In Part 3, I wrote about my ticket selection process.
From here, I'm documenting the actual moment I pressed the payment button.
Late at night, Japan time.
Staring down my credit card limit,
how did I make the decision on this massive purchase?
And I'll break down the hidden costs behind the payment.
(Link to the FIFA resale page is here)
Chapter 4: Purchase and Payment Documentation — The Late-Night Battle
The 3 Matches I Chose (4 tickets each, 12 total)
Here are the 3 'fateful matches' selected in Part 3.
- Match 89 (R16 / Philadelphia): The main target where Japan (E1) might play
- Match 76 (R32 / Houston): An affordable insurance pick
- Match 94 (R16 / Seattle): The excitement of a US-hosted match (a long shot)
The total at the time of checkout was approximately $16,000 (about 2.56 million yen).
As I mentioned earlier, this was a stretch for me financially.
The Nerve-Wracking Payment Screen
Late at night, sitting in front of my PC,
- Number of tickets (4)
- Price
- Fees
I checked each item one by one as I added them to the cart.
The total displayed in the upper right corner was $16,000 USD.
In Japanese yen, that's approximately 2.56 million yen(at a rate of 1 USD = 160 yen).
My fingers were trembling slightly.
'Is this really the right move?'
'What if Japan doesn't qualify...?'
'This money will be locked up until next year — is that okay...?'
All sorts of worries ran through my mind, but
I steeled myself and Pay Now." clicked the button.
The few seconds of the loading spinner felt incredibly long.
And then —
overpriced, Purchase Successful
The payment went through successfully.
Payment Breakdown and Hidden Costs
Analyzing the invoice from FIFA,
the breakdown of the total was as follows:
| 1,627,800 JPY | Host City | Purpose | Effective Price for 4 Tickets (incl. fees) | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M76 | Houston | Insurance pick | Approx. $3,580 (about 573,000 yen) | Best value for money. |
| M89 | Philadelphia | Main target | Approx. $6,210 (about 994,000 yen) | Clearly underpriced. |
| M94 | Seattle | Long-shot pick | Approx. $6,210 (about 994,000 yen) | Expensive, but with high upside potential. |
| Total | – | – | Approx. $16,000 (about 2.56 million yen) | – |
Hidden Costs Discovered at Checkout
Foreign Exchange Fees
With the credit card foreign transaction fee (approx. 2.2%) added,
the actual charge came to roughly 1 USD = 163 yen equivalent. For Cat 1, there's a special note: you can also select pitch-side seats. If you want goal-end, be sure to choose the correct option.
This was quite a significant burden.
Capital Lock-Up Period
I expect the resale proceeds won't be returned until after the tournament.
During this period,2.5 million yen is completely locked up.The mental pressure was significant as well.
The One Silver Lining from the Invoice
After completing this massive payment, the first thing I checked was the Match 89 (Philadelphia) invoice.
I was surprised when I opened it.
Unit price: $1,350 x 4 tickets (all the same price)
This means
- I was able to buy a set of 4 from a single seller,
- → meaning they are very likely 4 consecutive seats.
That is the bottom line.
If this match turns out to be a Japan game,
it would be the ultimate experience.
[Philadelphia invoice image showing 4 consecutive seats would go here]
In that moment alone, I felt genuinely relieved.
However — The Relief Was Short-Lived
While Philadelphia was a miracle,
the invoices for the other two cities contained harsh realities.
I'll cover the details in Part 5 (the finale), but:
- Houston: Confirmed scattered seats
- Seattle: An extra 90,000 yen in tax
— these were heavier miscalculations than expected.
Next (Final Part): The Two Surprises Revealed by the Invoice
That concludes Part 4.
In the next Part 5,
the actual invoice revealed two serious unexpected issues
which I'll cover in detail.
And I'll also honestly address: was this challenge a success?
I plan to give my honest take on that as well.
overpriced, Continue to Part 5: The Finale — The Two Surprises Revealed by the Invoice
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