💊 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
Yes — anyone in Japan, resident or visitor, can do Welkatsu. You just need a WAON POINT account (a free card or the iAEON app). Shop at Welcia on the 20th of the month and pay entirely with WAON POINT — your points are worth 1.5×, an effective 33% off daily goods, cosmetics, food and medicine.
⚠️ 2026 change: V Point (old T-Point) can no longer be used directly for the 1.5× — you must convert it to WAON POINT first (1:1, free). See the foreigners section below.
🎯 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.
⭐ For foreigners in Japan: how to do Welkatsu
Anyone can — you only need a WAON POINT account
Welkatsu requires no Japanese citizenship and no residency check — just a WAON POINT account. Get a free WAON POINT card, or install the iAEON app. There is no annual fee, so you can use it only in the months it pays off. You do not even need an AEON Mall nearby — just accumulate points and visit a Welcia on the 20th.
The 2026 rule you must know
Direct use of V Point (formerly T-Point) for the 1.5× ended in August 2024. As of 2026 only WAON POINT gets the 1.5× at Welcia’s Customer Appreciation Day. The fix is simple: convert V Point to WAON POINT — 1 V Point = 1 WAON POINT, instant and free, with a 30,000-point monthly conversion cap. Convert before the 20th.
How foreigners stock up WAON POINT
Beyond everyday shopping, the efficient route is point sites: earn points on a site like Hapitas, exchange them for a digital gift, and register it as WAON POINT in the iAEON app — then spend it at 1.5× on the 20th.
On the 20th, present your WAON POINT barcode and say you will pay entirely with points (minimum 200pt). If you use the iAEON app, turn OFF “use points” in the AEON Pay screen — leaving it on makes you ineligible for the 1.5×. The 1.5× applies in physical stores only, not the Welcia online shop, and the apps are Japanese-first, so budget a little translation help for setup.
🛠️ 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 rewards 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 rewards 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 rewards 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 rewards 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 |