Rakuten Mobile "Saikyo Kodomo Wari": 5 Things I Checked Before Giving a Child a Phone

Good morning. It’s まさきん.

The other day I came across a collection of common questions people have when giving their child a first phone. They were all specific and genuinely useful, so I decided to check each one against the official information myself.

The contract is in the child’s name. Parents cannot apply on their behalf

The first thing I wanted to know was whose name the contract would be in.

Saikyo Kodomo Wari (the kids’ discount) assumes the contract is in the child’s own name. You can’t bundle it under a parent’s ID.

The child also needs their own Rakuten member account. If they don’t have one, you create it during the application.

For ID, the child needs a photo ID: either a driver’s license or a My Number Card. The parent prepares a consent form that serves as both the legal guardian consent and the payment account holder consent. The credit card or bank account used for payment can be in either the parent’s or the child’s name.

I couldn’t find any procedure using a QR code on the official pages. If a store gives you its own instructions, it’s safest to follow those.

Anyone under 18 is also required to sign up for a service called “Anshin Control,” which costs 550 yen a month. Canceling it requires parental approval.

Referral points arrive in 3 installments. Getting them all takes about six months

Next, I wanted to check the conditions for receiving referral points.

The Employee Referral Campaign doesn’t state a clear minimum contract period.

However, looking at when the points are awarded gives you a practical guideline. They’re paid out in 3 installments: 4 months, 5 months, and 6 months after the referral login date.

For a new contract, the total is 13,000 points, broken down as 5,000 points, 4,000 points, and 4,000 points. For MNP, where you switch from another carrier and keep your phone number, the total is even higher at 14,000 points.

(Update, September 27, 2026) For applications from September 17 onward, the new contract reward has increased from 11,000 points to 13,000 points.

A child’s first phone, like in this case, counts as a new contract. If you have a separate line you’re moving over from another carrier, making that one the MNP line gets you more points.

It’s safest to assume that if you cancel partway through, you won’t receive any remaining installments. To collect everything, plan on keeping the contract for about six months. Putting the conditions so far together, here are the 3 key points.

• Paid in 3 installments: 4, 5, and 6 months after the referral login date
• If you cancel partway through, you will not receive any remaining installments
• Plan on keeping the contract for about six months to collect everything

A shareholder benefit SIM is a separate line. It looks like you can still apply for a new one

Another thing I wondered about was how it works if you already have a Rakuten shareholder benefit SIM.

The shareholder benefit SIM is a voice + 30GB data plan. It’s positioned as a separate product from the Rakuten Saikyo Plan, which is what Saikyo Kodomo Wari applies to.

So even if you have a shareholder benefit SIM, it seems you can apply for a new Saikyo Kodomo Wari line separately. The official information also notes that even if you’ve had a contract before, a newly applied line is eligible as long as it meets the conditions.

You do need to be a little careful if you want to carry over a phone number. A plan change within Rakuten Mobile lets you keep the same number. But that doesn’t count as MNP.

The 1 yen iPhone deal looks unlikely this time

Based on all of the above, the answer on the 1 yen iPhone deal becomes clear.

The effectively 1 yen iPhone offer requires switching from another carrier. Plan changes within Rakuten Mobile aren’t eligible.

A child’s first phone isn’t a switch from another carrier. And carrying over the number from a shareholder benefit SIM is still a move within Rakuten Mobile.

Neither case seems to qualify for the 1 yen deal. If you want your child to have an iPhone, buying one at the regular price or handing down a family member’s device is probably the realistic option.

With Android, some devices drop to 1 yen at stores only

The iPhone route looked tough, but I found another option.

There’s something called the Smartphone Debut Support Campaign. It’s exclusive to Rakuten Mobile shops, and eligible Android devices drop to 1 yen.

It’s for people aged 18 or under, or who turn 19 in the month they apply. That’s a perfect fit for a child’s first phone.

The eligible devices are two models: the nubia S2R and the Galaxy A25 5G. It only applies to new contracts.

There are a few caveats, though. It’s handled in stores only, and online applications aren’t eligible. It’s limited to one per person and can’t be combined with other campaigns. Stock also appears to be limited.

If you’re not set on an iPhone, it might be worth checking stock at a store.

A rough cost calculation

Finally, let me lay out the numbers assuming usage stays within 3GB.

With the family discount, the monthly fee was 528 yen. Adding the 550 yen for Anshin Control brings it to 1,078 yen per month.

That comes to about 12,936 yen per year. Compared with the 13,000 points from the referral, the points come out slightly ahead in the first year. From the second year on, there are no points to offset it, so the full 12,936 yen per year goes straight onto the household budget.

If you buy a new iPhone, the device cost gets added on top of this. Using a family member’s device for now and seeing how it goes could be a good approach.

Summary

Saikyo Kodomo Wari requires a contract in the child’s name plus Anshin Control. To collect all the referral points, plan on keeping the contract for about six months.

Even if you have a shareholder benefit SIM, it seems you can still apply for a new line. However, since the 1 yen iPhone deal requires switching from another carrier, my conclusion was that it doesn’t apply in this case.

Conditions and benefits may change. If you’re considering applying, be sure to check the official website.

It may be about time for our own family to think about our child’s phone debut too. If you switch to Rakuten Mobile through my referral, you’ll get up to 14,000 points. If you haven’t yet, take a look at that as well.

I’d recommend starting small with the fee simulation, which doesn’t require a contract. Looking at the results first and then moving on to the referral program if needed should make things go smoothly.

1. ✓ Read through this article
2. 2 Check the fee simulation
3. 3 Consider applying

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