What Rakuten Card Co., Ltd. does

Rakuten Card Co., Ltd. is a Tokyo-based consumer credit card issuer and wholly-owned subsidiary of Rakuten Group, Inc., operating as the core fintech payments business of the broader Rakuten ecosystem. The company issues a multi-tier credit card portfolio — Rakuten Card (free, 1% base point earning), Rakuten PINK Card, Rakuten Gold Card (¥2,200/yr), Rakuten Premium Card (¥11,000/yr), and Rakuten Black Card (¥33,000/yr) — together with co-branded variants (Rakuten ANA Mileage Club Card, Rakuten Bank Card), student and business cards, supplementary family and ETC cards. Card products run on Visa, Mastercard, JCB, and American Express rails with contactless support and a numberless-design option for enhanced security.

The platform operates on credit-card processing infrastructure tightly integrated with the Rakuten Point economy, allowing Rakuten Points earned via the card to be redeemed across Rakuten Ichiba, Rakuten Travel, Rakuten Bank, Rakuten Mobile, Rakuten Securities, and Rakuten Insurance, among 70+ group services. Members manage accounts via the Rakuten e-NAVI online portal and the Rakuten Card App (iOS/Android) with biometric login, My Number Card verification, and AI-powered conversational support through the Rakuten Card Lite English-language app. Merchant-facing services extend the platform into online and in-store payment processing, multi-payment terminals, account-transfer direct debit, card-linked marketing, and a salary-advance service.

Rakuten Card generates revenue primarily from interchange fees on card transactions, supplemented by tiered annual membership fees, revolving credit interest, late/over-limit fees, and merchant processing and marketing services. Distribution combines direct digital acquisition (website, app, ecosystem cross-promotion) with co-branded arrangements through Mizuho Bank, Hiroshima Bank, Michinoku Bank, and Japan Post Bank. As of March 2026, the company had 33.87 million cards issued and ¥26.5 trillion in FY2025 shopping transaction volume, ranking No. 1 in Japan for self-issued credit card shopping transactions for 8 consecutive years (2017–2024) per Yano Research Institute.

Name

Rakuten Card Co., Ltd.

Legal name

Rakuten Card Co., Ltd.

Website

https://rakuten-card.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Rakuten Card Co., Ltd. is the Tokyo-based credit card issuing subsidiary of Rakuten Group, serving Japanese consumers with a tiered card portfolio (free base through ¥33,000 Black Card) integrated into Rakuten's 70+ service ecosystem via the Rakuten Point economy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Credit Cards

NAICS

Credit Card Issuing (522210)

SIC

Personal Credit Institutions (6141)

akta.pro primary industry

Co-Branded Credit Cards (FSAKABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Business / Corporate Credit Cards (FSAKABAF)

Keywords

• Credit card services
• Consumer lending
• Payment processing
• Rewards programs
• Merchant services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Credit Card Transaction Interchange Fees: Revenue generated from interchange fees on card transactions. Merchants pay a percentage fee on each transaction processed through Rakuten Card terminals and online payment systems. This constitutes the primary revenue stream for the card business.
2. Annual Membership Fees: Annual fees collected from premium card tiers including Rakuten Gold Card (¥2,200/year), Rakuten Premium Card (¥11,000/year), and Rakuten Black Card (¥33,000/year). Base Rakuten Card is free, providing entry point for tier upgrades.
3. Credit Interest and Financing: Interest income from revolving credit facilities, installment plans, and cash advance services. Also includes late payment fees and over-limit charges.
4. Merchant Services and Payment Processing: Fees from merchant partners for payment processing services, point-of-sale terminal provision, and marketing services including card-linked offers and advertising on Rakuten platforms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Rakuten Card Co., Ltd. issues and operates a multi-tiered consumer credit card portfolio as the core fintech arm of the Rakuten Group. The company earns revenue through interchange fees on card transactions, annual membership fees on premium tiers, revolving credit interest, and merchant payment processing services, while leveraging Rakuten Points as the unifying rewards currency across the broader Rakuten ecosystem.

Product overview

Rakuten Card Co., Ltd. operates a multi-tiered credit card platform as the core fintech business within the Rakuten Group ecosystem. The portfolio centers on the Rakuten Card (the most popular card with a free annual fee and 1% base point rate) and extends upward through Rakuten PINK Card, Rakuten Gold Card, Rakuten Premium Card, and Rakuten Black Card at premium tiers. The platform is supplemented by the Rakuten Card App (iOS/Android) and Rakuten e-NAVI online portal for account management, point tracking, and transaction history. Co-branded variants include the Rakuten ANA Mileage Club Card (air miles), Rakuten Bank Card (banking integration), Rakuten Card Academy (student segment), and multiple regional bank co-brand cards. Add-on services encompass Rakuten ETC Card, Family Card, Rakuten Business Card, Rakuten Pay mobile payment, and Rakuten Edy/Rakuten Point Card electronic money services. On the merchant side, the company provides online and in-store payment processing, multi-terminal services, account transfer collection, marketing support, and salary advance services. An AI chatbot/agent on the Rakuten Card Lite app provides conversational spending summaries and customer support in English and Japanese. The company ranks as Japan's No. 1 credit card by shopping transaction volume (self-issued basis, 2017-2024 per Yano Research Institute) with 33.87 million cards issued and 26.5 trillion yen in 2025 annual shopping transaction volume as of March 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rakuten Card: Core credit card brand offering standard features with 1% point redemption, free annual membership, and compatibility with Visa, Mastercard, JCB, and American Express.
• Rakuten Gold Card
• Rakuten Premium Card
• Rakuten Black Card
• Rakuten PINK Card
• Rakuten Card Academy
• Rakuten Card Lite

Products and services

• Rakuten Card The primary Rakuten credit card with permanent free annual fee offering 1% base point redemption on most purchases (1 point per 100 yen), available in Visa, Mastercard, JCB, and American Express variants with contactless payment support.
• Rakuten PINK Card Credit card targeting female users with customizable services and the same 1% base point rate, available in Visa, Mastercard, JCB, and American Express.
• Rakuten Gold Card Mid-tier gold credit card with annual fee of 2,200 yen including domestic airport lounge access (2 times per year free), credit limit up to 2 million yen, and Rakuten Premium Program membership.
• Rakuten Premium Card Premium credit card with annual fee of 11,000 yen featuring Priority Pass for overseas airport lounges (5 free visits annually), Rakuten Mobile discount coupons, credit limit up to 3 million yen, and 3x points on Rakuten Market purchases.
• Rakuten Black Card Highest-tier credit card with annual fee of 33,000 yen offering 2.0% point redemption on Rakuten Securities fund investments via credit card, unlimited Priority Pass airport lounge access, concierge service, and credit limit up to 10 million yen.
• Rakuten Card Academy Student-targeted credit card with benefits designed for college students and new young professionals, with student-specific promotional campaigns and lower entry requirements.
• Rakuten ANA Mileage Club Card Co-branded credit card combining Rakuten Card benefits with ANA (All Nippon Airways) mileage club functionality for earning air miles on purchases.
• Rakuten Bank Card Co-branded card combining Rakuten Card with Rakuten Bank cash card functionality, offering enhanced savings interest rates for Rakuten Bank account holders.
• Rakuten Business Card Business-focused credit card for corporate customers attached to Rakuten Premium Card, offering expense consolidation, simplified settlement, and company-specific benefits with annual fee of 2,200 yen.
• Rakuten Pay Mobile payment app enabling QR code payments using Rakuten Card, with point earning on Rakuten Pay charges up to 1.5% and integration with the broader Rakuten ecosystem.
• Rakuten Edy Prepaid electronic money service usable at participating stores, earning 1 point per 200 yen spent, with Rakuten Edy functionality included on select Rakuten Card designs.
• Rakuten Point Card Point card functionality integrated with Rakuten Card allowing members to earn and redeem Rakuten Super Points at participating physical stores.
• Rakuten ETC Card Electronic toll collection card for highway and toll road payments earning 1 point per 100 yen in toll charges, with annual fee of 550 yen (free for premium tier card holders).
• Family Card Supplementary credit card for family members sharing the primary cardholder's account, earning points on family purchases with consolidated billing and household expense management.
• Online Payment Services for Merchants E-commerce payment processing services for merchants including credit card processing and convenience store payment options, enabling merchant acceptance of Rakuten Card transactions.
• In-Store Payment Terminal Services Physical retail payment terminal services for merchants including multi-payment terminal provision to optimize payment processing and reduce merchant transaction costs.
• Marketing Support for Merchants Merchant-facing marketing services including Rakuten Card Point Plus promotions to drive customer acquisition and sales through the Rakuten Card member customer base.
• Salary Advance Service Earned wage access service allowing employees to receive accrued salary on demand, addressing corporate recruitment and retention challenges.
• Account Transfer Service Direct debit service enabling merchants to collect recurring payments from customer bank accounts on scheduled dates, with online registration support.

Quantifiable outcome

• 33.87 million cards issued as of March 2026
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• OnePayminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 22 January 2026OnePay announced a partnership to integrate Rakuten Card's Linked Offer Network with the OnePay Rewards program. The integration allows OnePay customers to activate Rakuten card-linked offers and earn rewards when paying with OnePay debit or credit cards or any opted-in cards linked to their OnePay Wallet. Rakuten offers were expected to be available in the OnePay app within months, with further earning opportunities planned.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• JCB Co., Ltd. Japan's leading domestic card network scheme and major card issuer. While primarily a network, JCB also issues consumer credit cards directly and competes with Rakuten Card across Japanese consumer payments.
• PayPay Card: PayPay Card is the credit card arm of Z Holdings/SoftBank group, directly competing with Rakuten Card in Japanese consumer credit. PayPay leads Gen Z image recognition at 43% vs Rakuten Card at 19%, making it the most aggressive direct competitor in the consumer credit card space.
• AEON Financial Service Co., Ltd. Japanese consumer finance and credit card company with strong AEON retail group partnerships. Directly competes with Rakuten Card in shopping-oriented consumer credit cards and revolving credit products.
• Mitsubishi UFJ Nicos Co., Ltd. Major Japanese credit card issuer owned by Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group. Competes with Rakuten Card in consumer credit cards with strong banking relationships and similar multi-tier product offerings.
• Sumitomo Mitsui Card Company: One of Japan's largest credit card issuers and a subsidiary of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group. Directly competes with Rakuten Card in consumer credit cards across multiple tiers and co-branded partnerships with major retailers and banks.
• EPOS Card Co., Ltd. Consumer credit card issuer owned by Marui Group, focusing on retail and shopping cards. Directly competes with Rakuten Card in consumer shopping credit cards in Japan.
• Credit Saison Co., Ltd. Major Japanese consumer credit card issuer with focus on retail partnerships and shopping-based cards. Directly competes with Rakuten Card in Japanese consumer shopping credit and revolving credit products.
• Orico Co., Ltd. Japanese consumer credit card and consumer finance company. Direct competitor to Rakuten Card in consumer credit, installment, and revolving credit products.

Broad incumbents

• Capital One Financial Corporation: Major US credit card issuer serving as a benchmark for Rakuten Card's scale, digital-first consumer credit strategy, and rewards-based positioning. Operates in different geography but provides a comparable business model reference.

Emerging players

• SBI Holdings, Inc. Japanese fintech conglomerate with growing credit card and consumer finance offerings. An emerging player expanding into consumer credit cards and digital payments in Japan that intersects with Rakuten Card's market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rakutencard
• Facebookfacebook.com/RakutenCard
• Instagraminstagram.com/rakutencard_official

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rakuten Card Co., Ltd.