Bitbank EPOS Crypto Card

The EPOS CRYPTO Card for bitbank is Japan’s first credit card that allows users to settle monthly bills directly from their Bitcoin holdings on the bitbank exchange. Launched in April 2026 as a partnership between bitbank (a major FSA-licensed crypto exchange operating since 2014) and EPOS Card (the fintech arm of the Marui Group), this Visa credit card bridges traditional finance with crypto in a novel way. The card is available to any verified bitbank account holder in Japan.

Rewards

Cardholders earn 0.5% cashback in cryptocurrency on all monthly spending. The reward asset can be chosen each month from Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), or Astar (ASTR). This is a unique feature in Japan, as users can switch between reward currencies monthly rather than being locked into a single option. New cardholders receive a 2,000 yen equivalent crypto signup bonus.

Bill Settlement

The card’s standout feature is the ability to pay monthly credit card bills directly from Bitcoin held in a bitbank account. Each month, users can choose whether to settle via a traditional bank account or from their bitbank BTC balance. When Bitcoin is selected, the required amount is automatically sold at bitbank’s prevailing exchange rate and applied to the outstanding balance. This is treated as a crypto sale, meaning it may be a taxable event under Japanese law.

Benefits

• No annual fee for the lifetime of the card.
• Apple Pay and Google Pay support for mobile payments.
• Monthly flexibility to choose between fiat and crypto settlement.
• Exchange-linked direct debit, a first for Japan’s credit card market.

Important Considerations

Using Bitcoin for bill settlement triggers a taxable disposal event in Japan, and users may need to track gains for annual tax filings. The settlement rate uses bitbank’s sales desk spread, which adds a cost on top of the purchase. Additionally, only Bitcoin can be used for bill settlement at launch, though bitbank and EPOS have indicated plans to expand to other cryptocurrencies over time. If the Bitcoin balance is insufficient at the time of debit, the payment may fail.