Rakuten Mobile Hits 10M Users: Should you switch to Rakuten Mobile in 2026?
Happy 2026! In December 2025, Rakuten Mobile has officially surpassed 10 million subscribers*. This is a huge milestone that proves the network is a reliable choice for many in Japan.
If you've been waiting for the right moment to switch, this may be it. By using the Rakuten Mobile Employee Referral Campaign, you can join this growing community and receive bonus points, which may help reduce your phone bill payment to 0 yen:
- 14,000 Rakuten Points when switching (MNP)
- 11,000 Rakuten Points for new lines
- Eligibility for up to 5 lines
- Resubscribe eligibility (eligible to receive points even if you've used Rakuten Mobile before)
Log in with Rakuten account or create account to proceed
Table of Contents
- How big is 10 million people?
- Benefits of Rakuten Mobile: Pricing & SPU
- The "Zero Yen Bill" Strategy
- Not ready to switch? The Dual SIM Option
- Why the Employee Referral is better
How big is 10 million people?
To put 10 million in perspective: The population of New York City (five boroughs) is said to be around 8.5 million; the number of Rakuten Mobile lines may be greater than the population of NYC!
Benefits of Rakuten Mobile: Pricing & SPU π°
Rakuten Mobile continues to offer a straightforward pricing in Japan for 2026:
Rakuten SAIKYO Plan
| Monthly Data | Monthly Price (incl. tax) |
|---|---|
| Up to 3GB | 1,078 JPY |
| Up to 20GB | 2,178 JPY |
| Unlimited* | 3,278 JPY |
Additionally, being a subscriber boosts your SPU (Super Point Up), increasing from +1x to a +5x multiplier on Rakuten Ichiba shopping.
The "Zero Yen Bill" Strategy π³
You may be able to pay your entire bill using Rakuten Points. Shop for essentials on Rakuten Ichiba, earn points, and using those points on your monthly bill can effectively become 0 JPY.
Find out more about using Rakuten Points to pay your phone bill in this post.
Not Ready to Switch? The Dual SIM Option π²
Not ready to leave your current carrier? Try Dual SIM. You can keep your current number and add Rakuten as a second line (eSIM). This lets you "test-drive" the network and you can still earn 11,000 referral points if you sign up via employee referral, including those who have used Rakuten Mobile in the past.
Find out more about the benefits of Dual SIM here.
Benefits of the Employee Referral
The Employee Referral Campaign is a special program where Rakuten staff directly introduce customers. It offers better terms than the regular referral, such as allowing re-subscribers to earn points and supporting up to 5 lines per person.
| Feature | Employee Referral | Regular Referral |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer (MNP) | 14,000 pts | 13,000 pts |
| New Sign-ups (not MNP) | 11,000 pts | 10,000 pts |
| Re-subscribers |
✔ (Eligible) |
✘ (Ineligible) |
| Max Lines | Up to 5 | 1 Only |
Log in with Rakuten account or create account to proceed
-Information as of Jan 2026.
-Must log in via the referral URL before applying to be eligible.
-Points are awarded in installments starting four months after the login month.
*10 million lines include the number of contracts for "Rakuten SAIKYO Plan," "Rakuten SAIKYO Plan Business," "Rakuten Turbo," MVNE, and MVNO, as of December 25, 2025 and BCP (Business Continuity Plan) lines.
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