Plans & Fees
How a Japanese mobile bill is put together, and why device cost and service cost are two different things.
See every currently available plan and standard call option for the nine brands covered by this guide, with undiscounted prices and important conditions.
Your monthly mobile bill
Device cost vs service cost
Costo del telefono
- Prezzo del dispositivo
- Pagato una volta o suddiviso in rate
- Ancora dovuto se annulli il servizio
Costo del servizio mobile
- Data
- Chiamate e SMS
- Opzioni
- Si ferma quando annulli
Installments
What you pay at signing
One-time charges are separate from both the device price and your monthly bill.
Set by the carrier and the procedure channel. Major-brand shop fees are often ¥4,950, while online fees range from free to ¥3,850 or more. Check the exact new-contract, MNP, SIM/eSIM or plan-change procedure.
Full explanationAn extra amount some agency shops and retailers add on top of the device price. Set by the shop, not the carrier — it can differ, or be zero, at another shop or online. Ask "is there a 頭金?" before you agree.
Full explanationIssuing or using MNP is generally free, but the new carrier may charge its ordinary contract handling fee. Check both carriers and the application channel.
Full explanationSeveral current plans charge a small fee when a newly opened line is cancelled within 12 months. The amount and start-date rule differ by plan. Device installments, options and same-month cancellation charges are separate.
Full explanationContent & subscription options
You can attach video, music and other subscriptions to your mobile contract so they land on one bill.
- Examples
- Il pacchetto video "guarda quanto vuoi" dell'operatore o un servizio di terze parti in bundle/scontato come Netflix, Disney+, DAZN, Amazon Prime Video, Lemino o Hulu.
- Come viene fatturato
- Aggiunto alla fattura mobile mensile come voce. Alcuni sono raggruppati in un livello di piano superiore anziché addebitati separatamente.
- Attenzione
- Molti sono gratuiti o a metà prezzo per i primi 1-6 mesi, quindi si rinnovano automaticamente a prezzo intero. Imposta un promemoria per rivederlo.
- Examples
- Un pacchetto musicale "ascolta quanto vuoi" con l'operatore o un servizio in bundle/scontato come Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music o un servizio con il marchio dell'operatore.
- Come viene fatturato
- Addebitato sulla fattura del cellulare o incluso in un livello del piano. I dati utilizzati dall'app in bundle a volte sono esenti dal limite di dati.
- Attenzione
- Controlla se lo sconto richiede un piano specifico e cosa succede alle tue playlist salvate se annulli in seguito.
- Examples
- Collegamenti al programma a punti (punti d POINT, Ponta, PayPay, punti Rakuten) e vantaggi di acquisto legati al gruppo di operatori.
- Come viene fatturato
- Di solito non viene applicata alcuna tariffa separata: il vantaggio consiste in punti extra o sconti sugli acquisti nei negozi e nelle app di quel gruppo.
- Attenzione
- I punti spesso scadono e possono essere utilizzabili solo all'interno dell'ecosistema dell'azienda.
- Examples
- Piani di garanzia/supporto per la riparazione del telefono, archiviazione di foto nel cloud, app di sicurezza e servizi di identificazione basati sul numero di telefono.
- Come viene fatturato
- Canone mensile sulla bolletta del cellulare. I piani di garanzia di solito devono essere aggiunti al momento dell'acquisto del dispositivo.
- Attenzione
- Le campagne a volte richiedono l'aggiunta di uno di questi per il primo mese. Annullalo in seguito se non lo desideri.
NTT DOCOMO, au, KDDI, SoftBank, Rakuten Mobile, ahamo, povo, LINEMO, UQ mobile, Y!mobile, and other carrier, brand and plan names are trademarks of their respective owners. Netflix, Disney+, DAZN, Amazon, Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music, Hulu, Lemino, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube and other service names are trademarks of their respective owners. This is a personal site, not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any of them, and uses these names only to describe the services factually.
Common questions
How much does a mobile plan cost in Japan?
Your monthly bill is the plan (data and calls), any device installment, and any paid options — the plan and the device are separate costs. Undiscounted plan prices and standard call options for the nine brands this guide covers are listed in the current plan catalog.
What one-time fees are charged when I sign?
A contract handling fee — often around ¥4,950 at major-brand shops, and free to ¥3,850 or more online — and, at some agency shops, a shop "down payment" (頭金) added on top of the device price. Device installments, options and any same-month cancellation charge are separate from these.
What is a 頭金 (shop down payment)?
An extra amount some sales channels add on top of the phone price. It is decided by the individual shop or agency, not the carrier, so the same phone can cost more — or nothing extra — at another shop, a directly-run store or online. You can ask what it is and whether it can be removed.
Is there a cancellation fee?
Several current plans charge a small fee — commonly up to ¥1,100 — when a newly opened line is cancelled within about 12 months. The amount and the start-date rule differ by plan, and 8-day initial cancellation is excluded. Device installments and same-month charges are separate.
Is a shop or an online plan cheaper?
An online-focused plan often has no handling fee and no shop down payment, which can outweigh a small monthly price difference — but only if you are able to do the application, plan changes and support yourself, in a language you understand.
What is the difference between the device price and the service price?
The device is the hardware, often paid in monthly installments; the service is the plan you pay every month. They are separate agreements. Cancelling the service does not clear a device installment, and a "¥1" device offer changes only the device side of the bill.