Rakuten Mobile Referral Points for International Students: 14,000

Rakuten Mobile Employee Referral Guide日本語

By Mirai, Rakuten Mobile employee · Not the official Rakuten Mobile website

Do you live in Japan as an international student? You may need a Japanese phone number soon.

This page explains the Rakuten Mobile employee referral campaign in simple English. It is written by Mirai, a Rakuten Mobile employee. This is not an official Rakuten Mobile page.

With this campaign, you can get up to 14,000 Rakuten Points for one line. The steps are easy, but the order is important.

How many points can you get?

The campaign is for the Rakuten SAIKYO Plan and Rakuten SAIKYO U-NEXT. The number of points depends on your situation.

Many international students start with a new number. In that case you get 13,000 points. That is still a good start.

If you already have a Japanese phone number with another carrier, you can keep it. Then you get 14,000 points.

Up to 5 lines per person are covered. People who used Rakuten Mobile before and cancelled are also covered.

The 4 steps, in the right order

Please follow this order. If you change the order, you may not get the points.

1. Referral login (entry): log in with your Rakuten ID from the referral link.
2. Apply for the Rakuten SAIKYO Plan.
3. Start using the line (this is called the plan usage start date).
4. Make a call of 10 seconds or more from the Rakuten Link app (the free calling app from Rakuten Mobile).

Applying alone is not enough. You must also start the line and make the call.

Step 1: Entry (referral login)

First, make a Rakuten ID (your Rakuten Member ID, the account you use for Rakuten services). It is free.

Then open the referral link and log in. That log-in is your entry. This is called the referral login.

• The entry is free.
• The entry does not sign you up for a phone plan.
• You can apply later, on another day.
• Use the same Rakuten ID for the entry and the application. A different ID is not counted.

The basic rule is: enter before you apply. An entry within 7 days including the application day may still be accepted. But you may be asked to confirm it. So entering first is safer.

Step 2: Apply for the plan

You can apply online. The Rakuten Mobile website has English pages, and you can apply in English.

You can also apply at a Rakuten Mobile shop. Shop applications are covered by this campaign too.

You will need identity verification documents (official papers that show who you are). Rules for documents can change. Please check the Rakuten Mobile website, or ask at a shop, before you apply.

If you keep your old number, you use an MNP transfer. For this you may need an MNP Reservation Number. This is a number you get from your old carrier.

Another way is MNP One Stop. With this way, you do not need that number. Check which way your old carrier supports.

You can choose a physical SIM card or an eSIM (a SIM inside your phone, with no card).

Step 3: Start using the line

After your application, you set up the SIM or eSIM. Then your line starts.

You can check your line and your data use in the my Rakuten Mobile app (your account page). Keep your Rakuten ID and password safe.

Step 4: The 10-second Rakuten Link call

This step is easy to forget. Please do it soon after your line starts.

Open the Rakuten Link app and make one call. The call must be 10 seconds or longer.

Good ideas for the call:

• Call a family member or friend in Japan.
• Call your own other phone number.

These calls are not counted:

• Numbers that start with 0570 (other carriers’ connection services).
• Numbers with #.
• Calls with a prefix number.
• Special numbers such as 188.

The deadline: do not miss it

You must finish three things by 23:59 on the last day of the second month after your entry day:

1. The application.
2. Starting to use the line.
3. The Rakuten Link call of 10 seconds or more.

Example: if you enter in September, your deadline is November 30.

For students, this matters. Delivery, setup, and school holidays can take time. Start early.

When do the points arrive?

The points do not arrive at once. They come in 3 parts.

They start 4 months after the month of your entry, over 3 months. The count starts from the entry month, not from the application month.

These are Rakuten Points and they are time-limited points. They are valid for 6 months, including the day you get them.

So please use each part before it expires. You can use Rakuten Points at many shops and Rakuten services.

Monthly price, in simple terms

The Rakuten SAIKYO Plan price changes with how much data you use. Prices below are for one person, tax included, standard price, as of October 2026. Prices may change.

• Up to 3GB: 1,078 yen
• Up to 20GB: 2,178 yen
• Over 20GB (unlimited): 3,278 yen

Here are some other fees, also as of October 2026:

• Domestic SMS: 3.3 yen per message (70 characters).
• Calls without the Rakuten Link app: 22 yen per 30 seconds.
• eSIM reissue: 0 yen.
• SIM card reissue: 3,300 yen.

If you cancel within 1 year of starting the line, there may be a fee of up to 1,078 yen. After 1 year it is 0 yen (as of October 2026).

Small tips for students

• Enter first, even if you are not ready to apply yet.
• Use one Rakuten ID only. Do not make a second one by mistake.
• Put the Rakuten Link call in your phone calendar for the same week your line starts.
• Rakuten Turbo (home internet) is also covered, with 7,000 points, once per person.
• New applications for Rakuten SAIKYO Plan (Data Type) are suspended since March 5, 2026.

The campaign may change or end without notice. After you finish your entry, please check the latest conditions there.

Summary

• Enter with the referral login before you apply, using the same Rakuten ID.
• Finish the application, the line start, and a 10-second Rakuten Link call before the deadline.
• Points are 14,000 for an MNP transfer, or 13,000 for other cases, given in 3 parts.
• Points start 4 months after your entry month and are time-limited for 6 months.

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