Fed up with fiddling around with unfamiliar cash (and ending up with piles of change)? Finding it a pain to work out what train ticket to buy? Whether you are just in town for a few days, or staying longer term, an IC card is your cure for all of these woes.
What are IC cards? – These are rechargeable, contactless smart cards used for electronic payments for public transportation, retail locations, and vending machines. There are two main brands, which come in card and mobile format. (MORE ON THIS)
Benefits – Really convenient when using buses, trains, subways, or taxis, or making small purchases (MORE ON THIS)
Where can I buy them? –Download the smartphone app. Limited number of physical cards available for tourists (MORE ON THIS)
Cost and recharging – Small deposit required for some cards. Various options for recharging the card (MORE ON THIS)
Point rewards system – You can earn JRE points while using your SUICA (MORE ON THIS)
Back to Quick Tips on Money Matters
A tip for a tip? Finding this site useful? It would be brilliant if you could consider making a donation, however small (or large) that would enable me to spend more time improving this site.
Fellow Bitcoiner?
SUICA is issued by JR East, while PASMO is handled by the private rail companies, but both allow access to each others train networks, so choosing one over the other will not limit your travel.
In August 2023, sale of physical cards was put on hold due to the semiconductor shortage but it was announced in August 2024 that sale of the standard cards would resume from September, although you will need to register your personal information and pay a deposit.
The rail companies are encouraging people to use the mobile versions. One advantage is that this can be used without a deposit, although you will still need to register your personal information.
If you are staying in Japan for just a short period of time you can get a “Welcome SUICA” card available for 28 days, that does not require a deposit or sharing your personal details. Note that this is only rechargeable within the 28-day period and you cannot claim back any unused balance at the end. There used to be a similar version for PASMO (PASMO Passport), but this is no longer available.
Just tap your card at the train/subway ticket gates (at boarding point and destination), once at the start of your bus journey, or paying at your taxi destination. You can also make a one-tap purchase in many stores and vending machines (where you will generally not be able to use credit cards). You can even use them to rent bicycles. If all of this convenience is not enough, you even make small savings on train ticket prices compared to when buying a regular ticket. Wins all round!
For Mobile SUICA or Mobile PASMO, your phone will need to be compatible with Apple Pay or Google Pay. Download the app and follow the instructions for setup.
Regular SUICA and PASMO physical cards can be purchased from some station vending machines and “Green Ticket Offices” in stations.
You can purchase a “Welcome SUICA” card from the following locations:
Tokyo Station, Shinagawa Station, Shibuya Station, Shinjuku Station, Ikebukuro Station, Ueno Station, Narita Airport Station, Airport Terminal 2 Station, Haneda Airport Terminal 3 Station’s “Station Concierge,” JAPAN RAIL CAFE TOKYO
Narita Airport Station, Airport Terminal 2 Station, Haneda Airport Terminal 3 Station’s “Welcome Suica” exclusive vending machines
If you are using the apps (Mobile SUICA or Mobile PASMO), you can charge directly from your credit card using ApplePay, etc. Mobile SUICA and PASMO do not require payment of a deposit. For the physical cards, you will be charged a ￥500 deposit when purchasing the card, which will be returned to you if you no longer need to use the card.
For both mobile and physical cards, refunds on unused charged funds are possible, but you will need to pay a handling fee of ￥220 when processing the refund.
PASMO doesn’t have a dedicated points system (although you can of course get points when charging from your credit card). With SUICA, you can earn JRE points whenever you use the train. WIth the JRE app, you can also earn points when making purchases from shops and cafes around the station.