Do you ever feel like your monthly phone bill is just a bit too high? You’re probably not alone—many people keep putting off switching providers because they think data transfers and the signup process sound like a hassle.

Honestly, I was the same way. I kept delaying the switch for the exact same reason. But after finally making the move to Rakuten Mobile’s “Rakuten Saikyo Plan” over a year ago, my only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner!

Since I’m mostly on Wi-Fi, my monthly data usage almost always stays under 3GB.

In this article, I’ll share the full breakdown of my actual phone bills from the past year. I’ll also cover how to use Rakuten Points to pay for your service—a must-know for Rakuten users—and explain the “Family Discount” (Saikyo Kazoku Wari) that you definitely don’t want to miss out on.

Table of Contents

▮Rakuten Saikyo Plan Rates

First, let’s take a quick look at Rakuten Mobile’s rate plan. It’s a tiered system, meaning your monthly bill automatically adjusts based on how much data you use. The best part is that there’s no sudden price hike even if you go over 3GB.

▼ Standard Monthly Rates (Tax Included)

Data Usage	Monthly Rate (Incl. Tax)
Up to 3GB	1,078 JPY
Up to 20GB	2,178 JPY
Unlimited	3,278 JPY

▮Rakuten Saikyo Plan: Pricing (With Family Discount Applied)

By setting up the “Saikyo Family Discount,” everyone gets a monthly discount of 110 yen (tax included). It’s easy to overlook, but this discount is incredibly accessible with very simple conditions:

• No paperwork required.
• Applicable even if your surnames are different.
• Applicable even if you don’t live together.

The discount is applied automatically just by creating a group. I highly recommend setting up the “Saikyo Family Discount” as soon as you sign up for Rakuten Mobile.

▼ Here is the pricing structure with the “Saikyo Family Discount” applied (tax included)

Rakuten Mobile’s pricing structure offers clear benefits regardless of your usage style:

• For light data users: You can keep your bill under 1,000 yen per month.
• For heavy video and music streamers: Even with unlimited data, it stays at just 3,168 yen per month.

It’s not uncommon for people who used to pay nearly 10,000 yen a month to see significant savings after switching to Rakuten Mobile. Phone bills are one of the easiest fixed costs to cut down on quickly.

Additionally, a major advantage of Rakuten Mobile is that domestic calls are free 24/7 when using the dedicated “Rakuten Link” app. For those who make frequent calls, this alone can lead to massive savings.

▮Revealing My Actual 1-Year Billing History

Now, I’m going to share my actual billing history for the past year—no filters, no secrets. Here are the full details.

Since I keep my data usage under 3GB per month and have the “Saikyo Family Discount” applied, my monthly bill has always been under 1,000 yen. By simply being mindful of my Wi-Fi usage, I’ve been able to keep costs this low.

In fact, there were even months where my bill was 0 yen, thanks to paying entirely with Rakuten Points.

One of the biggest perks of Rakuten Mobile is that you can pay your bill using Rakuten Points, including “limited-time points.” If you set this up in the “my Rakuten Mobile” app, your limited-time points will be prioritized for payment.

For those who often have leftover points from Rakuten Ichiba or Rakuten Card, using them to cover your phone bill is the perfect way to prevent them from expiring. If you earn a steady amount of points each month, maintaining your phone service for “effectively 0 yen” is a very realistic goal.

▮Key Takeaways

Rakuten Mobile offers some of the lowest rates in the industry. If you fall into any of the following categories, it might be time to consider making the switch:

• You have a solid Wi-Fi environment and use mobile data only as a backup.
• You regularly collect Rakuten Points.
• You want to keep your monthly phone bill in the 1,000 yen range.
• You want to save even more by switching your whole family together.
• You make frequent calls (Domestic calls are free when using the “Rakuten Link” app!).

If you switch to Rakuten Mobile from another carrier using the “Employee Referral Campaign,” you’ll receive a massive 14,000 points!

When considering a switch, please be sure to check the campaign entry requirements. Whether or not you apply for the campaign will significantly impact your initial out-of-pocket costs.

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