Vandle Card invite code: enter it once on the sign-up screen
A prepaid Visa you can get with a Japanese mobile number — no credit check, no documents. The code works only during sign-up. After your card is issued and you top it up for the first time, you and the person who invited you each get ¥200.
Last checked: (Vandle’s official “Invite a friend” campaign page and support center)
Tap the button below to copy it, then paste it into the “招待コード” (invite code) field on the Vandle app’s sign-up screen.
What this guide covers
- Sign up with the code, get your card, top it up once — and ¥200 lands instantly
- The code can only be entered on the sign-up screen; you can’t add it later
- Use a fee-free top-up (convenience store, online banking) for the first one
- The three card types — Virtual, Real and Real+ — and where each one works
- What it can’t pay for (utilities, highway tolls) and the PayPay change from late August 2026
Contents
What Vandle Card is — and why it helps newcomers
Vandle Card (バンドルカード) is a prepaid Visa card run by Kanmu, Inc. You load money first and spend within that balance, so there’s no credit check. According to the official site, you don’t need to submit ID to sign up, and anyone aged 13 or over can use it (under-18s need a guardian’s consent). There’s no sign-up fee, no annual fee and no card payment fee.
As soon as you finish signing up, a free virtual card is issued, and you can use the card number online right away. If you’ve just arrived in Japan and don’t have a Japanese credit card yet, it’s a practical way to pay for subscriptions like Netflix or Spotify, or to shop on Amazon.
| Card type | Prepaid Visa (top up first, then spend) |
|---|---|
| Credit check / ID | Not required (only Real+ needs ID verification) |
| Age | 13+ (under-18s need a guardian’s consent) |
| Phone number | A Japanese mobile number starting with 060, 070, 080 or 090 that can receive SMS. 050 numbers and virtual numbers don’t work, and one number can hold only one account |
| Cost | Sign-up, annual and payment fees are ¥0 (physical cards and some top-up methods cost extra — see below) |
The only real requirement is the phone number: it has to be a Japanese mobile number that receives SMS. If you don’t have one yet, our povo 2.0 guide explains how to keep a number with a ¥0 base plan.
What the invite code gets you
Vandle runs an “Invite a friend” campaign (友だち招待キャンペーン). When someone signs up with an invite code, gets their card and tops it up, both they and the inviter receive ¥200 as card balance.
| You (the invitee) | ¥200, credited the moment you meet the condition |
|---|---|
| The inviter | ¥200 per successful invite, credited in a batch around 10:00 each morning |
| Condition | Enter the code at sign-up → get your Vandle Card → top it up |
| Top-ups that count | Pochitto Charge, convenience store, d-barai, Seven Bank ATM, online banking, bank ATM (Pay-easy), credit card |
| Top-ups that don’t | Gift codes, survey-reward credits |
| Shown on your statement as | 「招待謝礼チャージ」 |
| Campaign period | From 29 September 2023, no end date set. No entry needed |
The official conditions don’t set a minimum top-up amount, so any first top-up counts. Vandle says the campaign may change or end without notice, and that it will announce known changes in the app.
How to sign up and enter the code
The code can only be entered during sign-up, so copy it before you start.
- Copy the invite codeTap the button in this guide to copy it.
- Install the app and tap “新規登録” (Sign up)Get the official Vandle Card app from the App Store or Google Play and tap “新規登録”.
- Enter your phone number and verify by SMSType in your mobile number, then enter the code you receive by SMS.
- Paste the code into the “招待コード” fieldThe sign-up screen has an invite code field. If you can’t see it, update the app to version 2023.39.0 or later.
- Fill in your details and finishChoose a user ID and password, then enter your date of birth, gender and area of residence. When sign-up is complete, a free virtual card is issued.
- Make your first top-upTap “チャージ” (Top up) on the app’s home screen and choose a fee-free method. The ¥200 arrives as soon as the top-up completes.
Make your first top-up fee-free
Most top-up methods are free. Only two cost money.
| Top-up method | Fee |
|---|---|
| Convenience store (7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson, etc.) | ¥0 |
| Seven Bank ATM / Lawson Bank ATM | ¥0 |
| Online banking | ¥0 |
| Bank ATM (Pay-easy) | ¥0 |
| Credit card | ¥0 |
| d-barai | ¥300 or 6.15% of the amount |
| Pochitto Charge (pay later) | ¥510–¥1,830 depending on amount |
Pochitto Charge does count for the campaign, but even ¥10,000 or less costs a ¥510 fee — more than the ¥200 you get. Check each method’s minimum amount in the app.
Virtual, Real or Real+?
Signing up gives you a virtual card. To pay in shops with a physical card, you apply separately for “Real” or “Real+”.
| Virtual | Real | Real+ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Issue fee | ¥0 | ¥300–¥400 | ¥600–¥700 |
| ID verification | No | No | Yes |
| Online, Japan | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ |
| In-store, Japan | ✕ | ◯ | ◯ |
| Online, overseas | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ |
| In-store, overseas | ✕ | ✕ | ◯ |
| Petrol stations, hotels, etc. | ✕ | ✕ | ◯ |
| Balance cap | ¥100,000 | ¥100,000 | ¥1,000,000 |
| Per top-up cap | ¥30,000 | ¥30,000 | ¥100,000 |
| Monthly top-up cap | ¥120,000 | ¥120,000 | ¥2,000,000 |
| Lifetime top-up cap | ¥1,000,000 | ¥1,000,000 | None |
- Online only: the virtual card is enough. On Android, you can add it to Google Pay and use Visa contactless in shops too
- A physical card for convenience stores and supermarkets: Real
- Petrol stations, hotels, shops abroad, or larger balances: Real+
ID accepted for Real+ verification: driver’s licence, My Number Card, residence card (在留カード) or special permanent resident certificate. Passports and health insurance cards stopped being accepted on 26 May 2025. If you use your residence card, enter your name exactly as it appears in romaji on the card. Vandle has also announced that physical cards ordered after 11:00 on 17 September 2026 may ship late.
Virtual and Real cards stop accepting top-ups once your lifetime total reaches ¥1,000,000; you then reissue the card, and your balance and history carry over.
Where it works — and where it doesn’t
It works at Visa merchants in Japan and abroad — subscriptions, online shops and physical stores (physical cards and Google Pay). Vandle’s support center lists popular places to use it (as of 26 July 2024), including:
- Subscriptions: Amazon Prime, Netflix, Spotify, YouTube Premium, Apple Music, Disney+
- Online shopping and services: Amazon, Apple, AliExpress, iHerb, BUYMA, MUJI, Rakuma
- Games: Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Network
These don’t work with any card type (Vandle says it’s down to how the payments are processed):
- Utility bills and monthly insurance premiums
- Highway tolls and in-flight sales
- Places that require a PIN, such as limited-express tickets
- Top-ups to some prepaid cards and e-money
- Terminals that read the IC chip
- Merchants or websites that block prepaid cards themselves
The support center also keeps a list of merchants confirmed not to accept it (DAZN and au phone bills, for example). It’s worth searching that list before signing up for a service.
Four things to watch out for
Pochitto Charge is a pay-later loan
Pochitto Charge tops you up now and you pay it back by the end of the following month. It’s for ages 18+, ¥3,000–¥50,000 per request (screened each time), and the fee depends on the amount:
| Amount | Fee |
|---|---|
| ¥3,000–¥10,000 | ¥510 |
| ¥11,000–¥20,000 | ¥815 |
| ¥21,000–¥30,000 | ¥1,170 |
| ¥31,000–¥40,000 | ¥1,525 |
| ¥41,000–¥50,000 | ¥1,830 |
¥510 on ¥10,000 is a 5.1% fee. You must repay by the end of the next month whether or not you spend the balance, requests can’t be cancelled, the balance can’t be refunded, and there are no instalments. If you have cash, a convenience store or online-banking top-up costs nothing.
Payments can go through even without enough balance
Some merchants finalise the charge after you use the card, so a payment may go through even if your balance is short. If the balance is still too low when the charge is finalised, your card may be suspended. Check your balance after paying and top up promptly.
Overseas payments carry a surcharge
Payments in currencies other than yen add 4.5%; some overseas merchants add 3.0% even when charging in yen.
PayPay no longer accepts Vandle (planned from late August 2026)
According to Vandle, because of a change on PayPay’s side, from late August 2026 (planned) no Vandle Card can be newly added to PayPay, and cards already added can no longer pay through PayPay. Only Real+ can buy PayPay’s “他社カード利用券” (other-card usage voucher) to pay at PayPay merchants. If the shop itself accepts Visa, you can simply pay with Vandle Card directly.
Once you’re in, you can invite others
After signing up, open “設定” (Settings) → “招待コード” (Invite code) from the app’s home screen to copy your own code, or tap “友だちを招待する” to share it with your phone’s share menu. There’s no limit on how many people you can invite, and you get ¥200 for each one.
Vandle explicitly prohibits two things: posting invite codes in App Store or Google Play reviews, and getting people to sign up or enter a code under false pretences. Codes found doing either are suspended and, as a rule, can’t be reinstated.
FAQ
- Where do I enter a Vandle Card invite code?
- In the “招待コード” field on the app’s sign-up screen. If it’s not there, update the app to version 2023.39.0 or later.
- Can I enter an invite code after signing up?
- No. Vandle says only people who haven’t registered yet can be invited, and it won’t make exceptions for forgotten codes.
- How much do I get, and when?
- ¥200 each for you and the inviter. You get it as soon as you top up after your card is issued; the inviter gets it in a daily batch around 10:00 (the next day if the condition is met after 10:00).
- How much do I need to top up the first time?
- The official conditions don’t set a minimum. Convenience store, online banking and Seven Bank ATM top-ups are fee-free; check each method’s minimum in the app.
- Does Pochitto Charge count?
- Yes, but even ¥10,000 or less costs ¥510 in fees — more than the ¥200 reward. Use a fee-free method instead.
- Do gift code top-ups count?
- No. Gift codes and survey-reward credits are excluded.
- Can foreign residents sign up?
- The official requirements are a Japanese mobile number that receives SMS (starting with 060, 070, 080 or 090) and being 13 or older — no ID needed. Only Real+ requires ID verification, and a residence card is accepted.
- Is there a credit check?
- No. Vandle Card is prepaid, so you can only spend what you’ve loaded.
- Can I pay utility bills with it?
- No. Utilities, monthly insurance premiums and highway tolls don’t work with any card type.
- Can I still add it to PayPay?
- According to Vandle, from late August 2026 (planned) no Vandle Card can be newly added to PayPay or used to pay through it. Only Real+ can buy PayPay’s other-card usage voucher to pay at PayPay merchants.
- Does it work abroad?
- All three card types work online abroad; only Real+ works in shops abroad. Non-yen payments add 4.5%, and some overseas merchants add 3.0% to yen payments.
- Where can I find my own invite code?
- From the app’s home screen, go to “設定” (Settings) → “招待コード” to copy it. There’s no limit on invites.
Summary
Vandle Card’s invite code needs to be entered once, on the sign-up screen. Get your card, make your first top-up, and ¥200 is yours. A fee-free top-up at a convenience store or through online banking is all you need — there’s no reason to use Pochitto Charge to qualify.
The big advantage for newcomers is getting a Visa card number the same day with no credit check. Just keep in mind that it can’t pay utility bills, and that PayPay stops accepting it from late August 2026 (planned).
Sources: Vandle “Invite a friend” campaign / Support: invite campaign / Support: fees / Support: top-up limits / Support: where it can’t be used / Support: Pochitto Charge fees / Support: about Pochitto Charge / Support: PayPay / Support: ID documents