Please contact our Japanese call center (information listed below) and change the Japanese address that you entered on your account application to your U.S. or destination address.
Global Transition Solutions (GTS)
The GTS program supports your everyday banking needs.
This page provides information to help you conduct your banking smoothly in the United States, at your assignment location and after you return to Japan.
GTS program benefits
$12 U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking monthly maintenance fee waived
First two incoming wire transfer fees waived per statement period (domestic or international)
First four non-U.S. Bank ATM transaction fees waived per statement period1
$5 Bank Smartly® Savings monthly maintenance fee waived2when you also have a Bank Smartly® Checking account
Bank Smartly Savings account
A savings account is similar to a standard savings deposit account in Japan. When you maintain this account together with the Bank Smartly Checking account, the $5 savings monthly maintenance fee is waived. In addition, you may qualify for higher interest rates based on your combined qualified balance3 across eligible products, including a checking account. Existing clients in the GTS program may open this account from Japan. Please refer to the Bank Smartly Savings page for product details and contact the JCSU via the below contact information to start the GTS account opening process.
Cashier’s checks
A cashier’s check is a bank-issued check for which the stated payment amount is guaranteed by the issuing bank. When the payment amount is high, sellers or landlords often require a cashier’s check instead of a personal check in order to ensure additional security. You can purchase cashier’s checks by calling the JCSU or by visiting your nearest U.S. Bank branch.
Credit cards
At U.S. Bank, we accept credit card applications from customers who reside in the United States, have a Social Security number (SSN) and hold an account with U.S. Bank, even if they do not have a U.S. credit history. Please note that all credit card applications are subject to our review process, and not all applications are approved. We cannot guarantee the outcome of the review, and we ask for your understanding in advance.
If you’re interested in a credit card, please feel free to contact us at GTSinfo@usbank.com.
Important account management information
Avoid your account becoming dormant
Under the laws of each U.S. state, accounts that have not been used for an extended period become dormant and are subject to escheatment, which is the transfer of assets to the state government. As a result, the account balance is transferred to the state. After the transfer, requests for the return of funds must be made directly by the account holder to the state government, not to the bank.
To prevent your account from becoming dormant and to keep it in active status, please take the following actions:
Log in to online or mobile banking on a regular basis.
Make small deposits or withdrawals as necessary. (ACH transactions may not count as deposits in some states.)
Use the debit card linked to your account to make purchases.
In addition, to ensure that you receive notifications from U.S. Bank without delay, please keep your address, phone number and email address up to date at all times. If you receive notifications regarding account dormancy, please respond promptly.
Please note that the period before an account becomes inactive and transitions to dormant status varies depending on the type of account.
Checking accounts become inactive after 11 months of inactivity.
Savings and Money Market accounts become inactive after 23 months of inactivity.
Under U.S. tax law, banks are required to properly report certain payments, including payments of interest income, to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). For this reason, individual clients must submit a tax-related form, either Form W-8BEN or Form W-9.
If you are a U.S. citizen or other U.S. person, please submit Form W-9.
For many GTS clients, this category applies to expatriate employees who have obtained an SSN and are working in the United States.
If you opened your account from Japan using a Japanese address before obtaining an SSN, you are likely required to submit Form W-9 once you have relocated to the United States, obtained an SSN and finalized your U.S. address.
If you are not a U.S. citizen or other U.S. person, please submit Form W-8BEN.
For many GTS clients, this category applies to students and family members of expatriates who reside in the U.S. without employment, expatriate employees who have returned to Japan after completing their U.S. assignment, and clients residing in Japan under the former California Account Program.
Clients who submitted Form W-9 while residing in the U.S. may need to submit Form W-8BEN after returning to Japan.
Please note that you must resubmit Form W-8BEN every three years.
If a valid tax form is not provided, banks are legally required to apply withholding tax on interest income.
Please note that tax situations vary by individual. For details specific to your circumstances, please consult a tax professional.
Mailing address for U.S. tax forms W-8BEN and W-9:
U.S. Bank CD/IRA Services
SL-MO-T6CD
One US Bank Plaza St Louis
505 N. 7th Street
St. Louis, MO 63101
U.S.A.
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Required actions |
Open account from Japan |
Open account from U.S. before obtaining Social Security number (SSN) |
Open account from U.S. with SSN |
Open account as a student, trainee or accompanying family member (without SSN) |
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Change your address |
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Order checks (optional) |
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Enroll in the U.S. Bank Mobile App (U.S. only) |
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Submit U.S. Tax Form W-9 (U.S. only) |
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Required actions
Change your address
Open account from Japan
Open account from U.S. before obtaining Social Security number (SSN)
Open account from U.S. with SSN
Open account as a student, trainee or accompanying family member (without SSN)
Required actions
Order checks (optional)
Open account from Japan
Open account from U.S. before obtaining Social Security number (SSN)
Open account from U.S. with SSN
Open account as a student, trainee or accompanying family member (without SSN)
Required actions
Enroll in the U.S. Bank Mobile App (U.S. only)
Open account from Japan
Open account from U.S. before obtaining Social Security number (SSN)
Open account from U.S. with SSN
Open account as a student, trainee or accompanying family member (without SSN)
Required actions
Submit U.S. Tax Form W-9 (U.S. only)
Open account from Japan
Open account from U.S. before obtaining Social Security number (SSN)
Open account from U.S. with SSN
Open account as a student, trainee or accompanying family member (without SSN)
You can order checks through online banking, the U.S. Bank mobile app or by contacting our Japanese call center, the JCSU (information listed below).
The mobile app can be downloaded from the Apple Store or Google Play Store. To download the mobile app, you need a U.S. mobile phone number. Some services are available only within the United States.
After obtaining your SSN, please submit U.S. tax form W-9 and register it with U.S. Bank.
Until all of the following steps are completed, some features of online banking and the mobile app (external bank transfer and Bill Pay) will not be available. You must register:
- Your SSN (through submission of form W-9)
- Your U.S. address
- Your U.S. phone number
For more information, please refer to the tax forms (W-8BEN/W-9) section.
Immediately after returning to Japan, please update your address to your Japanese address by contacting our Japanese call center, the JCSU.
Note: If you change your address to Japan while still residing in the U.S., it may cause issues with the use of your account, such as Zelle® or Bill Pay becoming unavailable, or being unable to complete ZIP code-based verification at gas stations and similar locations.
After returning to Japan and updating your address to a Japan address, please submit Form W-8BEN to confirm your tax status.
Download a blank W-8BEN form PDF and, once completed, send it to U.S. Bank.
When completing the form, you may use the Japanese W-8BEN guide as a reference. Please note that it cannot be used as an official submission document.
If there is no account activity for a certain period of time, the account may be closed and the remaining balance transferred to the state (known as escheatment). Please continue to use your account by logging in to online banking regularly. For more information, please refer to the Avoid your account becoming dormant section.
From within the U.S. or a country other than Japan:
Telephone:
888-507-7669 (U.S. toll-free)
714-985-2136 (Standard calling charges apply.)
Fax:
866-236-9744 (U.S. toll-free)
714-985-2137 (Standard calling charges apply.)
Hours (U.S. Pacific Time):
Monday to Friday: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m
Saturday & Sunday: Closed
*Closed on some public holidays in the U.S.
From within Japan:
Telephone:
0120-628-320 (Japan toll-free)
1-714-985-2136 (Standard calling charges apply.)
Fax:
0066-33-814689 (Japan toll-free)
1-714-985-2137 (Standard calling charges apply.)
Hours (Japan Standard Time):
Monday: 11 p.m. to 0 a.m.
Tuesday to Friday: 0 a.m. to 11 a.m., 11 p.m. to 0 a.m.
Saturday: 0 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
*Closed on some public holidays in the U.S.
**During U.S. Daylight Savings Time from March to November, the time shifts forward by one hour.
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Disclosures
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