JP Smart SIM (The best SIM service for you in Japan) | Guidable - Your Guide to a Sustainable, Wellbeing-centred Life in Japan

JP Smart SIM (The best SIM service for you in Japan)

By Guidable Writers Jun 1, 2018

This post is also available in: Chinese (Simplified) Thai Vietnamese Chinese (Traditional) Indonesian

Do you feel like your monthly phone bill is more expensive than it should be?

Does it give you an impression that Japan is expensive? We believe that living in Japan is not expensive if you plan well.
One of the biggest frustrations for international students and expats in Japan may be high phone bills. In fact, if it were possible to ignore having a phone network connection in Japan, many would prefer not to have one in order to save money. Many of our staff had trouble to buy SIM card in Japan, and some even tried a prepaid option, which is more expensive most of the times.
In this article, we would like to introduce JP Smart SIM to everyone living in Japan, particularly those whose phone is unlocked.
Until recently, mobile and smartphones purchased overseas couldn’t be used in Japan even after they were unlocked. Everyone who wanted to use a mobile phone here had to buy a new one when signing a contract with a Japanese phone carrier. Fortunately, this rule has changed.

What is JP Smart SIM?

 

JP Smart SIM is you cheap option for a Japan SIM card. It is a telecommunication service for mid to long-term foreign residents in Japan. Its phone SIM card is designed to meet the demands of non-Japanese residents, having their needs in mind. Until a few years ago, it was not possible to buy a contract-free SIM card for your phone in Japan. As recently as 2015, even if you had a new phone and needed just a SIM card, you still wouldn’t be able to get hold of one. Sometimes, the SIM cards available would not even fit into the phones.
However, today, you can get a SIM card for the phone you have brought from home. JP Smart SIM functions under the framework of 格安 Kakuyasu, (literally “low-cost service”), which is cheaper than the standard phone company’s fees.
JP Smart SIM is the also easiest and fastest way for you to connect to a network service when you have just arrived in Japan. You can easily apply online.

While with the standard phone companies you need to pay basic monthly charges from the date you sign the contract, JP Smart SIM does not require the basic fee payment for the first month. When you order the SIM online, JP Smart SIM will ship your SIM to your address in Japan. You can insert your sim card and begin to use without the stress of paying the monthly fee from the first month.

Data Plan

 

 

With a monthly fee of only 1,980 yen for 3GB data usage plan, it is relatively cheaper than all mobile data plans in other phone companies in Japan.

No credit card needed

Unlike conventional phone companies where you have to provide them with a Japanese bank account, JP Smart SIM does not require you to have a Japanese bank account. You can make your monthly payments at a convenience store which is more accessible for most expats. In reality, most banks in Japan requires expats to live in Japan for at least six months before they can open an account. Now you may begin to understand that getting a phone network with Japanese phone companies can be very tiresome and frustrating for non-Japanese residents. That is the reason why we are introducing you to JP Smart SIM.

 Cheaper International calls

JP Smart SIM is cheaper for international calls than every other conventional phone company. On interviewing one of the staff here at Guidable, they state:

“My first phone company charged me about 300 yen per minute when I made the mistake of calling international numbers. I call it a mistake because, most people usually use the internet (SNS) for international calls, besides my phone company warned me that international calls were costly. I had to make international calls because I did not have the SNS contacts of the people I wanted to contact. At the end of the month, my bill was 18,253 yen, even though the call was only 9 minutes (the company claimed that there were other charges covered).”

Contrary to this, international call rates with the JP Smart SIM are incredibly cheap, about 8 yen per minute to the US. There will be no need for you to worry about extravagant fees when you want to make any international calls. There are some situations where international calls are unavoidable, for example, if you need to contact a company, bank or school in your home country. These services are rarely available through SNS, right?

What is more, by recommending friends to be new users of JP Smart SIM, you may receive Amazon Gift Cards or other luxurious prizes! Check it out from links below!

https://user.jpmob.jp/en/jpclub

Click “learn more” to visit the DXHUB website for more information.


It is a handy and friendly service for foreigners so we hope you enjoy using JP Smart SIM during your stay in Japan!