Bills, Bills, Bills

Paying utility bills in Japan is a little different.  When you get a bill it has a bar code on it.  To pay it you go to the 7-Eleven (which are everywhere) and give it to the cashier.  She/he will scan it with a bar code reader and then you just give him/her the cash (I don't think 7-Elevens take debit/credit cards here, some places are cash only).  Then he/she will tear off the stub and stamp it "paid" with the date.  I don't know for sure that you can only do this at 7-Eleven (as opposed to the other convenience stores) but I would bet on it.  Somehow 7-Eleven cornered the market on bill-paying, I think.  Although there isn't any kind of fee they charge, they just get the benefit of your being forced to go in their store.

We keep being told that all of our bills should be automatically deducted from our checking account but they still keep showing up in the mailbox.  I can't read them, except I can usually tell from the logo whether it's electricity, phone, etc.  And I can make out the amount.  So basically anything that shows up with a bar code I go pay.  Sometimes they send you "pre-notices" of a bill that isn't actually the bill but those don't have bar codes.

unpaid, with bar code

paid and stamped

Update: You can pay bills at other convenience stores.  Some of the bills even have the logos of the stores you can pay them at on the back.