Suica & Pasmo IC Cards in Japan: Complete 2026 Guide

An IC card is the single most useful item you can have in Japan. Forget the ¥500 deposit discussion — get one at the airport before you even reach the city, load it with ¥3,000, and you will tap your way through trains, subways, buses, convenience stores, vending machines, and lockers for the entire trip without once touching a paper ticket.

This guide covers everything: which card to get, how to buy it, how to top up in Japan, where it works, and how to set up the digital version on your phone.

Suica vs Pasmo vs Icoca — Which Card Should You Get?

There are multiple IC card brands across Japan, but they are fully interoperable. A Suica purchased in Tokyo works in Osaka, Fukuoka, Sapporo, and anywhere else with IC card readers. The same is true in reverse.

Suica — issued by JR East, widely available at all Tokyo JR stations and Narita/Haneda airport machines. The most commonly recognised card internationally.

Pasmo — issued by a Tokyo private railway and subway consortium. Available at Tokyo Metro and private line stations. Identical functionality to Suica.

Icoca — issued by JR West, most easily obtained in Osaka or Kyoto. If you arrive into Osaka or Kansai International Airport, grab an Icoca instead of searching for a Suica.

Welcome Suica — a tourist-specific card sold at Narita and Haneda airport counters and some machines. No ¥500 deposit, pre-loaded with credit, valid for 28 days. Non-refundable. Practical if you do not want to deal with the deposit refund process at the end of your trip.

For most tourists: get a Suica at Narita or Haneda on arrival. It is the simplest option, and you can keep it for future trips.

How to Buy a Physical IC Card

At Narita Airport

JR ticket machines in the arrivals area at Terminal 1, 2, and 3 sell Suica cards. Look for the green JR East machines with English menus. Select “Suica” and load a minimum of ¥1,000 initial credit (¥500 goes to the refundable deposit, ¥500 becomes usable balance). We recommend loading ¥3,000 on arrival to cover the Narita Express and first day of city travel.

You can also buy a Welcome Suica at the JR East Travel Service Center on the B1 floor of Terminal 1.

At Haneda Airport

IC card machines are at the Tokyo Monorail and Keikyu line ticket areas in the International Terminal. Same process — English menus, minimum ¥1,000.

At any Tokyo JR station

Any manned JR East ticketing machine sells Suica. The card costs ¥500 as a deposit (refundable on return) plus whatever credit you load. You do not need a Japanese ID or phone number.

At Tokyo Metro or private rail stations

These sell Pasmo cards, not Suica. Functionally identical — if you are at Shinjuku on the Odakyu line for example, a Pasmo from the local machine works perfectly.

How to Top Up (Charge)

Top up at any IC card machine across Japan. Look for machines labelled チャージ (charge) or with the Suica/Pasmo/IC logo. The process:

1. Insert or tap your card
2. Select “チャージ (Charge)” or equivalent
3. Choose an amount (¥1,000, ¥2,000, ¥3,000, ¥5,000, or ¥10,000)
4. Insert cash or pay by credit card (credit card top-up is not available on all machines — check the screen)

The maximum balance is ¥20,000. You cannot top up beyond this.

At 7-Eleven convenience stores across Japan, you can also top up your IC card at the register. Useful if you are low on credit and no train station machine is nearby.

How much to load: For a week in Tokyo, ¥5,000–¥8,000 should comfortably cover all subway and JR local train travel. Add more if you plan to buy lunch or drinks with it daily. You cannot easily over-charge — any remaining balance is yours and refundable.

Where IC Cards Work

Trains and subways

IC cards work on virtually every urban rail network in Japan: Tokyo Metro, Toei Subway, all JR local and rapid trains, the Yamanote Line, Osaka Metro, Kyoto subway, Fukuoka City Subway, Sapporo Subway, and hundreds of private railways. Tap in at the gate, tap out at the destination — the correct fare is deducted automatically.

They do not work for Shinkansen bullet trains. You need a separate ticket or the JR Pass for those.

Buses

IC cards work on most city bus networks in Tokyo (Toei Bus, major private routes), Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka, and elsewhere. In Kyoto, all major bus routes accept Suica — this is genuinely useful given how bus-dependent Kyoto sightseeing is.

Convenience stores and shops

This is where IC cards become indispensable. All three main chains — 7-Eleven, Lawson, and FamilyMart — accept IC card payment at the register. So do most vending machines, many restaurants (especially chains and station food courts), and station coin lockers. Tap to pay, no PIN, no change required.

Station coin lockers

Nearly all station lockers in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka accept IC card payment. Tap to lock, tap to open. Far simpler than finding exact coin change.

Mobile Suica: iPhone and Android

The fully digital version of Suica eliminates the physical card entirely. Your phone or Apple Watch becomes your IC card.

Mobile Suica on iPhone (Apple Pay)

1. Open the Wallet app and tap the + button
2. Select Suica from the available transit cards (available if your iPhone is set to a Japanese App Store account, or via direct Suica app download)
3. Add ¥1,000+ credit using a Visa, Mastercard, or JCB card — most international credit cards work as of 2026
4. At the fare gate, hold your iPhone or Apple Watch to the IC reader. No need to unlock the screen.

Apple Pay Suica works even when your phone has no data or signal. The NFC chip works on battery-free mode for a limited time even when the battery is dead — useful when you are exhausted and your phone has just died.

Mobile Suica on Android (Google Pay)

Download the Suica app from the Google Play Store. Set up the card and top up with a credit card. Tap to pay via Google Pay the same way as on iPhone. Works on Android phones with NFC and FeliCa support — most modern flagships qualify, though some budget handsets do not have the FeliCa chip required.

Getting Your Deposit Back

At the end of your trip, take the physical card to any JR East Ticket Office (midori no madoguchi, or green windows). Staff refund:

• Remaining IC balance
• ¥500 deposit
• Minus a ¥220 handling fee

Net result: if you have ¥200 left on the card, you get ¥480 back (¥200 + ¥500 deposit − ¥220 fee). Worth it for large remaining balances; less worth the queue for small ones.

If you plan to return to Japan, keep the card. Suica has no expiry as long as you use it at least once every 10 years.

Welcome Suica: Non-refundable. Spend down the balance before you leave — IC-accepting convenience stores make this easy.

Practical Tips

• Load ¥3,000 minimum at the airport — enough to cover the Narita Express (approximately ¥3,070 to Tokyo Station) or Haneda monorail (approximately ¥500) plus your first day in the city.
• The IC card fare is slightly cheaper than buying an individual paper ticket for the same journey on JR local lines.
• When in doubt whether a route accepts IC cards, the fare gate will usually display a small IC logo. If uncertain, ask station staff.
• On Kyoto buses, tap when boarding (some routes also require a tap on exit). The machine at the driver’s seat accepts IC.
• Do not let the balance hit zero while inside a fare gate — you will need to find a machine to top up before exiting.