Guide · 3 min read ·
Suica, Welcome Suica and IC Cards in Japan
Tap an IC card at the gate and the fare comes off it, with no ticket to buy for each ride. It pays for buses, vending machines, lockers and the konbini too.
In short
- Welcome Suica: no deposit, 28 days, sold at Narita, Haneda and big JR East stations.
- Or put Suica, PASMO or ICOCA in Apple Wallet on an iPhone.
- Top up with cash, up to ¥20,000; a Welcome Suica can’t be topped up by credit card.
- It works across Japan, but one trip can’t run from one IC area into another.
Which card: Welcome Suica or Suica
JR East makes Welcome Suica for visitors: no deposit, valid for 28 days from the day you buy it. The ordinary Suica asks for a ¥500 deposit and gives the balance back when you return it.
| Welcome Suica | Suica | |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit | None | ¥500 |
| How long | 28 days, purchase day included | As long as you use it |
| Money left at the end | Not refunded | Refunded |
Welcome Suica is sold at Narita and Haneda Terminal 3, and at the travel service centres of big JR East stations, Tokyo, Shinjuku and Shibuya among them. One card per person.
How to tap through the gate
Going in, touch the card to the blue reader on the gate. It beeps and lets you through.
Coming out, touch it again: the fare comes off the card.
On a bus, tap the reader by the door: buses with one flat fare take it once, as you get on or off, and buses priced by distance want a tap both times.
Short of money? Top up at the fare adjustment machine before the exit gate.
Tip: A limited express or a Green Car needs its own ticket on top. Ordinary trains, subways and buses need only the card.
How to top up
¥20,000 — The most a card can hold
- At ticket machines and fare adjustment machines with the card’s mark.
- At Seven Bank ATMs, in 7-Eleven and other konbini.
- Yen only: a Welcome Suica can’t be topped up by credit card.
Common mistake: Loading ¥10,000 onto a Welcome Suica on the last day. What’s left isn’t refunded: top up little and often.
Where it works, and the one trip it can’t do
Look for the IC mark: the card works on trains, buses and in shops across Japan, wherever Suica, PASMO, ICOCA, TOICA, manaca, Kitaca, SUGOCA, nimoca or Hayakaken are taken.
Common mistake: Riding from one IC area into another, Tokyo to Sendai, say. A trip begun in one area has to end there: leave through the gates and enter again.
One exception: shops that take only PiTaPa, Kansai’s own card, don’t accept it. Look for the IC mark at the till.
An IC card on your iPhone
On an iPhone 8 or later, open Wallet, tap Add, choose Transit Card and pick Suica, PASMO or ICOCA, then load money. The first card turns on Express Mode, so you tap without unlocking.
- You need an Apple Account with two-factor authentication and a payment card in Wallet.
- A plastic card can be moved into Wallet with its balance; the plastic stops working.
- For visitors JR East also has the Welcome Suica Mobile app.
Sources
- Welcome Suica — JR East
- Welcome Suica: buying, topping up and refunds — JR East
- What’s a Suica? — JR East
- Shops that take Suica — JR East
- Add a transit card to Apple Wallet in Japan — Apple Support
Read next
- Trains and Shinkansen: Manners and Luggage
- JR Pass or Single Tickets? Doing the Sums
- eSIM, SIM or Pocket Wi-Fi in Japan
Plan your days
The planner shows these tips at each stop of your trip, offline too.
