Imagine investing ¥100,000 every month through SBI Securities while making less than ¥10,000 a month in ordinary card purchases. Surely ¥1.2 million in annual card-funded investments unlocks the gold card's ¥1 million spending reward? Not quite. The investment purchases do not count toward the annual card-spending targets. The gold-card boss has a separate health bar. [1][2]
The ¥100,000 threshold that actually matters
For the free Sumitomo Mitsui Card (NL) and Olive Flexible Pay (standard), the standard NISA investment reward is generally 0.5% in the first card-membership year. In later years it remains 0.5% only if eligible ordinary card use in the preceding measurement period reaches ¥100,000; below that it becomes 0%. Earlier ownership of the same card can affect first-year treatment. At ¥1.2 million invested annually, 0.5% is 6,000 V Points. [1]
Comparing annual net rewards
Assume twelve ¥100,000 investments, ordinary eligible purchases of either ¥60,000 or ¥100,000 per year, standard purchase rewards, second-year-or-later investment rates, and no limited promotions or bank bonuses.
| Card tier (including Olive equivalent) | Annual fee | ¥60k ordinary purchases: net points | ¥100k ordinary purchases: net points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard NL / Olive standard | ¥0 | 300 | 6,500 |
| Gold NL / Olive Gold | normally ¥5,500 | −5,200 | 4,000 |
| Platinum Preferred / Olive Platinum Preferred | ¥33,000 | −20,400 | −20,000 |
Net figures add card-investment rewards and basic retail points, then subtract annual fees, treating one point as roughly one yen of usable value. Gold's investing rate is 0%, 0.75% or 1% depending on eligible annual spending; Platinum Preferred starts at 1%, increasing at much higher spending levels. Gold's fee waiver and additional annual 10,000-point reward require ¥1 million in qualifying non-investment spending. [2][3][4]
Olive's surprisingly useful side quest
Starting with May 2026 purchases, qualifying holders of an Olive ordinary-yen savings account can earn an extra 0.1 percentage point on card investments at ¥1 million deposited, rising in 0.1-point steps to 0.5 points at ¥5 million. At twelve ¥100,000 investments, that's an illustrative 1,200–6,000 extra points annually. Crucially, the investing card itself does not have to be Olive; an eligible NL card may qualify when linked to an Olive account. Monthly balance checks, ID linkage and exclusion of overlapping asset-management benefits apply. [5]
An Olive standard account also offers a choice of eligible account perks: for example, 200 points monthly for qualifying salary/pension receipt, or 100 points monthly for qualifying month-end balance. With ¥100,000 in annual qualifying retail purchases, an eligible ¥1 million Olive balance and a full year of salary-receipt rewards, a standard-card illustration totals 6,500 + 1,200 + 2,400 = 10,100 points. All three conditions must actually be met. [6]
Verdict
Choose Olive standard if the bank features fit your life, or the free NL card if you prefer to keep your banking setup. Existing NL holders need not replace the card merely to obtain the separate Olive account bonus. Don't buy unnecessary things just to cross the ¥100,000 line. NISA is a Japanese investment scheme, not an offer for people outside its eligibility rules; market losses can overwhelm any card points. The point is building assets, not collecting shinier plastic.
