To put it bluntly, point services are offered in order to “lock in” customers. From the user’s point of view, the accumulated points are meaningless unless they can be used. To put it in a more sophisticated way, it is a question of whether or not the ecosystem of point services can be turned around. If a customer has many opportunities to use a particular railroad operator, and also has many opportunities to use the products and services of the group companies, it is easy to talk about it. The safest option is to use a credit card offered by that operator. It is truly enclosing, but both the one who saves and the one who spends can efficiently turn the ecosystem of point services. But let’s say, for example. What if you use a credit card provided by a train operator in a different area than where you live, just because “you can accumulate a lot of points? Even if you accumulate a large number of points, if you have few opportunities to use the points you have accumulated, you will lose the value of the points. In addition, even if they increase the number of payment methods they have at their disposal because of the high point redemption rate, the total amount of disposable income is the same, so they will only spread their resources around. One could argue that the benefit is greater when allocating all of one’s resources to a specific means of payment rather than to a slightly higher redemption rate.
The author’s main focus is on airlines. If, like the author, you have a wide range of carriers and routes to use, the benefits of the points service will not work for you. Therefore, I have been choosing credit cards based on the concept of “whether or not I can use the points” rather than “whether or not I can earn points. As a result, I have settled on “airline-related” credit cards as my main choice, contrary to the title of the series. Therefore, I have been accumulating airline miles by buying JR tickets on “Ekinetto” and staying and shopping at travel destinations. The background to this trend is that, as opportunities to travel abroad have increased over the past decade or so, it has become easier to realize the benefits of service status and frequent flyer awards. On the other hand, if you cannot realize such benefits, there is little reason to choose an airline credit card. I am sorry to say that this is a very personal story, but I wrote this as an example of “one way to think about it.
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