What is wrong with 7-11 ATM's?

It's so worrying reading all these bad experiences' and confusing posts. Seems like even if you confirm with your bank before arriving, chances are the debit cards cannot be used too. I won't use my credit card to withdraw because it is very costly. I'm not sure if my bank's card can be used. Anyway I will bring more cash (Yen or not) for my upcoming trip.

just to be sure: visa credit cards will work at 7-11 atms and post offices???

It's a Mastercard issue, not a Visa one.

Just as a point of reference, I have a Wells Fargo VISA Debit/ATM card. I have used it successfully in the last several days at 7-11 ATM's in Tokyo.

One humorous anecdote. I'm pretty technically inclined. The first time, I carefully looked at the ATM machine's diagram of the stripe on the card, and inserted it over and over the way the diagram points out, and the ATM machine kept saying "CARD INVALID." I pointed this out to my wife, and she tried her card, inserting it randomly. I told her she was inserting it the wrong way, but then it worked fine to get the money out. How embarrassing.

Dale

Bank commissions & exchange fees can be totally avoided by using a Fee Free credit card (or debit card) and preloading it with a deposit before departure.

I have Schwab visa debit card with plus. It worked at Postal Service ATM but not at two 7-11 ATMs in Tokyo in July. Not sure who provides the ATM's in the underground passage in Tokyo Station area, but that also worked fine.

So I take it any kind of Maestro card is still not working, even at the post office?
Is there a way I can easily transfer money over Paypal? I have a bank account in Japan but I have never tried to actually charge money from my home country's account to Paypal and then transfer it to my Japanese account. Would that work and if yes how?

This afternoon, my mastercard gold doesn't works at 7-11 Tokyo Ginza under Kabukiza theater. (Visa card premier was OK).
One hour after, Mastercard works at the Ginza post office.

http://www.sevenbank.co.jp/intlcard/card2.html

MasterCard is still not listed on 7-11 bank website. So I guess that means MasterCard still won't work with 7-11 ATM :-(

And it states "Some cards of the same mark may not be used." I assume this is why Schwab visa debit card with plus didn't work.

I would like to confirm if Citibank Banking card is also affected by this?

There are quite a few Citibank ATMs in Japan, mostly in the major cities. That's what I will use. Using that card at one of their branches or ATMs will circumvent the problem.

You might want to change the pin code on your card. I found out on one of my trips, that a lot of the 7-11 machines won't accept a card with a pin code of more than four digits. The post office will, however. But to be safe, I always change my card pin to a four digit code. That avoids any inconveniences.

Had the same experience a couple of weeks ago with my "cash passport" prepaid Mastercard. No ATMs except japan post bank would take it, either got a generic error message or some said they wouldn't accept a card issued overseas. Post Office atm would give me cash but not a balance, it said see a teller for that. The cashpassport website can give you a balance, but uses Flash, so it's inaccessible from Android or Apple phones. Just dumb. Next time I'm taking cash.

Impossible to withdraw monney with a maestro card in Japan. Refused today in Citi Bank and Post Office!!!! This is the first countrry refusing my maestro card. Whats wrong with Japan?

Please check this link: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2208.html

"ATMs at 7-Eleven stores stopped accepting Mastercard, Maestro and Cirrus cards issued outside of Japan. Similarly, international ATMs across Japan, including postal ATMs, stopped accepting Maestro cards with EMV chips (except cards issued in Canada and the Netherlands), but continue to accept Maestro cards without EMV chips, Mastercard and Cirrus cards."

Where was your Maestro card issued? What bank and does it have EMV chip?

Or it could be just your bank is suspending your card until you call to verify.

Impossible to withdraw monney with a maestro card in Japan. Refused today in Citi Bank and Post Office!!!! This is the first countrry refusing my maestro card. Whats wrong with Japan?

I guess you didn't read the 6 pages of posts that preceded yours and just skipped to the end...

The posts I've been reading are from around April 2013. I've come on holiday to Tokyo & it's now October 2013 & the 7/11's still aren't accepting our cards at the atm's. I thought this was temporary? This is very inconvenient. When we were here in 2011 we always knew where ever we travelled in Japan we could always depend on 7/11 to withdraw cash if needed.

Well the last mastercard service suspension at 7-11 lasted for several years so I wouldn't hold my breath that it will be fixed anytime soon. My advice is to have at least one secondary card as Mastercard outages seem to to occur with way too much frequency.

Looks like at this point, if you want to withdraw cash conveniently, you should have VISA ATM/debit card. 7-11s are all over the place. Thank god my debit card is Visa. Unless you are in major cities, going to post office or bank with international ATM can be troublesome and take your valuable time in Japan.