Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on July 2013

Tell us a little about Shinsei Bank and your job.

I worked in GoLloyds for four years before the service was handed over to Shinsei Bank, and I’m currently a supervisor for the GoRemit customer service team. My main responsibilities are ensuring smooth application processing, including making the final checks on all applications to make sure everything has been registered correctly, as well as being an escalation point for telephone inquiries and problem solving should a user experience any difficulties. As a team, besides answering customers’ inquiries and processing applications, we are all heavily involved in developing the GoRemit service to make it even better and easier to use for our customers.

What’s the best way to apply for the GoRemit service?
Applications generally take seven to ten business days to process*. We recommend customers fill out the online application form to ensure smooth processing.

What do I need?

You will need the details of the overseas account you wish to send to. Once you have completed and printed out the application form, all you need to do is sign or seal it and send it to us with the necessary ID. For full details on the kinds of ID accepted, please see our website.

Can I use the GoRemit service online?

Once your registration is complete, all you have to do is make a domestic transfer (“furikomi”) to our collection account. You will receive a special account number unique to your registered overseas beneficiary to send funds to. If you have registered for online banking with your Japanese bank, you can do everything online with no hassle.

What are the fees involved?

We charge ¥2,000 per foreign-currency remittance. Intermediary or receiving banks overseas may levy further charges. The fee for Japanese Yen remittances is ¥2,000 plus 0.01% of the remittance amount (minimum charge ¥1,500).

If I have a problem, how can I get some help?

Please give us a call on 0120-227-503 and our customer service staff will help you with any problems you have.

I don’t want to deal with operators in other countries. Are the English-speaking Shinsei Bank telephone support staff located here in Japan?

All of GoRemit’s bilingual customer service staff are located here in Tokyo.

How many branches does Shinsei Bank have?

We have 23 branches in the Kanto area, 9 in Kansai plus 7 branches in other regions of Japan.

Do all Shinsei Bank branches have English-speaking staff?

Many branches do have English-speaking staff, however some branches do not. Registration for GoRemit is by post only, and remittances are made via online banking or an ATM (if your bank’s ATM offers the “furikomi” feature), so we recommend that you call our dedicated English-speaking customer service staff on 0120-227-503 rather than visit a Shinsei branch should you have any questions.

For more information about GoRemit, see www.goremit.jp/index/en

* Applications will be screened based on our rules.