The “point ban”: what changed in October 2025
What changed
By a Ministry of Internal Affairs rule change, from October 1, 2025, portal sites are prohibited from awarding points for furusato nōzei donations. Campaigns like “×10 Rakuten points” used to drive where people donated; now no portal gives point rewards.
Why it was banned
Furusato nōzei is meant to be a donation to a municipality you want to support. The point wars meant municipalities paid ever-larger portal fees — so less of each donation actually reached the region — and people chose portals, not municipalities. The ban restores the original purpose.
What it means for you
- The era of coming out “ahead of the ¥2,000 self-pay” via points is over.
- But the core deal is unchanged: within your limit, you still receive gifts for an effective ¥2,000.
- The rules capping gift procurement at 30% of the donation and requiring local products remain.
How to choose now
With points gone, compare what actually matters:
- The gift itself — quality and quantity for the same donation.
- Usability and selection of the portal.
- Objective metrics — like this site’s donation-per-100g value indicator and review trends.
Use our gift search together with the basics in How furusato nōzei works.
Details can change again. Always confirm the latest official announcements.
Sources & references
Official references are in Japanese.