Request Lesson: Shopping Part 2-Signing up for a store card

:maggie-small: 「ポイント貯めてる？」

=Pointo tameteru?

=Have you been accumulating points?

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

This is a request lesson about how to sign up for a store member’s card in Japan.

I made a shopping lesson a while ago. One thing that I didn’t cover wasメンバーズカード(=menbaazu kaado) member’s card or　ポイントカード(=pointo caad) “point card”

Many shops, such as drug stores, CD shops, massage parlors, cosmetic stores, home electronics stores, beauty salons, spas, etc. try to lure their customers back with メンバーズカード(=menbaazu kaado) members card or ポイントカード(=pointo caad) “point card”=a reward card with lots of benefits.

The system is very simple. Once you sign up for a membership card or point card, you can get a discount,

:rrrr: 会員割引=kaiin waribki=discount for members

or if you become a frequent customer, you can ポイントを貯める=pointo wo tameru, accumulate points, and you will get a prize or bigger discount. The store’s hope being that once we become members, we become their loyal customers and will come back again and again for the points.

Since the procedure is very easy, we make a member’s card here and there and end up having loooots of cards in our wallets. Look at my bulging wallet!

(* Some store demand annual fee 年会費=nenkaihi to be their privileged member.)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

You don’t actually need to talk so much in order to get a card made but you need to understand what they are talking about.

Here’s a typical conversation at a store. Usually when you pay for your purchase they ask,

:u:

「当店のポイントカード(or メンバーズカード）はもうお持ちですか？」

=Touten no point caado wa mou omochi desu ka?

=Do you already have our “point-card”?

If you do, you just say,

:rrrr: 「はい、持っています。」

=Hai motte imasu.

=Yes, I do.

and take it out. How simple is that!?

If you get a certain amount of points, they’ll say,

:rrrr: ポイントが＊＊(Ex. 100) 点になりましたのでこちらを差し上げます。/今日は￥***(Ex. ¥2,000)にさせて頂きます。

=Pointo ga **(Ex. hyaku en) ten ni narimashita node kochira wo sashiagemasu./Kyouwa ¥*** (Ex. nisen en)ni sasete itadakimasu.

=You reached ** points so here’s your present. / It will be only ¥*** for you.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

But if you don’t have one, you say,

:rrrr: 「いいえ、持っていません。」

=Iie motte imasen.

=No, I don’t.

If you don’t need one, just say,

:rrrr: 「いえ、結構です。」

=Ie kekkou desu.

=No thank you.

:rrrr: 「今、ちょっと時間がないのでまたにします。」

=Ima chotto jikan ga nai node mata ni shimasu.

=I’m in a hurry now so maybe next time.

:rrrr: 「こちらの方に(は)あまり来ないので…（いいです。/結構です。）」

=Kochira no hou ni (wa) amari konai node..(iidesu/kekkou desu.)

=(Sorry but) I don’t come to this area so often so… (No thank you.)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

If you show interest in becoming a member,they will explain HOW GREAT to be their members.

:rrrr: 「そうですか。只今、当店のメンバーにご登録して頂きますと..

=Soudesuka. Tadaima touten no menbaa ni gotouroku shite itadakimasuto..

=OK, then if you become our member now, you will…

•只今=tadaima=now

•当店=touten=our store

•登録する=to be a member, to register

•ご登録して頂くと..

=gotouroku shite itadaku to

=if you become a member (polite)

****という特典がございます。」

=****toiu tokuten ga gozaimasu. (polite)

=You can get **** as benefit.

•特典=tokuten=a perk, benefit, special service

Ex. 当店でのお買い物がサービス品以外５％引きになります。

=Touten deno okaimono saabisu hin igai go paasento biki ni narimasu.

=You can get 5% off from all your purchases at our store not including sales items.

Ex.１０回のご来店で次の１回分が無料となります。

=Jukkai no goraiten de ikkai bun muryou to narimasu.

=If you come to our store ten times, the next visit will be free.)

Ex. ポイントが一杯になりますと粗品を差し上げます。

=Pointo ga ippai ni narimasu to soshina wo sashiagemasu.

=If you fill all the card, we will give you a present.

•一杯になる=Ippai ni naru=to be filled

•粗品=soshina=a present (humble expression of gift. The direct translation is poor article.)

After they explain how beneficial it is to be a member, they will ask you,

:rrrr: 「簡単に出来ますので今、お作りしてもよろしいでしょうか？」

=Kantan ni dekimasu node ima otsukuri shite mo yoroshii deshouka?

=It will be done so easily so could I make one for you now?

「お時間、３分程でできますのでお作りしても宜しいでしょうか？」

=Ojikan sanpun hodo de dekimasu node otsukuri shite mo yoroshii deshouka?

=It will only take three minutes so could I make one for you?

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Do you want one? Then say,

:rrrr: 「はい、じゃあお願いします。」

=Hai jaa onegai shimasu.

=Yes, please.

Then they will bring you a form,

:rrrr: 「それではこちらにご記入頂けますでしょうか？」

=Soredewa kochira ni gokinyuu itadakemasu de shou ka?

=Could you fill this out, please?

•記入する=kinyuu suru→(more polite)ご記入する=gokinyu suru=to fill out

＜How to fill the form> 記入方法=kinyuu houhou

★お名前=Onamae=name

★氏名=shimei =name

★名字=myouji=family name

★名前=namae=name or first name

★ふりがな=in hiragana or katakana (Some kanji have two or three possible readings so we always have to write the furigana so we know how to read your name and addresses.)

★生年月日=seinen gappi=birth year/ month/date

★年齢=nenrei=age

★性別=seibetsu=gender

You mark one of them!?

→男=otoko=a man

→女=onna=a woman

★御職業=goshokugyou=your job

★会社名=kaishamei=company name

★御住所=gojuusho=your address

★メールアドレス=meiru adoresu=email address

★当店よりセール等のDM、ご案内をお送りしても宜しいでしょうか？

=Touten yori seeru tou no diiemu, goannai wo ookuri shite mo yoroshii deshouka?

=Can we send advertisements or updated information to your address (or email)?

→はい=hai=Yes

→いいえ=iie=No

Usually they don’t expect you to fill out the whole thing. If you don’t want to write certain things, just leave them in blank.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Then show it to them saying,

:rrrr: •「これでいいですか？」

=Kore de ii desu ka?

=Is this all right?/Did I do it right?

:rrrr: •「ここは書かなくてもいいですか？」

=Koko wa kakanakute mo ii desu ka?

=Is it OK if I don’t fill out this part?

:rrrr: •「全部書かなければいけませんか？」

=Zenbu kakanakereba ikemasen ka?

=Do I have to fill out everything?

Then they will tell you what they need filled in.

:rrrr: Ex.「いえ、お名前とお電話番号だけで結構です。」

=Ie onamae to odenwa bangou dake de kekkou desu.

=That’s OK. Just give us your name and your phone number, please.

If it is OK, they will say,

:rrrr: 「はい、結構です。」

=Hai kekkou desu.

=Yes, no problem

They will ask you to sign in the form.

:rrrr: 「こちらの方にご署名下さい。」

=Kochira no hou ni goshomei kudasai.

=Please sign here.

（Note : Handling 個人情報=kojin jouhou=personal information has been very strict in Japan.  So they may ask you to read through an agreement to let them use your personal information for their customer list and ask you to sign the paper.)

Once they make the new card, they’ll hand it to you saying

:rrrr: 「それではこちらのカードをお渡し致します。本日から１年間有効となります。」

=Soredewa kochira no kaado wo owatshi itashitaimasu. Honjitsu kara ichinen kan yuukou to narimasu.

=Here’s your card. It will expire a year from today.

•有効=yuukou=valid

•本日＝honjitsu=this day (a bit formal than 今日=kyou=today)

or

:rrrr: •「有効期限は本日から１年間となっております。」

=Yuukou kigen wa honjitsu kara ichinenkan to natte orimasu.

=The expiration date is a year starting from today.

•「本日から早速ご利用頂けます。」

=Honjitsu kara sassoku goriyou itadakemasu.

=You can use it from today.

•早速=sassoku=soon

•利用=riyou=to use →(polite) ご利用＝goriyou

They might ask you to sign up from your mobile phone.

•携帯サイトからご登録下さい。

=Keitai saito kara gotouroku kudasai.

=Please register from our website for mobile phone.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Culture note:

Companies offer point cards or members’ cards to improve customer loyalty and we love to get discounts and prizes so it is a very convenient system. It’s like frequent flier miles.

Not just stores but most of credit card companies offer ポイントサービス(=pointo saabisu).

Using credit card customers are also often rewarded for using their credit cards with points and prizes.

マギー先生より=Maggie sensei yori, From Maggie Sensei

このサイトに一日に１回来たら１ポイントあげます。1000ポイント貯まったらキスしてあげる！

=Kono saito ni ichinichi ni ikkai kitara ichipointo agemasu. Sen pointo tamattara kissu shite ageru.

If you come to this site once a day, I will give you one point. If you get 1,000 points I will give you a big kiss!

I made this lesson for my loyal student, Top-san! Hope it helps