Frequently Seen on Instagram! What Exactly is the Suspicious Post "＃Poi-Katsu"?

2018.09.22 published

Commonly Seen on Instagram! What is "Poi-Katsu" Anyway?

Many of you may have come across the term "Poi-Katsu" while browsing Instagram for wedding preparations.

Many posts are tagged with hashtags like "#housewife" and "#pre-bride," as well as brand names, so even if you're not interested, they catch your eye.

☑ Earn over 100,000 yen a month with Poi-Katsu!

☑ Make pocket money with just your smartphone

☑ Buy popular home appliances at half price

and so on, with various attractive phrases dancing in colorful text.

When you Google "Poi-Katsu,"

☑ Poi-Katsu is safe! Let's start!

☑ Even beginners can really earn with Poi-Katsu!

and you find only sites promoting Poi-Katsu.

If it's true, it's appealing, but it feels a bit fake or like a scam, resembling a multilevel marketing scheme…

In this article, we will introduce:

☑ What exactly is Poi-Katsu?

☑ Why is it being promoted on Instagram?

☑ How to engage with Poi-Katsu.

What exactly is "Poi-Katsu"?

Poi-Katsu is a general term for activities that utilize point sites.

Point sites are those that grant points when you purchase products from affiliated shopping sites, join paid services, or answer surveys.

When you accumulate a certain amount of points within the site, you can exchange them for cash, electronic money, or gift certificates.

The amount of points awarded varies by point site.

Here's how it works with a major point site called "Hapitas."

For example, if you buy 10,000 yen worth of products on Rakuten via Hapitas, you will earn 100 Hapitas points. The earned points can be converted at a rate of 1 point = 1 yen once accumulated.*

Point sites receive advertising fees from advertisers like Rakuten and Matsumoto Kiyoshi, and users are not charged for using Poi-Katsu.

The mechanism of point sites itself is not suspicious, and it’s a service that provides benefits to users by making daily shopping a bit more rewarding.

Why is Poi-Katsu being promoted on Instagram?

While it's clear that Poi-Katsu itself is not illegitimate...

Why are there so many posts on Instagram tagged with "#pre-bride" or "#housewife"?

(They shouldn't necessarily be pre-brides or housewives!)

That’s because when an individual gets others to register as new users on point sites, the referrer receives points.

Some sites grant points for new registrations, while others provide a percentage of the amount spent via the point site.

In other words, the more people you introduce and get to register, the more points you earn.

Hence, many people are desperately posting on Instagram to get new registrations through their links.

@haruno45

If the point sites themselves are not suspicious, then what's the harm?

However, you need to be cautious as there are many malicious solicitations as well.

For instance, some posts may recommend not-so-reputable point sites.

Malicious point sites can have abnormally high minimum exchange points, introduce dubious apps or services, or refuse point exchanges altogether, resembling scams.

Since these sites often offer high points for referrals, those looking to profit from Poi-Katsu may continue promoting them on Instagram despite knowing they are questionable.

Additionally, there are quite a few posts promoting educational materials on "how to earn from Poi-Katsu" or calling for participation in seminars.

You can earn points by getting others to register, but earning "tens of thousands of yen a month" as advertised on Instagram is quite challenging.

Earning such amounts often requires referring malicious point sites or continually posting suspicious content on Instagram.

There are posts showcasing "screengrabs of joy" claiming they earned certain amounts, but it's reasonable to assume most of these are likely staged.

It's highly probable that those who jumped in thinking there was an "easy deal" find themselves just paying out money in the end.

How should you engage with Poi-Katsu?

So, how should you engage with Poi-Katsu?

For those who want to make their regular shopping slightly more rewarding or don't mind using point sites, it's recommended to register with reliable major point sites and only make necessary purchases.

If you do most of your shopping in physical stores and find checking point sites cumbersome, there's no need to force yourself to register.

Even without using point sites, you can still accumulate unique points on sites like Rakuten and Matsumoto Kiyoshi.

Don’t worry about phrases like "You're missing out if you don’t do Poi-Katsu" or "Aren't you doing Poi-Katsu yet?"

Those interested can engage, while those not interested can simply opt out.

Overview of the commonly seen "#Poi-Katsu" on Instagram

There are many well-operated point sites out there.

However, it is also true that some malicious point sites and people promoting them exist.

The motivation of Instagram accounts promoting Poi-Katsu is "to gain referral fees."

While you can make your own shopping a bit more rewarding, turning it into a profitable side job is difficult.

Please make your decisions based on this understanding.*