What’s the best way to use or convert Vanilla Visa virtual cards in Japan?

Hi everyone,

I’m a bit stuck and hoping someone here might have experience with this.

I currently have a significant amount of money loaded on Vanilla Visa virtual prepaid cards (not physical cards). The problem is that their usability in Japan is extremely limited.

The only workaround I’ve found so far is using them on Amazon (buying gift cards or adding balance), but that’s not really what I want. I don’t want to be forced to spend everything on Amazon purchases or hobbies. Ideally I’d like to use the money for normal day-to-day expenses, groceries, general shopping, etc., or at least have it on a physical card that works more broadly in Japan.

I’ve been trying to research options like:

• Transferring the balance to another service
• Linking it to a wallet or issuing a physical card
• Any Japan-specific workaround that actually works

But I’m honestly going in circles and not finding a clear solution.

If anyone has dealt with Vanilla Visa virtual cards in Japan (or similar prepaid cards) and found a practical way to use the funds more freely, I’d really appreciate hearing what worked for you, even if the answer is “there’s no good solution”.

Thanks a lot in advance.