Quick Answer
The honest yen verdict first
Before you tap “upgrade”: most people in Japan should stay on the free Standard plan. I’ll argue you out of paying before I argue you into it: Revolut’s free tier already does the expensive part (real exchange rate, 0% foreign transaction fee when you spend abroad), and the paid tiers only earn their keep once you outgrow its limits. Here’s every Japanese plan in yen, with the test for when paying makes sense, and if you want to weigh Revolut against other options first, our credit cards guide rounds up every travel card we recommend.
Revolut plans in JPY compared
| Plan | Price (JPY) | FX allowance (Mon-Fri) | Weekend markup | Fee-free ATM/month | Cashback |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Free | 300,000 yen/month | 1% | 25,000 yen | None |
| Premium | 980 yen/mo (9,800 yen/yr) | Unlimited | None | 50,000 yen | None |
| Metal | 1,980 yen/mo (19,800 yen/yr) | Unlimited | None | 100,000 yen | 1%, capped 5,000 yen/mo |
Foreign transaction fee is 0% on all three plans. Prices as of August 2026 per Revolut’s Japanese pricing page; Revolut adjusts them occasionally, so double-check in the app.
Two price corrections and the fact worth leading with
Two numbers worth fixing if you’ve seen this written up elsewhere. Metal costs 1,980 yen a month, not 1,800 yen, and its real annual price, quoted directly on Revolut’s own pricing page, is 19,800 yen. Premium’s annual price is 9,800 yen, not the roughly 11,760 yen you’d get from multiplying 980 yen by 12: Revolut publishes a genuine discounted annual rate for Japan, so the naive monthly-times-12 math overstates the real yearly cost by close to 2,000 yen. The fact most worth repeating to a Japanese reader, though, isn’t a price at all: Revolut’s foreign transaction fee (海外事務手数料) is 0% on all three plans, against the 1.6% to 2.2% that typical Japanese credit cards charge on every overseas purchase. On a 200,000 yen trip, that alone is worth 3,200 to 4,400 yen versus a typical domestic card, before any exchange-rate savings.
Cashback, not RevPoints, and no included eSIM data
Japan runs a different rewards system from Europe: there is no RevPoints row on the Japanese pricing page at all. Instead, Metal earns 1% cashback on all card payments, capped at 5,000 yen a month; Standard and Premium earn no cashback. With a 1,980 yen monthly fee, the break-even on Metal’s cashback alone is around 198,000 yen of monthly card spending, a concrete number worth running against your own spending before assuming the cashback covers the fee. eSIM data, unlike the UK’s Ultra plan, is purchase-only on every Japanese plan: no tier includes a data allowance, so don’t expect a European-style included-GB perk here.
The honest upgrade test
Run your last 12 months. Did you exchange currency heavily, travel abroad often, or want the higher ATM allowance? A “yes” and Premium (9,800 yen/year) pays for itself. Otherwise, the free plan is smarter: don’t pay to lift limits you never reach. Eyeing Metal? Its 1% cashback rarely covers the 1,980 yen fee unless you’re spending close to 198,000 yen a month on the card; below that, you’re paying for the higher ATM allowance and lounge access instead.
Why even the free plan matters for travel
When you travel out of Japan, the real interbank rate saves roughly 1.5-3% versus a typical card’s foreign markup on every purchase, on top of the 0% foreign transaction fee that already beats most Japanese cards outright. Add real-rate ATM withdrawals up to the monthly allowance and fraud-proof disposable cards, and the free plan covers the costly part for nothing. Full walkthrough in the Revolut review, and how it teams with a points card in Amex vs Revolut.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Revolut plans cost in Japan?
As of August 2026: Standard is free, Premium is 980 yen/month (or 9,800 yen/year), and Metal is 1,980 yen/month (or 19,800 yen/year, not the 1,800 yen sometimes quoted). Japan has exactly three plans, no Plus and no Ultra. Confirm current prices in the app, as Revolut adjusts them and runs promotions.
Is the free Revolut plan enough in Japan?
For most occasional travelers, yes. The free Standard plan gives the real exchange rate with a 0% foreign transaction fee (against the 1.6-2.2% that typical Japanese credit cards charge) up to 300,000 yen a month, Monday to Friday (1% above that, and 1% on any exchange between 5pm Friday and 6pm Sunday US Eastern time), plus a 25,000 yen fee-free ATM allowance a month, then 2%. You only need a paid plan once you regularly exceed those limits.
Is Revolut Premium worth it in Japan?
Only if you hit the free plan’s limits: exchanging heavily, traveling abroad often, or wanting the higher 50,000 yen ATM allowance and discounted lounge access. At 980 yen a month, or 9,800 yen a year on annual billing, it pays for itself for frequent travelers, but it’s wasted if you stay under the free allowances.
Verdict
In yen: stay free unless you genuinely outgrow the 300,000 yen limit, then Premium at 9,800 yen/year; Metal only if your monthly card spending gets close to 198,000 yen, where the 1% cashback starts to cover its fee. Either way, the 0% foreign transaction fee alone beats most Japanese cards on every plan. Start with the free plan through my link below.