💊 Every 20th of the Month, Get 1.5x Value with Points!
Welkatsu Complete Guide
WAON POINT・V Point Exchange・Point Sites・Pro Tips【2026 Latest】
🌏 This Guide is For
- Expats in Japan who want to save money through Welkatsu
- Beginners learning about WAON POINT and V Point systems
- Regular drugstore shoppers who want to maximize rewards
- International students, work visa holders, and permanent residents interested in Japanese point activities
💡 Anyone with a WAON POINT card or app can participate in Welkatsu!
⚠️ Important Change from September 20, 2024
Welkatsu now only accepts WAON POINT – V Point (formerly T Point) is no longer directly usable!
Good news: V Point can be instantly exchanged 1:1 to WAON POINT, so the impact is minimal – just one extra step.
👉 See V Point Exchange Method
📑 Table of Contents
🎯 What is Welkatsu?
Welkatsu (ウェル活/ウエル活) refers to the money-saving method using the “Customer Appreciation Day” (お客様感謝デー) held on the 20th of every month at Welcia drugstore chain, where WAON POINT payments get 1.5x value.
🌟 The Core Concept is Super Simple
- Regular days: 1 WAON POINT = 1 yen
- Every 20th: 1 WAON POINT = 1.5 yen
This means you can buy 15,000 yen worth of products with just 10,000 WAON POINT – that’s effectively a 33.3% discount!
Eligible Store List
Welkatsu is available at the following Welcia group stores (over 2,200 nationwide):
ウエルシア薬局 (Welcia Pharmacy)
— Most locations nationwide, ~2,200 stores
⚠️ Important Notes
- Yamaguchi and Kagoshima prefectures currently have no eligible stores (as of April 2025)
- Online store “Welcia.com” is NOT eligible for Welkatsu
💰 Why is Welkatsu Such a Great Deal?
Calculate Your Savings
| WAON POINT Used | Purchase Value | Actual Savings |
|---|---|---|
| 200pt | ¥300 | ¥100 |
| 1,000pt | ¥1,500 | ¥500 |
| 5,000pt | ¥7,500 | ¥2,500 |
| 10,000pt | ¥15,000 | ¥5,000 |
| 20,000pt | ¥30,000 | ¥10,000 |
| 30,000pt (Max) | ¥45,000 | ¥15,000 |
Real Examples
📊 Casual User
Accumulate 5,000 WAON POINT monthly
- Monthly purchase: ¥7,500 worth
- Monthly savings: ¥2,500
- Annual savings: ¥30,000
🏆 Power User
Max out at 30,000pt monthly
- Monthly purchase: ¥45,000 worth
- Monthly savings: ¥15,000
- Annual savings: ¥180,000
💡 These are Real Savings
And you’re buying everyday necessities! Shampoo, toothpaste, snacks, drinks, medicine… Things you’d buy anyway, now at effectively 67% of the price!
📸 A typical Welkatsu haul on the 20th
📋 Basic Rules of Welkatsu
Core Conditions Overview
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Date | 20th of every month |
| Hours | 7:00 AM – 12:00 AM (even for 24h stores) |
| Payment Method | WAON POINT only (V Point not directly accepted since Sep 2024) |
| Minimum | 200 WAON POINT or more |
| Daily Limit | 30,000 WAON POINT (= ¥45,000 purchase) |
| Where | Physical stores only |
⚠️ Important Change (From September 20, 2024)
【After】Only: WAON POINT
However! V Point can be instantly exchanged 1:1 to WAON POINT, so just one extra step. See V Point Exchange for details.
🛠️ Preparation: What You Need
Required Items Checklist
1. WAON POINT Card or App
You need one of the following to use WAON POINT:
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Welcia Group App | ⭐ Recommended! Just show barcode on phone |
| WAON POINT Card | Apply for free at any store |
| AEON Card | Credit card with WAON POINT function |
| Welcia Card | ⭐ Recommended! Extra rewards at Welcia |
2. iAEON App (for point exchange)
Required if you want to exchange V Point to WAON POINT.
3. Enough WAON POINT
You need at least 200pt to enjoy the 1.5x benefit.
💳 Recommended: Get a Welcia Card
Welcia Card is an AEON credit card optimized for Welcia shopping:
- ✅ Welcia shopping: Always 1.5% rewards (3pt per ¥200)
- ✅ Every 10th: 10% rewards!
- ✅ Annual fee: Free
👇 Apply via Powl for extra bonus points:
🎉 Limited Time Bonus: 60,000pt
Powl conversion rate: 10pt = ¥1, equivalent to ¥6,000 sign-up bonus!
* Applying through point sites earns you extra high-value bonus points
🎯 How to Earn WAON POINT
Method 1: V Point → WAON POINT Exchange (Recommended!)
⭐ Most Recommended Method
Because V Point has way more earning opportunities than WAON POINT!
- Exchange rate: 1 V Point = 1 WAON POINT (equal value)
- Monthly limit: 30,000pt
- Processing time: Instant
- Fee: Free
Method 2: Point Site Rewards Exchange
Most point site rewards can be exchanged to WAON POINT via this route:
Some point sites also offer direct WAON POINT exchange
Method 3: Daily Shopping
🛒 AEON Group
Shopping at AEON, Maibasketo, etc.
💊 Welcia
Extra rewards with Welcia Card
🏪 Partner Stores
WAON POINT partner merchants
Method 4: Credit Card Points
Earn V Point through Sumitomo Mitsui credit cards, then exchange to WAON POINT.
💳 Sumitomo Mitsui Card (NL) – Best Tool for V Point
Sumitomo Mitsui NL (Numberless) card is one of the best tools for earning V Point:
- ✅ Annual fee: Free forever
- ✅ Base rewards: 0.5% (1pt per ¥200)
- ✅ Convenience stores & restaurants: Up to 7% rewards!
- ✅ Point type: V Point (1:1 exchangeable to WAON POINT)
Why recommended?
- V Point has the widest earning channels
- High rewards at convenience stores for easy point accumulation
- Can be combined with point sites for stacked rewards
🔄 V Point → WAON POINT Exchange Method
Prerequisites
📱 What You Need
- Install iAEON App
- Register iAEON account
- Link WAON POINT card in iAEON
- Prepare Yahoo! JAPAN ID (for V Point account)
Exchange Steps
Go to WAON POINT Exchange Page
Select Exchange
Choose “V Point → WAON POINT” exchange
Enter Amount
Select points to exchange (from 1pt, max 30,000pt/month)
Complete Verification
Enter V member number, complete CAPTCHA
Confirm Receipt
Points arrive instantly – check in iAEON app
💡 Pro Tip
You can exchange even on the 20th! No need to prepare days in advance.
🌐 Point Site Recommendations
Point sites are the best way to earn large amounts of points! Earn rewards through online shopping, card applications, service registrations, and more.
What are Point Sites?
💡 Simple Explanation
Point sites are advertising platforms where merchants pay for ads, and the platform shares part of that ad revenue with users as points. Completely legal – this industry has over 20 years of history in Japan.
Recommended Point Sites
| Point Site | Features | Exchange Route |
|---|---|---|
| Moppy | Established, many offers | Direct to WAON POINT |
| Hapitas | Easy to use, beginner-friendly | Direct to WAON POINT or V Point |
| Point Income | Many bonus campaigns | Via .money to V Point |
| Warau | New direct exchange in 2025 | Direct to WAON POINT |
| Chobirich | All-around platform | Via .money exchange |
Main Ways to Earn Points
🛒 Shopping Cashback
Rakuten 1%, Yahoo! Shopping 1%, etc.
💳 Credit Card Applications
5,000-20,000pt per card
📈 Securities Account Opening
10,000-20,000pt per account
🏦 Bank Account Opening
1,000-3,000pt per account
📝 Service Registration
Free trials, info requests, etc.
✈️ Travel Booking
Hotels 2%-8% cashback
Point Exchange Path Diagram
【Direct Path】
【Via V Point】
【2025 New Path】
Get 2,000P Bonus
Free Registration
💎 High Rewards
Get 2,500P Bonus
Free Registration
👉 For detailed point site guide: Point Activity (Poi-katsu) Beginner’s Guide!
🚫 Products Excluded from Welkatsu
Items NOT Eligible for 1.5x Bonus
| Category | Specifics |
|---|---|
| 🚬 Cigarettes | All tobacco products |
| 💊 Prescription Medicine | Prescribed drugs (OTC medicines OK!) |
| 🎫 Gift Certificates | Gift cards, beer tickets, etc. |
| 💳 POSA Cards | Amazon, iTunes, prepaid cards |
| 📦 Shipping | Delivery service fees |
| 💡 Utility Bills | Electricity, gas, water payments |
| 🗑️ Designated Garbage Bags | Municipal garbage bags |
Products You CAN Buy (Recommended!)
✅ All These Get 1.5x Value
💡 Especially Recommended
- High-end cosmetics (like Obagi) – Never go on sale, Welkatsu = 67% price
- Alcohol (beer, chuhai) – High taxes in Japan, noticeable savings
- Essentials (toilet paper, detergent) – Stock up on things you’d buy anyway
🚀 Pro Tips & Important Notes
Tip 1: Plan Your Shopping List
Make a list before the 20th to avoid impulse purchases. Focus on:
- Items that never go on sale (like premium cosmetics)
- Daily essentials (toilet paper, detergent)
- Consumables you repeatedly buy
Tip 2: Stack with Brand Campaigns
⚠️ 【Important Update】PayPay Rule Change Notice
Old Method (Invalid): Pay ¥1 with PayPay + rest with WAON POINT
📌 New PayPay Rule:
PayPay now has a 66.5% total cashback limit per transaction, making the ¥1 payment trick invalid!
You must now pay a proportional amount with PayPay based on the campaign’s cashback rate.
New Stacking Method:
Pay a percentage with PayPay according to the brand campaign’s cashback rate, then pay the rest with WAON POINT.
- 30% cashback campaign → Minimum 45.1% PayPay payment required
- 20% cashback campaign → Minimum 30.1% PayPay payment required
🔥 Campaign Types You Can Stack
- P&G, Kao brand reward campaigns
- PayPay mobile payment campaigns (must follow new proportional payment rules)
- Store’s own promotions
👉 For detailed stacking strategies and latest campaigns: Welkatsu Campaign Stacking Guide
Tip 3: Calculate Points Correctly
📐 Calculation Formula
Purchase Amount ÷ 1.5 = WAON POINT Needed
Example: Want to buy ¥4,500 worth → 4,500 ÷ 1.5 = 3,000pt
- Minimum: 200pt or more
- Maximum: 30,000pt/day
- Under 199pt uses 1pt=¥1 rate – not worth it!
Tip 4: Cash + Points Mixed Payment
You can pay with both cash and points, but only the points portion gets 1.5x.
Example: ¥4,500 item, use 3,000pt (= ¥4,500 value) + ¥0 cash
Tip 5: Watch the Hours
- Regular stores: During business hours
- 24-hour stores: 7:00 AM – 12:00 AM only
Important Warnings
❌ Avoid These Mistakes
- Don’t pay with “電子マネーWAON” (that’s a different point system!)
- Limited-time points CAN be used, but watch expiration dates
- Online store not eligible
- Under 200pt doesn’t get 1.5x
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
• WAON POINT: AEON group common points, usable for Welkatsu ✅
• 電子マネーWAONポイント: E-money wallet points, NOT usable for Welkatsu ❌
🎯 Ready to Start Welkatsu?
Remember the core formula: Accumulate Points → Shop at Welcia on the 20th → Enjoy 33% OFF
🏆 Welkatsu Master Checklist
- ✅ Get your WAON POINT card/app
- ✅ Accumulate V Point via point sites + SMCC NL card
- ✅ Exchange V Point to WAON POINT before the 20th
- ✅ Shop at Welcia group stores on the 20th
- ✅ Enjoy 33% discount on daily necessities!
- ✅ Check stacking campaigns and use PayPay wisely following the new proportional payment rules
💰 How Much Can You Save Per Year?
| Monthly Points Used | Annual Savings |
|---|---|
| 3,000pt | ¥18,000 |
| 5,000pt | ¥30,000 |
| 10,000pt | ¥60,000 |
| 20,000pt | ¥120,000 |
| 30,000pt (Max) | ¥180,000 |