Living

Tokyo Convenience Store Guide: ATMs, Payments, Printing & Shipping

Tokyo konbini offer ATMs, bill payments, document printing, and parcel services. Compare chains, fees, foreign-card withdrawals, and opening hours before your visit.

A Tokyo convenience store exterior at night
AD

tokyo.how uses affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

On this page

The three major chains

Many convenience stores — konbini (コンビニ) — in Tokyo open 24 hours, but some branches have shorter hours. Beyond everyday shopping, they handle ATM withdrawals, utility bill payments, document printing, and package shipping. Check the branch’s opening hours and the hours of the service you need, especially at night.

Chain Locations Strengths
Seven-Eleven ~21,900 Seven Bank ATM (foreign card support), food quality
FamilyMart ~16,400 Hot snacks (Famichiki fried chicken, etc.), FamiPay
Lawson ~14,700 Machikado Chūbō (in-store kitchen), Yu-Pack shipping

Quick guide by use case: For ATM withdrawals with a foreign card, go to Seven-Eleven (widest brand support). For shipping packages, head to Lawson (Yu-Pack). For hot snacks, try FamilyMart. All three chains share the same core services.


Withdrawing cash from an ATM

🧳 For both tourists and residents

If you need to withdraw cash with a foreign card, Seven Bank ATMs are the most convenient option thanks to their broad brand support and sheer number of locations.

Detail Info
Supported brands Visa, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX, UnionPay, Discover, Diners Club
Per-transaction limit ¥100,000; ¥30,000 for magnetic-stripe transactions
Hours 24 hours (some brands may have restricted hours)
ATM fee Varies by withdrawal amount (displayed on screen)

On top of the ATM fee, your home bank may charge its own international withdrawal fee and currency conversion fee. Check the ATM fee displayed before confirming, and check your card issuer’s fees separately. Do not assume the ATM screen includes every charge your bank may apply.

ATM step-by-step instructions

Seven Bank ATMs support multiple languages. Tap “English” in the upper-right corner of the screen to switch.

  1. Tap “English” on the screen (or select “お引出し” / Ohikidashi if you prefer Japanese)
  2. Insert your card into the slot (IC chip facing up and toward you)
  3. Select “Withdrawal”
  4. Enter your PIN
  5. Choose or type the amount (in ¥10,000 increments)
  6. The fee is displayed — review it and tap “Confirm”
  7. Collect your cash, card, and receipt

Comparison with other ATMs

ATM Fee per transaction Per-transaction limit Availability
Seven Bank Varies by amount ¥100,000; magnetic stripe ¥30,000 ◎ (most locations)
Lawson Bank Check in-store ¥50,000 ○
AEON Bank ¥75 (UnionPay only stated) Check in-store △ (AEON/Ministop stores, plus some stations and airports)

AEON Bank ATMs also support foreign cards and are found in AEON-group shops and Ministop stores, as well as some stations and airports. Compare nearby locations and the cards accepted before choosing an ATM.


Paying utility bills and taxes

🏠 For Tokyo residents (tourists can skip this section)

Bring your payment slip — haraikomi-hyō (払込票) — with a barcode to the register and you can pay electricity, gas, water, phone, and NHK bills on the spot. At Seven-Eleven, a processing fee applies based on the payment amount: under ¥10,000: ¥110 / ¥10,000–¥49,999: ¥220 / ¥50,000+: ¥440. Fees vary by chain.

Payment is cash-only. Credit cards and QR code payments are not accepted. Exceptions exist for Seven-Eleven’s nanaco and FamilyMart’s FamiPay in limited cases, but coverage is narrow.


Issuing residence certificates and seal registration certificates

🏠 For Tokyo residents (requires a My Number Card — not available to tourists)

If you have a My Number Card (マイナンバーカード / Mainanbā Kādo) with a digital certificate, you can obtain a jūminhyō (住民票, residence certificate) or inkan registration certificate from the multi-copy machine at any major konbini.

Detail Info
Fee ¥200–¥300 per copy (depends on municipality; often ¥100 cheaper than the ward office)
Hours 6:30–23:00
Supported stores Seven-Eleven, Lawson, FamilyMart
What you need My Number Card + 4-digit PIN, or a smartphone with a digital certificate

On the multi-copy machine, select “Gyōsei Service” (行政サービス, Administrative Services) → “Shōmeisho no Kōfu” (証明書の交付, Certificate Issuance), then hold your My Number Card over the reader and enter your PIN. The interface is Japanese-only, but the menu structure is simple enough to follow on-screen.

Note: Your registered municipality must support konbini issuance. Check the official konbini issuance website to confirm.


Copying and printing

The multi-copy machine handles document printing, photo printing, and scanning.

Service Price
Black-and-white copy ¥10/page
Color copy (A4) ¥50/page
Photo print (L-size) ¥30–¥80/print (Lawson ¥30, Seven-Eleven ¥80)

To print from your phone, use Seven-Eleven’s “Kantan netprint” (かんたんnetprint) app or FamilyMart/Lawson’s “PrintSmash” app. Both support English. You can also print directly from a USB drive or SD card.


Shipping packages

Chain Shipping service
Seven-Eleven / FamilyMart Yamato Transport Takkyūbin (express delivery)
Lawson Yu-Pack (Japan Post)

For a 60-size box (Tokyo → Tokyo), expect roughly ¥790 for Yamato Takkyūbin (¥690 with the in-store drop-off discount) or ¥820 for Yu-Pack. All chains also support shipping for flea market apps like Mercari.

At the register, say “Takkyūbin onegaishimasu” (宅急便お願いします — “I’d like to send a package, please”). Fill in the recipient’s address, name, and phone number on the shipping label, then hand it over with your package.


Eating at konbini

🧳 Great for travelers too

Konbini are a solid meal option — especially when you want to save money or need food late at night.

Item Price range
Onigiri (rice ball) ¥150–¥230
Bentō (boxed meal) ¥400–¥700
Sandwich ¥250–¥400
Bottled drink ¥100–¥170
Counter coffee ¥140–¥230
Hot snacks (Famichiki, etc.) ¥200–¥300

Two onigiri + a bottle of tea costs ¥400–¥630 — roughly half the price of eating out for lunch (¥800–¥1,200).

All chains display tax-included prices on shelf labels. For hot snacks behind the register (Famichiki, L-Chiki, etc.), just point at what you want.

Money-saving tip: Look for discount stickers on bentō and onigiri as they approach their expiration time. Choosing private-brand (PB) products also helps keep costs down.


Other services

  • Ticket purchases — Use Lawson’s Loppi terminal or FamilyMart’s multi-copy machine to buy concert, sports, and theme park tickets
  • Wi-Fi — Lawson offers LAWSON Free Wi-Fi (60 min/session, up to 5 sessions/day; email registration required). Seven-Eleven does not offer free Wi-Fi (7SPOT ended in March 2022)
  • Stamps and postcards — Available at all chains
  • Portable battery rental — Scan a QR code to rent; return at any participating store

Troubleshooting ATM and payment issues

ATM displays “Cannot process this transaction”: Your card brand may be outside its supported hours, or your card may be magnetic-stripe only (limit: ¥30,000). Try a different ATM or reduce the withdrawal amount. If your card has an IC chip but still won’t read, check the insertion direction — chip side up, facing toward you.

Barcode on your payment slip won’t scan: Expired payment slips are rejected. Contact the issuer to request a new one.

Can’t communicate in Japanese at the register: Use a translation app on your phone (Google Translate’s camera mode works well for reading labels and payment slips). Konbini staff are generally used to serving non-Japanese customers — pointing and gestures work fine.



References:

FAQ

Can I withdraw cash with a foreign card at a convenience store ATM?
Yes. Seven Bank ATMs at 7-Eleven accept most international cards (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX, UnionPay, Discover, Diners Club). The fee is around ¥110-220 per withdrawal and is displayed on screen before you confirm.
Can I pay utility bills at a convenience store?
Yes, if you have the payment slip (barcode-printed bill). Bring it to the register and pay in cash. Credit cards and electronic payments are not accepted for bill payments at most convenience stores.
Can I print documents at a convenience store?
Yes. All major chains have multifunction copiers that print from USB drives, smartphones (via Wi-Fi or apps like PrintSmash and netprint), and cloud storage. Black-and-white prints cost ¥10-20 per page.
Can I send packages from a convenience store?
Yes. 7-Eleven and FamilyMart handle Yamato Transport (Kuroneko) shipments. Fill out a shipping label at the store, and the clerk will process it. Lawson handles Japan Post's Yu-Pack service instead.
What's the difference between 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, and Lawson?
For ATMs, 7-Eleven (Seven Bank) has the widest foreign card acceptance. For package shipping, 7-Eleven and FamilyMart handle Yamato, while Lawson handles Japan Post. For coffee, 7-Eleven's machine-brewed coffee is widely considered the best value. All three offer similar food, printing, and bill payment services.

* This article was translated from the original Japanese with the help of machine translation. Some expressions may not read naturally.

About our editorial approach Report a correction or get in touch

Share this article

AI can make mistakes. Check the referenced guides.