リボ払い

• Reading: リボばらい
• Romaji: ribo barai
• Kanji breakdown: リボ (from English 'revolving,' shortened from リボルビング) + 払い (payment; from 払う = to pay) → revolving credit payments
• Pronunciation: /ɾi.bo.ba.ɾa.i/

Meaning

Revolving credit card payments where you pay a fixed monthly amount regardless of total balance — widely regarded as a dangerous debt trap.

リボ払い is one of Japan's most warned-about financial products. Credit card companies aggressively promote it (some automatically enroll customers), but the high interest rates (15%+) and deceptively small monthly payments can trap people in years of debt. 'リボ払いの恐怖' (the horror of revolving payments) is a staple of financial literacy content. Many people don't realize they're on リボ until they notice their balance isn't decreasing despite monthly payments.

Examples

1. リボ払いにしてたの気づかなくて、利息だけで10万円超えてた。 I didn't realize I was on revolving payments, and the interest alone exceeded ¥100,000.
2. クレジットカード作るとき、リボ払いだけは絶対設定しないで。 When you get a credit card, absolutely do not set it to revolving payments.
3. リボ払いの怖さを知らない若者が多すぎると思う。 I think way too many young people don't know how scary revolving payments are.

Usage Guide

Context: financial planning, social media, warnings, credit cards

Tone: cautionary, alarmed

Do Say

• リボ払いだけは本当にやめた方がいい。 (You really should avoid revolving payments.)
• リボ払いに気づいたらすぐ一括返済に切り替えて。 (If you realize you're on revolving payments, switch to lump-sum repayment immediately.)

Don't Say

• 「リボ払い使ってるの？バカじゃない？」は相手を追い詰める (Saying 'Are you using revolving payments? Are you stupid?' corners the person — many didn't choose it knowingly)

Common Mistakes

• Thinking リボ払い is the same as installment payments (分割払い) — installment payments have a set end date, while リボ払い can extend indefinitely as new purchases are added

Origin & History

From English 'revolving' (リボルビング, shortened to リボ) + 払い (payment). Revolving credit was introduced to Japan's credit card market in the 1990s-2000s. Financial literacy advocates have increasingly warned about its dangers.

Cultural Context

Era: 1990s-2000s introduction, awareness campaigns from 2010s

Generation: All credit card users, warnings targeted at young adults

Social background: Universal risk among credit card users

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. Consumer protection agencies and financial literacy advocates actively warn against リボ払い. Some credit card companies have been criticized for auto-enrolling customers.