Suica and PASMO Cards in Japan

Suica and PASMO are prepaid IC (integrated circuit) cards. A chip in each card stores money, and you tap the card on a reader at a train gate, bus, or shop to pay. Suica is issued by JR East, the railway company that runs most train lines in eastern Japan. PASMO is issued by Tokyo’s private railway and subway operators. Both cards use the same nationwide network, so either one covers most city rail and bus trips.

For most independent travelers, a Suica or PASMO covers daily city transit. Three limits matter most: you cannot pay for reserved Shinkansen (bullet train) seats with the card, some rural and local services do not accept it, and the phone versions have their own rules. The fees and limits below are current as of 14 October 2026. Where a figure changes often, the date and the place to check it appear beside it.

What IC cards are

A standard IC card works as a prepaid account. You add money before you travel, and each tap deducts the fare or the purchase amount. When the balance runs low, you top up at a machine or on your phone. Suica, PASMO, ICOCA, and several other regional cards are interoperable, which means a card from one region can pay fares in another region’s network. Ten card families are interoperable in total, but PiTaPa’s place in that group is unsettled, so do not count on it.

The network has limits that matter to travelers. The cards work on most trains, subways, and buses in large cities. Many shops, convenience stores, and vending machines accept them. Each operator and region sets its own rules, and the gaps are covered below.

Choosing between the cards

The main choice is between a physical card and a phone card, and between Suica and PASMO. The table compares the main options and their current figures.

A standard Suica costs a ¥500 deposit that you get back when you return the card, so it suits travelers who want to keep the card after the trip. A Welcome Suica has no deposit, but its balance is lost after the validity period. Travelers with an iPhone or Apple Watch who want to skip the physical card can choose Welcome Suica Mobile. PASMO works the same way for transit, and one card is enough for most trips.

Buying a physical card

You can buy a standard Suica at JR East ticket machines in major stations and at Narita and Haneda airports. The ¥500 deposit is part of the card price, and the JR East English Suica page states that the deposit is refunded when the card is returned. The minimum purchase is ¥1,000, which is the ¥500 deposit plus ¥500 of usable balance. Read the exact total on the machine screen before you confirm.

Sales of new physical Suica cards to foreign visitors have a complicated recent history. A 2023 halt in sales linked to a chip shortage was only partly lifted, and unregistered sales resumed without restriction on 1 March 2025. Confirm availability at the machine or with JR East before you plan around a standard Suica.

The Welcome Suica is the card built for visitors. It has no deposit. A ¥1,000 basic fee for adults and children can be charged with any amount. Ask the counter staff whether that fee is an issuing charge or a minimum payment. The 28-day validity starts at first use. Count from the day you buy the card to be safe. Narita Terminals 1 to 3 and the Haneda International Terminal have issuing counters. Tokyo Station and Shinjuku Station also have counters, so confirm the counter before you go.

PASMO cards carry a ¥500 deposit, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Transportation. If you lose a PASMO, a replacement requires a new ¥500 deposit, a ¥520 reissue fee, and a public ID. A card that malfunctions is replaced at no charge and no deposit, and you must collect the replacement within 14 days.

Using Suica on a phone

Phone cards differ from physical cards in device requirements, language, and balance limits. Read this section before you leave home, because some phones need settings changed before the trip.

Adding a Suica to an iPhone

iPhone 7 and later models can add Suica to Apple Wallet. Open Apple Wallet, tap the plus sign, and select Suica or "Transit Card" to add it. Check the region settings a phone needs for Apple Wallet transit cards on Apple’s own support pages before you travel.

Welcome Suica Mobile is the English-language option for iPhone and Apple Watch. JR East launched it in March 2025, and it is valid for 180 days. You top it up with Apple Pay, Google Pay, or a credit or debit card inside the app. Trip.com lists a ¥1,000 minimum top-up and a ¥20,000 maximum balance for phone cards. That minimum is higher than the ¥500 steps for physical cards, so check the figure in the app before you add money.

Mobile Suica and Android phones

Mobile Suica is a Japanese-language app aimed at residents, and it covers commuter passes and Green Car (first-class) tickets. Most visitors will find the app harder to set up than Welcome Suica Mobile.

Android phones bought outside Japan are usually not supported for Mobile Suica. JR East’s English page confirms that Android users can top up from Google Wallet and other linked apps, but top-up is separate from whether a given phone can run the service. Check the phone model with JR East before you rely on it.

Topping up a phone card

On the JR East English Suica page, payment methods for Mobile Suica include a credit card registered at sign-up, one-time credit card payments, and cash at certain machines. Android users can also pay through Google Wallet and other linked apps. Student commuter-pass holders can use one-time card charges only within the commuter-pass period. One-time card charges have an overall usage cap over a set period.

Mobile Suica limits are the same for residents and visitors using the app. The combined limit is ¥20,000. A single charge is capped at ¥10,000, according to a JR East statement. JR East’s stated reason for the ¥20,000 cap is that large balances on a chip raise the risk of loss and fraud. Confirm with JR East whether a debit card works for Mobile Suica top-ups. A registered credit card is the option to rely on.

JR East announced on 11 November 2025 that the Mobile Suica app would be renewed with a new code-payment service, while touch payment continues. The announced code-payment balance cap is ¥300,000, and the touch-payment cap stays at ¥20,000. JR East has announced the launch only as "autumn 2026," so check the current status of the service on JR East’s Suica pages before you travel.

Topping up a physical card

JR East says you top up a physical card with cash at ticket machines and fare-adjustment machines that display the nationwide mutual-use symbol. The denominations are ¥500, ¥1,000, ¥2,000, ¥3,000, ¥5,000, and ¥10,000, according to the JR East English Suica page. Use the ¥500 steps to add a small amount, and add a larger amount when a long trip needs it.

JR East’s mobile FAQ sets a ¥20,000 cap for its electronic money function. Confirm the physical card limit at the machine before you add a large sum. A card that holds a balance larger than the cost of your trip is not a problem, but the balance is harder to recover if you lose the card.

Getting a PASMO refund

Returning a PASMO card gives back the deposit and the balance, minus a fee. The refund fee is ¥220, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Transportation. The refund equals the stored balance minus ¥220, plus the ¥500 deposit. If the stored balance is ¥220 or less, you get back only the ¥500 deposit. Refunds for mobile PASMO go to a bank account, and only Japanese domestic institutions can be designated, according to PASMO’s mobile FAQ.

Plan for the ¥220 fee, and confirm the current refund fee at a PASMO refund window.

Where the cards work

Suica and PASMO work on most JR lines and subways in large cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Sapporo, and Fukuoka. They also work on many private railways in metropolitan areas. Examples include Tobu, Odakyu, Keio, Hankyu, and Kintetsu. City buses in most large cities accept the cards too. You tap the reader near the driver when you board, and many cities also require a tap when you leave. Convenience stores, drugstores, and many supermarkets accept the cards. Vending machines and station coin lockers accept them too. Taxis, cafés, and fast-food chains often accept them, but the sign at the counter is the reliable check.

Area boundaries are the main limit inside the network. JR Central’s TOICA page, dated April 2025, says a card can only be used within its own area or across areas only within commuter-pass rules. There are exceptions. The Tokyo-area Suica and PASMO zones connect across the boundary between them, and some through-service sections in Kyushu’s SUGOCA and Hayakaken areas also allow cross-area use. Nagoya City Transportation Bureau says one IC card can ride trains and buses across all areas in its city, but some transport operators in the region do not accept it. Nagoya’s notice also says discounted manaca cards are excluded from mutual use.

What the cards do not cover

Reserved Shinkansen seats are the clearest exclusion. A Suica cannot pay for a reserved Shinkansen ticket, and tapping at a Shinkansen gate with only an IC balance will not open it. Buy reserved tickets separately, either at a counter or through the JR ticketing service.

Shinkansen e-tickets can work with an IC card, but only when the card is designated at booking. If any member of a group lacks a designated card, the group must collect paper tickets in advance. This rule applies to the Shinkansen e-ticket service, not to ordinary fare payment. When you change from a conventional line to the Shinkansen, you tap the IC card and the EX reservation card together at the gate, and that does not work at every station. Changing a booking blocks the IC card at the gate, and the EX card cannot be combined with mobile Suica or mobile PASMO at a Shinkansen gate.

Limited express trains usually need their own ticket when a route crosses an IC area boundary. Within a single area, the card may cover the trip, so check at the station. A journey that begins on a low balance can leave you stuck at the exit gate, so top up before you travel.

Confirm with JR East whether a Suica can pay for unreserved seats on some JR East Shinkansen lines before you count on the card for that trip.

Highway and intercity bus acceptance varies by route, so ask the bus operator before you board. Rural bus routes and some local private railways may not accept IC cards at all. Some local railway gates have no IC reader, so buy paper tickets at the station.

A single journey generally cannot start in one fare area and end in another. Check with the airport rail operator before you plan to use the card for the trip to or from the airport.

What to check before you travel

• Buy reserved Shinkansen tickets separately: Suica and PASMO do not pay for reserved Shinkansen seats, so book them at a counter or through the JR ticketing service.
• Top up in ¥500 steps at machines: JR East lists denominations from ¥500 to ¥10,000, and the machines take cash, so keep small bills and coins for top-ups.
• Choose the card by stay and device: A standard Suica returns its ¥500 deposit, a Welcome Suica has no deposit but expires after 28 days, and Welcome Suica Mobile lasts 180 days on iPhone and Apple Watch.
• Confirm your phone before you leave home: Mobile Suica is a Japanese-language app, and Android support is unclear, so check the device with JR East before the trip.
• Check the autumn 2026 change: JR East announced a new Mobile Suica code-payment service for autumn 2026, so confirm its launch status before you rely on the app.