FAQ

1. What is meant by the terms "money laundering" and "terrorist financing"? 開く: The term "money laundering" refers to the act of making proceeds obtained through criminal activity or illegal transactions appear as if they were obtained through legitimate transactions, or the act of transferring funds to multiple financial institutions, etc. to conceal their source by moving them around. The term "terrorist financing" refers to the provision of funds to terrorists for the purpose of funding the execution of terrorist activities, etc.
Specifically, the fraudulent use of credit cards in spending sprees, etc. occurs all over the world, including in Japan.

2. Is completion of the Customer Information Confirmation Form obligatory? 開く: You are not legally obligated to complete the form; however, this is an initiative being implemented in line with the purpose of the Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds and the FSA's Guidelines for Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism. If you do not complete the form, we may send you reminder letters and your card may be declined.
We kindly ask for your understanding of the purpose of this initiative and for your cooperation in completing the form.

3. Why do you need to confirm this information? 開く: We would like to confirm the status of residence and date of status expiration of foreign nationals residing in Japan in accordance with Financial Services Agency (FSA) Guidelines to combat and effectively prevent increasingly complex and sophisticated money laundering and terrorist financing.

4. Why does confirming customer information help combat money laundering and terrorist financing? 開く: We believe that the confirmation of customer information by financial institutions to ensure it is up to date enables the provision of safe and secure services to customers. In our view, it could also be beneficial for preventing criminal activity, for example, allowing us to contact you quickly if your card may be implicated in credit card crime.

5. What might information about nationality be used for? 開く: We ask about your nationality in accordance with the FSA Guidelines. Credit decisions don't differ depending on your nationality.

6. Why are you asking about my period of stay? What will registration of my period of stay be used for? 開く: We are confirming whether or not you have overstayed in accordance with FSA Guidelines. We kindly ask for your cooperation to confirm your new period of stay before your current period of stay expires.

7. [Permanent residents] How should I complete the section about the expiration date of the period of stay? 開く: If you have a residence card and your status of residence is "permanent resident," please enter your nationality and permanent resident as status of residence and submit the form leaving the expiration date of your period of stay blank.

8. I am very wary of sending the form by post as it contains personal information. Is it safe? 開く: Please rest assured that we will manage your personal information carefully, in accordance with our privacy policy.

9. None of my family members or acquaintances have been sent this form. Why am I the only one to have been sent it? 開く: The form is sent to customers based on their card usage and circumstances at that particular time to ensure that they are able to use their card safely and with peace of mind.

10. What will happen if I don't complete the Customer Information Confirmation Form? 開く: We need to keep the information we hold about you up to date to prevent credit card fraud and criminal activity. If you do not complete the form, we may send you reminder letters and your card may be declined.
We kindly request that you complete the form.

11. The answers I give in the Customer Information Confirmation Form should be based on my circumstances at what point in time? 開く: Please answer based on your current circumstances.

12. How will the information I submit be used and managed? 開く: The information you provide will be used to update the information we hold about you. Please rest assured that the information we collect from you will be managed carefully in accordance with our privacy policy.

13. The deadline for submitting the form has passed. What should I do? 開く: We still accept forms submitted after the deadline so please submit the form as quickly as possible.（We will accept late submissions for about one month after the deadline stated on the enclosed information letter.)

14. What action should be taken if the addressee is unlikely to be able to submit the form by the deadline because he or she is on an overseas business trip or in the process of long-term recuperation? 開く: If submission by the deadline is difficult, we will still accept late submissions so please ensure submission as soon as possible. （We will accept late submissions for about one month after the deadline stated on the enclosed information letter.)

15. I presented (submitted) by residence card when I first applied for a credit card so why must I submit this information again? 開く: We are confirming details such as the expiration date of your stay once again as a result of changes in the FSA Guidelines related to money laundering and combatting terrorist financing. We apologize for the inconvenience but would be grateful for your cooperation.

16. What happens to my credit card when my period of stay expires? Will I no longer be able to use it when I go back home? 開く: If you no longer have a contact address or billing address in Japan, we will revoke your credit card eligibility on the grounds that you will be difficult to contact.

17. Why have I been send this kind of document? How do you know I am a foreign national? 開く: You will have been sent this form if we used a resident card to verify your identity when you applied for a credit card.