Contract Limits, Installments and Cancellation
How many lines you may hold, cumulative application counts, residence-period screening, deposits, cancellation fees and what remains payable after cancellation.
Current and cumulative line limits
| Kuljettaja | Published guide | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| DOCOMO | Generally up to 5 lines per DOCOMO-defined line type for an individual | Active, stored-number and suspended lines can count. Approval is still required. |
| SoftBank | Up to 5 handset lines; Simple Style is limited to 2 within that total | Tablets and other categories have separate limits. Succession can create an exception. |
| LINEMO | Up to 5 lines under the same name | Each application is screened. |
| Rakuten Mobile | Up to 10 eligible lines per Rakuten ID; only 1 line per application | Open one line before applying again. The cumulative fifth and later new line costs ¥3,850; cancelled lines since 8 April 2020 count. |
| au, UQ mobile, Y!mobile and povo2.0 | No single public number in the cited consumer page that guarantees acceptance | Limits depend on line type, recent applications, payment history and screening. A family-discount maximum is not a contract maximum. |
Residence period, installments and deposits
A line contract and device installment are separate decisions. DOCOMO says installments may be rejected when residence-card expiry is earlier than the installment end or a foreign passport cannot be shown. au and SoftBank likewise warn that remaining authorized stay may be too short. au currently requires the applicant's own credit card when remaining stay is under 90 days.
Choose a payment count that finishes before current residence expiry when possible. A 24-, 36- or 48-payment product is not guaranteed, and an early return program is not ordinary installment ownership.
A carrier may request an interest-free deposit (預託金). DOCOMO and au publish up to ¥100,000 per contract; au says installments and carrier billing are then unavailable. Rakuten terms also allow up to ¥100,000. This is a screening decision, not a standard foreign-resident fee. Unpaid amounts can be deducted before refund.
Cancellation fees for recent personal mobile contracts
| Carrier group | Headline rule | Important exception |
|---|---|---|
| DOCOMO / ahamo | New lines from 1 July 2025: cancellation within 1 year is generally ¥1,100. | Older 2025 lines use narrower non-ordinary-use conditions; 8-day cancellation excluded. |
| au | New lines from 1 October 2025: cancellation within 1 year costs up to ¥1,100. | If normal discounted monthly fee is lower, that amount applies; UQ/povo migration and 8-day cancellation excluded. |
| SoftBank | New/MNP/number-migration starts from 1 July 2026: cancellation within 12 months costs up to ¥1,100. | Exact amount follows the plan at cancellation. |
| Y!mobile / LINEMO | Examples: Y!mobile Simple 3 S/M ¥858, L ¥1,100; LINEMO Best Plan ¥990, V ¥1,100 within 12 months. | Group migration and 8-day cancellation can be excluded. |
| Rakuten Mobile | Lines started from 1 April 2025 and cancelled within 1 year: one minimum plan month, up to ¥1,078; SAIKYO U-NEXT ¥1,100. | Program-specific rules can change the amount. |
| povo2.0 | Check current terms in the app before cancelling. | Unused toppings disappear; old au/UQ device installments continue separately. |
Before cancelling
Download bills, save the carrier account ID, move two-factor authentication, transfer mail/points where eligible, and separately cancel content, electricity, fiber, home-router, warranty or insurance products. Cancelling mobile does not cancel every group service.
Device installments continue unless separately settled or returned under an eligible program. The final month is often not prorated. Calls, roaming, carrier billing and late interest can arrive later, so keep the bank account/card open until the balance is zero.
Common questions
Is there a cancellation fee for a Japanese mobile contract?
For many recent personal plans, cancelling within about 12 months of opening a new line costs up to ¥1,100, with the exact amount following the plan at cancellation. 8-day initial cancellation and some group migrations are excluded. Device installments and the final month's charges are separate from this fee.
Do device installments end when I cancel my line?
No. Device installments continue unless separately settled or returned under an eligible program, and the final month is often not prorated. Keep the bank account or card open until the balance is zero, because calls, roaming and carrier billing can arrive later.
How many lines can one person hold?
Published guides vary — for example DOCOMO is generally up to 5 lines per line type, and Rakuten Mobile up to 10 per Rakuten ID with 1 per application. A published maximum is not approval: carriers still screen identity, prior cancellations, unpaid balances and application frequency. Do not create extra IDs or repeat applications to bypass a limit.
Might I be asked for a deposit?
A carrier may request an interest-free deposit (預託金), which DOCOMO, au and Rakuten publish as up to ¥100,000 per contract. This is a screening decision, not a standard foreign-resident fee. au states that carrier billing and installments are then unavailable, and unpaid amounts can be deducted before a refund.
What should I do before cancelling?
Download your bills, save the carrier account ID, move two-factor authentication to another method, transfer mail or points where eligible, and separately cancel content, electricity, fiber, home-router, warranty and insurance products. Cancelling mobile does not cancel every group service.