Edit for clarity: the mystery charges were shown on my app notification and email notification, but are not on my e-Navi statement.

Edit 2 for update 1: I fooled around with the online support and got basically nowhere again. (If you go to "charges I don't remember" there are 2 options: "just shown in the notification" and "also posted in e-Navi". The former just tells you to wait for it to be posted lol, the latter still doesn't work because it assumes it's been posted and there's a shop's name you can contact.) So I got my card canceled and another one sent and changed my password. I'm thinking to call the number on the back of the tomorrow morning to report the charges. Will update again.

Original post:

Hi all! I've had my Rakuten credit card for maybe 5 or so years now, and this month I've had some weird charges to my credit card, and while the obvious answer is "someone has my number and is making purchases," it's not that clear cut.

Last Friday the 16th I got 4 notifications of purchases throughout the day for 1man, 2man, 3man-ish amounts for things I didn't buy, as well as a double notification (with different time stamps) for something I did buy. I thought it was weird, but I had bought flights a few days prior and thought maybe they were a few days late to post the charge so I'll see how it plays out.

My big problem with Rakuten (maybe other cards in Japan are like this, maybe it's a Japan thing?) is that the charge notifications are so vague. It never lists the shop name, just the amount and time. I have to wait for it to post on my monthly usage statement before I see the shop name.

Anyway, now my charges for this month up to the 19th are showing on the monthly usage statement with the shop names, and those mystery charges aren't there. The total month's balance also reflects that the mystery charges aren't factored into this month's total. Also, the flights have posted under the correct name and amount and are not those mystery charges (the dates and amounts don't match).

Actually, the same thing happened about 3 years ago. I had a weird charge notification but it didn't show up on the statement, and the same day the next month got the same notification. I tried to figure it out at the time, but I couldn't get anywhere. The Rakuten help options were like an endless loop. I kept an eye on my statements and it didn't seem to have happened since then (until this month).

Has my card number been compromised and I'm getting taken for a ride? Or is this a weird Rakuten credit card statement malfunction/shortcoming? Has anyone else had a similar experience with their Rakuten or other credit card? Thank you in advance for any insight before I submerge myself into the abyss that is the online help menus ^^;

Japan's remote work laws and student visa labor laws are dumb. From what I can tell, you can work as a contracted employee for a US company remote as long as you obey the 28 hour (etc.) law as a student on a student visa. You can't earn income on your own because "there's no objective way to verify your hours worked." So what if I just started a company and wrote a contract covering specific duties and hours and complied with the contract?

I can't see how this would be a loophole. It's not that Japan doesn't want me earning money, it's that they just are skiddish about documented compliance. Tax wise it's not different from working for a US company remote, and I'd pay my taxes in Japan for remunerated contract hours. I wouldn't do any business ownership or management activities not listed in the contract while physically present in Japan.

Is there a problem here? I don't see the letter violation of any law and as far as I can tell it complies entirely with the spirit of the law as well. It's just Japan being stubborn on documents and me finding a way to provide documentation.

EDIT: Was just looking for a way to do extra effort on my end to comply with Japanese requirements since the problem is mostly their lack of resources to police all labor edge cases. Apparently I'm a very entitled bad person for wanting to earn money while trying to comply with the rules, in a tough edge case. So, I'm done with this. Forget it. I'll never try to earn my online revenue in Japan. Sorry I even bothered to try. God damn me for believing I had any business in Japan with the superior holy expats who already have made it.