Suica, Pasmo, ICOCA? Navigating Japan's IC Cards in 2025

Getting Around Japan with a Suica Card

Visiting Japan? Then you’ve probably heard about the Suica card. It’s the key to making your journey smoother and save you from messing around with coins and ticket machines. But what exactly is it, how do you get one, and what else can it do? Read on to find out.

What Is a Suica Card?

A Suica card is a prepaid IC (Integrated Circuit) card issued by JR East, and it’s an absolute lifesaver when you’re traveling around Japan. It’s primarily used for trains, buses, and other forms of public transport, but its magic doesn’t stop there. You can also use it to pay at vending machines, convenience stores, and even some cafes and restaurants. It basically works like a pre-paid debit card.

Recognizable by its famous green and silver design with an adorable penguin mascot, the Suica card has become an iconic symbol of Japanese transport efficiency. There are a few different kinds of Suica cards, but this article will focus on the Welcome Suica (which is actually red and white!) and Digital Suica as they're the most relevant for visitors to Japan.

Who Needs a Suica Card?

Suica cards aren't obligatory, but if you’re planning to hop on trains, take the bus, or just grab a bottle of green tea from a vending machine, you’ll want one. The biggest benefit is being able to skip the queues at ticket machines and avoid the confusion of figuring out fare charts.

Suica cards cannot be shared; each user must have their own. Children between 6-12 are entitled to a half-fare Suica, and kids under 6 are free, so they do not need a card at all.

Where Can You Get One?

Here’s the catch – due to a chip shortage, for the last year or so physical Suica cards were only available at airports in Japan (Narita and Haneda being the most common for international visitors). If you’re landing at one of these airports, you can pop over to the JR East ticket counter or a ticket vending machine and pick one up before you transfer to your hotel.

Since September 2024, however, JR East has resumed sales of Suica cards at select locations. According to the JR East website at the time of writing, you can get a physical Welcome Suica at the JR EAST Travel Service Center inside Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, and Ueno Station. If you're at Tokyo Station, you can also get one at the Japan Rail Cafe.

Please note that the Welcome Suica card is only valid for 28 days and any credit loaded on cannot be refunded, so make sure to use all your money before you leave. If you are in Japan for longer than 28 days, consider getting a regular Suica card or a Pasmo card (explained further down this article).

Important Note for Families: If you’re purchasing a Welcome Suica (Child) card for a child aged 6-12 from the ticket counter, make sure to have an ID (passport, etc.) for verification purposes. It’s also a good idea to have your child with you, as some tourists have reported that staff asked to verify the child in person along with their passport. It appears to depend on who's working that day. If you're using the ticket vending machine, you just need to enter the child's date of birth.

Digital Suica Card

If you prefer not to carry a physical card, there’s also the option for the digital Suica card, but only if you have an iPhone. Suica cards can be added to your Apple Wallet and loaded using your usual Apple Pay method. Perfect if you're worried about losing the card, but if you have kids that don't have their own phone or you use Android, it's not More details about how to use the digital card can be found in this Gaijinpot article. Just note, there’s no option for Android users with foreign phones due to different NFC (Near Field Communication) standards. There is also a Suica app, but it's all in Japanese, so don't bother with this unless you're a proficient user of the language.

 

Image: Kevin Chen

How to Load and Use Your Suica

Loading Your Suica:

• Physical card: You can load it at ticket machines or kiosks at train stations. Just pop your card on the reader, choose the amount, and pay in cash—you can't top up by credit card.
• Digital card: Load money through your Apple Wallet using a linked credit or debit card.

Using Your Suica:

• Trains: simply tap your card or phone on the reader as you enter and exit. The fare is automatically deducted.
• Buses: tap the reader when you board and sometimes when you get off (depends on the bus system—just look at what other people are doing to confirm!).
• Shops: Say 'Suica' to the shop clerk, tap, and you’re done.
• Vending machines: Look for the Suica mark and tap your card against the reader

Pro tip: Always keep an eye on your balance. It’s displayed every time you tap, so no surprises.

Alternatives to Suica

Can’t get a Welcome Suica for whatever reason? No worries! There are other IC cards that work the same way. And these ones last for 10 years:

• (Regular) Suica:
  • Since physical cards have become available again, you can get a normal Suica card, which is what most Japan residents would use. You will need to register it, which means personalising it with your name and contact info. The advantage of this is that if you lose it, you can replace it with all the money still on it! There isn’t really a disadvantage, just that it takes a bit longer to buy at the ticket vending machine.
    
• Pasmo:
  • Issued by Tokyo’s private rail operators, Pasmo works just like Suica. The only difference is that Suica is issued by JR. However, both cards can be used on train lines run by other operators. For example, you can use your Suica on a Tokyo Metro Line or your Pasmo on a JR Line without issue. Personally, I use a Pasmo as my home station is not JR, so that's what I could access most easily.

• • You can purchase a Pasmo at ticket vending machines at the airport or most non-JR stations by tapping ENGLISH on the machine and following the instructions provided. Similar to Suica, only registered Pasmos are available currently.

    

• Icoca:
  • If you’re heading to the Kansai region (think Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe), Icoca is the equivalent card issued by JR West. As far as I know, there are no restrictions on obtaining ICOCA cards.

These cards share similar functionalities and can be used across Japan, so don’t stress if you end up with a Pasmo or Icoca instead.

Why Suica (or Its Cousins) Are Handy to Have

Having a Suica card in your pocket (or on your phone) keeps things simple. Whether you’re using trains, grabbing a quick snack, or taking a local bus, it’s a straightforward way to pay without the hassle of cash or tickets. Trust me, it's definitely worth taking a few minutes to sort out your Suica (or Pasmo or Icoca) at the start of your trip! But only for the next couple of months...

Why This Article Will Be Null and Void in the Near Future

From Spring 2025, JR East will launch the Welcome Suica Mobile app, letting travelers from abroad get and charge their digital Suica cards before even landing in Japan. No more running to ticket counters or hunting for vending machines after a long-haul flight—just download, load up, and go! You can read more about the 2025 update in this Time Out article. Plus there'll be no ¥500 deposit fee for this mobile Suica. Great news for your wallet, but not so much for the shelf life of this article!