If you plan to get around Japan by train or bus, a transit IC card is the first thing to pick up. Suica, PASMO, ICOCA and the rest may carry different names, but thanks to the nationwide interoperability service launched in 2013 they work almost identically. This guide is written for both first-time visitors and residents buying a fresh card, and walks step by step through where to buy one, how to charge it, how to use it on trains, buses and in shops, how to go mobile, and how to get your money back, all reflecting the situation as of July 2026.

What an IC Card Is and How Nationwide Use Works

A transit IC card is a rechargeable smart card: you load cash onto it in advance, then simply tap it at ticket gates or checkout registers to pay your fare or for purchases. There is no need to buy paper tickets or fumble for coins.

There are ten major cards across Japan: Suica (JR East), PASMO (Tokyo-area private railways and buses), ICOCA (JR West), TOICA (JR Central), manaca (Nagoya area), PiTaPa (Kansai private railways), SUGOCA (JR Kyushu), Kitaca (JR Hokkaido), nimoca (Nishitetsu and others) and Hayakaken (Fukuoka City). Since the nationwide interoperability service began in March 2013, any one of these cards can be used across the country's supported areas.

In other words, a Suica bought in Tokyo works on subways and buses in Osaka or Fukuoka and at participating shops. There is one exception worth knowing: PiTaPa is a postpay card, charging your usage to a credit account later rather than from a prepaid balance, and it does not work as e-money in some other areas. For visitors or short trips, choosing a prepaid card such as Suica, PASMO or ICOCA is the simplest option.

  • Interoperable cards: Kitaca / Suica / PASMO / TOICA / manaca / ICOCA / PiTaPa / SUGOCA / nimoca / Hayakaken
  • Coverage keeps growing: Ohmi Railway, Hojo Railway and others joined the interoperable network in March 2026
  • Shinano Railway made Suica usable across its entire line from 14 March 2026
  • Only PiTaPa is postpay, so travelers are safest picking a prepaid card

Where to Buy One and Which Type to Choose

Physical Suica and PASMO cards are sold at ticket machines and multifunction machines in JR East and private-railway stations. ICOCA is sold at JR West stations, and so on: you generally buy the card from a railway operator that runs in that area. At airports you can pick one up at access stations for Narita, Haneda and Kansai International.

Cards come in two forms: unregistered (anonymous) and registered (such as My Suica). The unregistered type needs no personal details and anyone can use it, while the registered type ties the card to your name and birth date, letting you reissue it with the balance and deposit intact if it is lost. Sales were paused for a time due to a semiconductor shortage, but registered cards resumed on 1 September 2024 and unregistered cards on 1 March 2025, so both are available normally as of July 2026.

If you are unsure which to get, a practical rule of thumb is: use Mobile Suica if you carry a smartphone; use Welcome Suica or its mobile version for a short visit; and choose a registered card or Mobile Suica if you live in Japan and will use it long term. Because card issuance and stock can change, it is worth checking the railway operator's official notice in advance if you want to be certain of getting one.

  • Physical Suica/PASMO: buy at station ticket machines and multifunction machines
  • Unregistered: no sign-up, easy to use, but no protection if lost
  • Registered (My Suica etc.): tied to your name; can be reissued with balance and deposit if lost
  • Registered cards resumed sales in Sep 2024 and unregistered in Mar 2025 (available as of July 2026)

How to Charge (Add Money)

Loading cash onto a card is called charging. The most common way is at a station ticket machine or dedicated charging machine: just follow the on-screen prompts and insert cash. Charging is typically done in 1,000-yen units, and a card can hold up to a maximum balance of 20,000 yen.

You can also charge at convenience store registers. At 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson and others, simply say "Please charge my Suica" and the clerk will handle it. Convenience-store charging is cash only. On some bus routes you can also top up using an onboard changer or the unit beside the driver.

With Mobile Suica (a Suica inside your phone), you can charge online from a registered credit card or via Apple Pay or Google Pay, with no need to queue at a machine. Being able to top up at any hour, even late at night, is one of mobile's biggest advantages.

  • Station machines: charge with cash (usually 1,000-yen units; max balance 20,000 yen)
  • Convenience store registers: cash charging at 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson and others
  • Mobile Suica: charge online via credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay
  • A low balance will stop you at the gate, so top up before you run out

Using It on Trains, Buses, at Convenience Stores and Vending Machines

On trains, tap your card or phone on the reader (the blue or green panel) at the gate to enter, and tap again at the gate of the station where you get off to exit. The fare for the section you rode is deducted automatically. Touch firmly and check for the beep and the light.

Buses work the same way: whether you board at the front or the rear, tap the reader when you get on and when you get off (or only on boarding for flat-fare, pay-on-entry routes). Fares may be distance-based or flat depending on the route, but the action is always just a tap.

For shopping, you can pay at convenience stores, supermarkets, drugstores, station kiosks and vending machines that display the transit IC mark. At the register, say "IC card, please" and tap the terminal. Drink vending machines that support IC let you tap the reader instead of inserting coins.

  • Trains: tap both on entry and exit (a missed tap means settling up later)
  • Buses: tap on boarding and alighting; flat-fare routes may need only one tap
  • Shops and vending: tap to pay wherever the transit IC mark appears; deducted instantly
  • Saying "IC card" to the clerk makes payment smoother

Going Mobile: Adding Suica to Apple Wallet

With a compatible smartphone you can tap the phone itself at gates and registers instead of carrying a plastic card. On iPhone you add Suica to Apple Wallet; on Android you use Osaifu-Keitai with the Mobile Suica app. You can issue a brand-new Suica in the app without buying a physical card.

On iPhone, open the Wallet app or the Suica app, choose "Add / Create Suica" and follow the prompts. You can also transfer an existing plastic Suica, in which case its 500-yen deposit is carried over as e-money balance. Issuing a new Mobile Suica requires no deposit at all.

You charge from a registered credit card or via Apple Pay or Google Pay. Note, however, that credit cards issued outside Japan often cannot be registered in the Suica app itself, and support can vary over time. Visitors who only carry a foreign-issued card should use Welcome Suica Mobile, described below, for reliable charging.

  • iPhone: add Suica to Apple Wallet; transferring a plastic card carries over the 500-yen deposit as balance
  • Android: use Osaifu-Keitai plus the Mobile Suica app
  • Issuing a new Mobile Suica needs no deposit
  • Foreign-issued cards may not register in the Suica app (visitors should prefer Welcome Suica Mobile)

Options for Visitors: Welcome Suica and Welcome Suica Mobile

For short-stay foreign tourists, JR East offers Welcome Suica. The physical Welcome Suica requires no 500-yen deposit and is a use-it-up card valid for 28 days from the date of issue. You can buy it from dedicated ticket machines at Narita Airport and Haneda Airport (Tokyo Monorail), recognizable by its cherry-blossom design. Be aware that any remaining charged balance is non-refundable, even within the validity period.

On 6 March 2025, JR East launched Welcome Suica Mobile, a fully app-based version. You can issue a Suica on iPhone before or after arriving in Japan and charge it with a credit card registered in Apple Pay. The mobile version is valid for 180 days from issue, considerably longer than the physical card.

From spring 2026, Welcome Suica Mobile is set to link with JR East's seat-reservation service, letting you buy and use reserved Shinkansen and limited-express seats ticketlessly. A feature to buy ordinary-train Green Car tickets is also planned, moving toward letting visitors handle their travel entirely from a single phone.

  • Physical Welcome Suica: no deposit, valid 28 days from issue, sold at airport machines
  • Caution: Welcome Suica charged balance is non-refundable, so plan to use it up
  • Welcome Suica Mobile (from 6 Mar 2025): issue on iPhone, valid 180 days, charge via Apple Pay
  • From spring 2026: planned ticketless Shinkansen/limited-express reservations and Green Car purchases

Deposit, Refunds and the Area-Crossing Pitfall

A physical Suica or PASMO includes a 500-yen deposit at issue. This is not a fee but money held on deposit, so you get it back when you return and cancel the card. Refunds are handled at JR East stations within the Suica area (for example at a Midori-no-Madoguchi ticket office).

On cancellation, you are refunded the charged balance minus a 220-yen handling fee, plus the 500-yen deposit. For example, with a 1,000-yen balance you receive 780 + 500 = 1,280 yen. If the balance is 220 yen or less, none of it is refunded and only the 500-yen deposit comes back. To avoid the fee, spend the balance down to zero at a convenience store or vending machine before returning the card, and you effectively get the full 500-yen deposit back.

Finally, the trap of interoperability is area-crossing. Even with cards that work together like Suica and PASMO, taking a single ride across two different IC fare areas can trigger an error at the exit gate, leaving you unable to get out. This is especially common near area boundaries such as around the Tokyo metropolitan fringe and Atami, so for long conventional-line trips use a paper ticket or settle up at a station fare-adjustment machine. Also, you cannot stack two separate IC cards for a conventional line and a Shinkansen and tap them together.

  • The 500-yen deposit is refunded when you return and cancel the card (Welcome Suica excluded)
  • Refund = charged balance minus 220-yen fee, plus the 500-yen deposit
  • Spend the balance to zero first to effectively avoid the 220-yen fee
  • You cannot ride across two IC areas; boundary stations cause errors or need fare adjustment
  • You cannot stack a conventional-line and a Shinkansen IC card and tap them together