Suica Card Guide 2026: Welcome Suica, Apple Wallet, PASMO and Refunds

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Tokyo’s rail network is fast and frequent, but it is run by a dozen companies with their own fares and gates. A rechargeable IC card such as Suica lets you ignore all of that. You tap at the gate and the right fare comes off your balance, so you never have to decode a paper-ticket price from a wall map in Japanese.

How you get one has changed. Plastic Suica and PASMO cards were taken off sale in 2023 and are now back. iPhone users can skip the card entirely, and most Tokyo subway and private lines now take a tap of an ordinary Visa or Mastercard. This 2026 update explains which option to pick, what each costs and the rules that catch visitors out.

Quick answer: In 2026, iPhone users should add a Suica or PASMO to Apple Wallet before landing, topping up with Apple Pay. Android users and anyone who prefers a card can buy a Welcome Suica at Haneda or Narita (no deposit, valid 28 days, balance not refundable). Standard Suica and PASMO cards are back on sale. Those cost 1,000 to 10,000 yen including a 500 yen deposit, and the refund is the deposit plus your balance minus a 220 yen fee. Every IC option holds a maximum of 20,000 yen and works on IC-card networks in other parts of Japan. A contactless bank card also works on most Tokyo subway and private lines, but not on JR East. Buy a Tokyo Subway Ticket only if you’ll ride the subway a lot.

Prices are in yen, with US dollars at roughly $1 = 155 yen. Fares and rules are as of late 2026, so check before you go.

What Suica and PASMO actually are

Suica is a stored-value IC card that JR East launched on November 18, 2001. PASMO, from Tokyo’s private railways, subways and bus companies, followed on March 18, 2007. In the Tokyo area they are interchangeable. A Suica opens Tokyo Metro gates, a PASMO opens JR gates, and both pay for buses, vending machines and convenience-store snacks. What matters to a visitor is the deposit, the refund rules and where you can buy one, not the logo.

Since March 23, 2013, both have been part of nationwide mutual use with the other major regional cards. These include ICOCA in Kansai, TOICA and manaca around Nagoya, Kitaca in Hokkaido and SUGOCA in Kyushu. Your Tokyo card will therefore pay for subways in Osaka and Kyoto. There are two limits:

• You can’t cross between IC areas on one journey. JR East’s example is that you can’t ride from the Tokyo area to the Sendai area on Suica. JR East plans to merge its six Suica areas around March 2027, but the boundary with JR Central (beyond Atami, for example) stays.
• Not every station or bus takes IC cards. Some rural lines still need cash or a paper ticket. JR East itself only aims to have Suica at every station it runs by the early 2030s.

If you’re planning day trips from Tokyo, check whether each route stays inside one IC area.

Which option should you choose in 2026?

The 2023 card shortage, and why old advice is wrong

A global semiconductor shortage hit IC chips in 2023. JR East and PASMO stopped selling unregistered cards from June 8, 2023, and registered (named) cards from August 2, 2023. For a time, Welcome Suica was the main option, sold only at Haneda and Narita and limited to one per person. Registered cards returned on September 1, 2024. Unregistered Suica and PASMO went back on sale on March 1, 2025. If a blog says you can’t buy a Suica, it is out of date.

A quick decision guide

• iPhone 8 or later: add Suica or PASMO to Apple Wallet. There’s no deposit and no counter to find. This is the easiest choice for most American visitors.
• Android phone bought outside Japan: buy a plastic card. Welcome Suica suits trips under four weeks. Get a standard Suica or PASMO if you’re staying longer or coming back.
• Mostly subways and private lines: a contactless Visa or Mastercard may be enough. Keep an IC card for JR lines such as the Yamanote Line.
• Several packed subway sightseeing days: a Tokyo Subway Ticket can beat paying per ride.

Japan’s IC cards: the types and which one to get

Suica is only one of ten big transit IC cards in Japan. Each region has its own, usually issued by the local JR company or by the main subway and private railways. Since March 23, 2013, all ten have worked in each other’s areas. That means Kitaca, Suica, PASMO, TOICA, manaca, ICOCA, PiTaPa, SUGOCA, nimoca and Hayakaken. Look for the IC symbol at gates, on buses and at shop registers.

So you never need a second card for fares. The real differences are where you can buy each card, whether it fits in your phone, and where you can return it. A card can only be refunded by its own issuer, inside its home area. Other regions won’t refund it.

What each card does best

• Suica and PASMO: the most flexible pair. Both work in Apple Wallet, both are back on sale as plastic cards, and either one opens every gate in Tokyo. Pick PASMO only if you’ll return the card at a subway or private railway; pick Suica if you’ll return it at a JR East station.
• Welcome Suica, Welcome Suica Mobile and TOURIST PASMO: made for short visits. No deposit, so you don’t have to find a ticket office to get money back. The trade-off is that leftover balance is lost when the card expires or you leave.
• ICOCA: the only regional card besides Suica and PASMO with its own Apple Wallet version. JR West also sells a visitor-only design ICOCA at the JR ticket office at Kansai Airport Station. It costs 2,000 yen including the 500 yen deposit, with one per person, and you need a foreign passport and Temporary Visitor status.
• Kitaca: JR Hokkaido’s card. It also works on Sapporo’s subway, streetcar and many city buses. There’s no phone version, so iPhone users can simply bring a Wallet Suica, PASMO or ICOCA instead.
• TOICA and manaca: Nagoya’s two cards. TOICA comes from JR Central, manaca from the subway and Meitetsu. If you add a TOICA to Apple Wallet, it becomes an ICOCA issued by JR West.
• SUGOCA, nimoca and Hayakaken: Fukuoka has three. SUGOCA is JR Kyushu’s, nimoca is Nishitetsu’s and Hayakaken is the city subway’s. Choose by which network you’ll use most and where you’ll return it.
• PiTaPa: the odd one out. It’s a postpay card that needs an application and a credit check. Outside its home area you must preload it, and that balance can’t pay for shopping. PiTaPa isn’t part of the nationwide e-money scheme, so other cards can’t pay at PiTaPa-only stores either.

The limits apply to every card. You can’t ride from one IC area into another on a single journey, such as Tokyo to Osaka. Buy a ticket for trips like that. Some small operators and rural lines don’t accept every card, and features like auto-charge only work at home. The 2023-2025 card sales suspension covered Suica and PASMO, and both are back on sale. Welcome Suica Mobile has run on iPhone since March 2025. Samsung has announced Galaxy support, aimed at the first half of 2027.

Which card to get, by where you land

• Tokyo (Haneda or Narita): Suica or PASMO in Apple Wallet if you have an iPhone. Otherwise, buy a Welcome Suica, a TOURIST PASMO or a standard Suica or PASMO at the airport. All of them also work in Osaka, Kyoto and Fukuoka.
• Osaka and Kansai (Kansai Airport): iPhone users can add ICOCA (or Suica) to Apple Wallet. Others should buy an ICOCA at the JR station, or the visitor design ICOCA at the JR ticket office if you qualify. Skip PiTaPa.
• Hokkaido (New Chitose): Kitaca from the JR station if you need a plastic card. iPhone users can use Wallet Suica, PASMO or ICOCA. These work on JR trains in the Sapporo area and on Sapporo’s subway.
• Nagoya (Chubu Centrair): the airport train is Meitetsu, so manaca from a Meitetsu ticket machine with the manaca mark is the easy choice. Not every machine sells new cards. Get TOICA instead if you’ll spend most of your time on JR Central lines.
• Kyushu (Fukuoka Airport): the subway runs straight downtown, so Hayakaken from the airport station machines is the quickest option. SUGOCA suits JR-heavy trips around Kyushu. On an iPhone, any Wallet card works here too.

Ending your trip in a different region? A phone wallet or a no-deposit visitor card saves a refund headache, because a plastic card’s deposit can only be returned in its home area.

Buying a card at the airport, step by step

If you land without a phone-based Suica, get a card before heading into the city. Completing Visit Japan Web before you fly gets you to the station sooner.

1. Find the counter. At Haneda, the JR EAST Travel Service Center is on the second floor of the Tokyo Monorail’s Haneda Airport Terminal 3 station, next to the ticket gate. At Narita it is on basement level 1 of both the Terminal 1 and Terminal 2/3 stations. See our Narita Airport arrival guide for the layout.
2. Or use a machine. All three airport stations have Welcome Suica vending machines.
3. Choose an amount. Welcome Suica comes in 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, 4,000, 5,000 and 10,000 yen versions, all usable fare. For a week of city sightseeing, 3,000-5,000 yen ($19-32) is a sensible start, and you can top up any time.
4. Keep the reference paper. It shows the 28-day expiry. The card stops working on day 29.
5. Riding Keikyu from Haneda or Keisei from Narita? TOURIST PASMO, on sale since May 20, 2026, has the same no-deposit, 28-day, no-refund terms and is sold at their counters.

Travel Service Center hours vary and differ between JR East’s own pages. If you land late, a standard Suica or PASMO from an ordinary ticket machine may be your only card option. That’s fine; it just means a 500 yen deposit.

Adding Suica to Apple Wallet with a US card

A Wallet Suica behaves like the plastic card. You hold your iPhone or Apple Watch to the reader without unlocking it. Apple requires an iPhone 8 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 3 or later, an Apple Account with two-factor authentication, and an eligible payment card in Wallet.

1. Open Wallet, tap the plus button and choose Transit Card.
2. Pick Suica or PASMO; either works on Tokyo-area trains.
3. Choose an amount and pay with Apple Pay. Do this before your flight and you can tap through the gate on arrival.
4. Check Express Mode is on. Apple turns it on for the first transit card you add, and it can keep working for a while after your iPhone needs charging.
5. To top up later, open the card and tap Add Money.

There’s one well-known catch. Travelers have reported for years that some US and other foreign-issued Visa cards fail with a “Payment Not Completed” error when topping up Suica or PASMO. Mastercard and American Express are generally reported to work. Apple and JR East don’t document this, so treat it as a likely snag, not a rule. Add a Mastercard or Amex as a backup, or top up with cash at a station machine, which works for phone Suica too.

Have a plastic Suica from a past trip? Apple lets you transfer it into Wallet. The deposit is added to your balance and the plastic card stops working.

Welcome Suica Mobile: the visitor’s app

JR East launched Welcome Suica Mobile on March 6, 2025, for iPhone and Apple Watch (iOS 17.2 or later). There’s no deposit, the balance lasts 180 days and you top up through Apple Pay. Unused money isn’t refundable. Since October 2025 you can also reserve JR East Shinkansen and limited express seats in it and board without paper tickets, and a March 2026 update added Green Car tickets. For fares alone, a plain Wallet Suica does the same job.

Android phones and Google Wallet

Google says Suica and PASMO in Google Wallet need an Osaifu-Keitai device, which in practice means phones sold in Japan. Pixel and Galaxy phones bought in the US aren’t supported. JR East and Samsung announced in April 2026 that Galaxy phones sold from 2027 will be able to issue Welcome Suica Mobile, targeted for the first half of 2027. Regions and models haven’t been confirmed. Until then, Android users should buy a plastic card and can tap a contactless bank card on lines that accept it.

Using your Suica on trains, buses and in shops

Trains and subways

Tap the reader on the right-hand side of the gate as you enter, and again as you exit; the fare is calculated at the exit. If your balance is too low the gate closes. Use the Fare Adjustment machine just inside the gate to top up, then tap again. On JR East and the subways, IC fares are charged in 1-yen units and are equal to or slightly below paper fares. Since JR East’s March 14, 2026 fare increase, its shortest fare is 155 yen on IC against 160 yen for a ticket. Our Tokyo transport overview explains how the lines fit together.

Have your card or phone ready before you reach the gate, and remember that each traveler needs their own card. For the unwritten rules on board, see our guide to Japan train etiquette and luggage forwarding.

Green Cars on JR local trains

Many JR East commuter lines have double-decker Green Cars with unreserved first-class seats. Load the upgrade onto your Suica at a platform machine before boarding, then touch the card on the reader above your seat. Up to 50 km it costs 750 yen this way, against 1,010 yen if you buy on board.

Buses, shopping, lockers and taxis

On most flat-fare Tokyo city buses you tap once when boarding. Some routes also need a tap when you get off, so watch what other passengers do. Suica also works at convenience stores, many station shops and cafes, coin lockers and most station vending machines; our guide to Japanese vending machines covers paying at them. Many Tokyo taxis accept IC cards, but check for the sticker first. Small family-run restaurants may still be cash-only.

Topping up your card

The biggest correction to the original guide: a plastic Suica can’t be charged by credit card at station machines. The machines take cash only, in steps of 500, 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, 5,000 or 10,000 yen, so the minimum is 500 yen, not 1,000. No card can hold more than 20,000 yen.

The original article also suggested auto-charge. That needs one of JR East’s Japanese-issued View credit cards, so it isn’t realistic for visitors.

Example fares (2026)

Refunds and leaving Japan

Standard Suica: take it to a JR East ticket office, the Midori-no-Madoguchi (みどりの窓口), at a station in the Suica area. You get the 500 yen deposit back, plus your balance minus a 220 yen fee; with 220 yen or less on the card, you get just the deposit. Contrary to the original article, you don’t need to register the card, and machines can’t refund it. PASMO works the same way, but the card must go back to a PASMO railway or bus company, not JR.

Often the smartest move is to keep the card. A Suica only expires after 10 years without use, so on a return trip you just top it up. Before your last train to the airport, spend the balance on snacks or souvenirs. Convenience stores will take part of a bill on Suica and the rest in cash. Shopping at the airport? Read our tax-free shopping guide first, because the refund system changes from November 1, 2026.

Welcome Suica, TOURIST PASMO and Welcome Suica Mobile balances aren’t refundable, so load only what you’ll use. Apple Wallet Suica refunds reportedly need the Suica app and a Japanese bank account, and carry the same 220 yen fee. Most visitors spend it down or keep it for next time.

Can you just tap your credit card?

Increasingly, yes. Since March 25, 2026, eleven Tokyo-area operators have shared one tap-to-ride system across 54 lines and 729 stations. They are Tokyo Metro, Toei Subway, Tokyu, Keikyu, Keio, Seibu, Odakyu, Odakyu Hakone, Sotetsu, Tobu and Yokohama Minatomirai. Tap a contactless Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners, Discover or UnionPay card, or a phone or watch wallet, where you see the contactless symbol. One card covers transfers between these operators, and the usual 70 yen Tokyo Metro-Toei transfer discount applies. The limits matter, though:

• JR East isn’t included, so the Yamanote and Chuo lines still need an IC card.
• You pay the paper-ticket fare, with no daily caps. The Yurikamome line runs its own system with an 820 yen daily cap.
• Not every gate has a card reader, and one journey can’t mix a bank-card tap with JR or an IC card.
• Airports are split. Keikyu from Haneda takes bank cards; the Tokyo Monorail, Skyliner and Narita Express don’t.

Your bank card is a useful backup when your Suica runs dry on a subway platform, but it doesn’t replace an IC card yet.

Tokyo Subway Ticket and the JR Pass

The Tokyo Subway Ticket gives unlimited rides on all Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway lines. Since March 14, 2026 it costs 1,000 yen ($6.45) for 24 hours, 1,500 yen ($9.70) for 48 hours or 2,000 yen ($12.90) for 72 hours, and children pay half. Time starts at your first gate, and a QR-code version arrived in March 2026. It doesn’t cover JR or private railways. You’ll need to show a foreign passport with short-term stay status. It’s sold at both airports, Bic Camera stores, tourist information centers and online.

A typical subway ride costs 180-260 yen, so the 24-hour pass pays off at about five rides a day. That’s realistic when you’re hopping between Asakusa, Ginza, Roppongi and Omotesando, but not if you’re mostly on the JR Yamanote Line. Many visitors carry both: the pass for heavy subway days, Suica for everything else.

A Japan Rail Pass covers JR trains only, and it can’t be loaded onto Suica. Our Japan Rail Pass guide explains whether it suits your route. You’ll still want a Suica for the subway.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Keeping Suica in an RFID-blocking wallet. The blocking layer stops the gate reading the card. Keep Suica, and the bank card you tap with, outside it.
• Stacking two IC cards. A Suica and a contactless bank card in one holder can confuse the reader.
• Riding out of the IC area. You’ll have to settle up at a staffed window at your destination, which takes time.
• Loading too much onto a Welcome Suica. Anything left after day 28 is lost.
• Forgetting cash. You need yen to top up a plastic card, so withdraw some at a 7-Eleven ATM on day one.
• Peak-hour luggage. The 8-9 am rush is miserable with a suitcase. Our best time to visit Japan guide covers seasonal crowds. A hotel near a station on your main line helps too; see our Tokyo accommodation guide.

Small things that help

These are research-based picks we haven’t tested. Japanese commuters keep their cards in a pass case called a teikiire (定期入れ), often on a retractable reel clipped to a bag, and tap without taking the card out. A clear, non-blocking reel holder does the same job:

Japan still runs on coins, and 1-, 5-, 10-, 50-, 100- and 500-yen pieces pile up fast. A squeeze-top coin purse keeps them out of your pockets:

An RFID-blocking neck wallet makes sense for your passport and spare bank cards. Just keep the Suica and your tap card outside it:

If your plans reach beyond Tokyo, a full-country guidebook helps you check routes ahead of time:

Tips for visitors from Singapore, Australia, the UK and Canada

Singapore

Suica works like the card-based EZ-Link that Singapore kept alongside SimplyGo after its January 2024 U-turn: the value sits on the card. Tokyo’s bank-card tap is closer to SimplyGo’s account-based system, but coverage is patchier. JR East, including the Yamanote Line, doesn’t take bank cards, so you can’t rely on your Visa as you would on the MRT. Wallet Suica top-ups use whatever card is in your Apple Pay, so the reported foreign-Visa problem may affect Singapore cards too. A Mastercard or Amex is the safer backup.

Australia

Sydney’s Opal charges bank-card taps the same fares and caps as an Opal card, and Melbourne rolled tap-and-go out across myki trains, trams and buses in June-July 2026. Tokyo is less generous. Bank cards pay the paper fare with no daily or weekly cap, and JR East isn’t included. Treat Suica as your Opal card and your bank card as a backup. The reported Visa top-up issue may apply to Australian cards as well.

United Kingdom

In London, Oyster and contactless share the same fares and daily and weekly caps. Tokyo isn’t there yet: contactless works on the subways and most private railways, but not on JR East, and nothing caps. Suica is your Oyster equivalent, and its IC fares are slightly cheaper than the paper fares bank cards pay. On a heavy subway day, the Tokyo Subway Ticket is the nearest thing to a cap.

Canada

Toronto’s PRESTO has accepted contactless credit and Interac debit on the TTC since August 2023, and Vancouver’s Compass has had Tap to Pay since 2018. Tokyo’s tap-to-ride feels similar, but don’t expect Interac debit to work, and JR lines still need an IC card. Canadian Visa cards may hit the same reported Apple Pay top-up problem, so add a Mastercard or Amex to Wallet before you fly.

FAQ

Can tourists buy a Suica card in 2026?

Yes. Unregistered Suica and PASMO cards went back on sale on March 1, 2025, after the 2023 chip-shortage suspension. They cost 1,000-10,000 yen at ticket machines, including a 500 yen deposit. Visitors can also buy a Welcome Suica at Haneda, Narita and major JR stations in Tokyo, or add a Suica to Apple Wallet.

Should I get Suica or PASMO?

It makes no practical difference. Both work on JR, subways, private railways and buses around Tokyo, and on other IC networks in Japan. Only the refund point differs: Suica goes back to JR East, PASMO to a PASMO railway or bus company.

Can I use Suica on my iPhone with a US credit card?

Yes, on an iPhone 8 or later or an Apple Watch Series 3 or later, adding it in Wallet and topping up with Apple Pay. Some US-issued Visa cards have been reported to fail at top-up, while Mastercard and Amex generally work. Keep a second card in Wallet, or top up with cash at a station machine.

Does Suica work outside Tokyo, in Osaka or Kyoto?

Yes. Through nationwide mutual use, Suica works on ICOCA-area trains, subways and buses in Osaka and Kyoto, and in other big cities. A single journey can’t cross from one IC area into another, and some rural lines don’t take IC cards.

Which IC card should I get if I land in Osaka, Sapporo, Nagoya or Fukuoka?

On an iPhone, add Suica, PASMO or ICOCA to Apple Wallet; any of them works in every major city. With a plastic card, buy the local one where you land: ICOCA at Kansai Airport, Kitaca at New Chitose, manaca at Chubu Centrair or Hayakaken at Fukuoka Airport. A card’s 500 yen deposit can only be refunded in its home area, so if you’ll fly out of another region, plan to spend it down.

Can I use ICOCA or another regional card in Tokyo?

Yes. ICOCA, Kitaca, TOICA, manaca, SUGOCA, nimoca and Hayakaken all pay fares on Tokyo trains and buses and work at shops that take Suica. PiTaPa also pays fares if you preload it, but that preloaded balance can’t be used for shopping. No card can be used for a single ride that crosses from one IC area into another.

Can I get my Suica deposit back?

For a standard Suica, yes. A JR East ticket office in the Suica area returns the 500 yen deposit plus your balance minus a 220 yen fee. Welcome Suica has no deposit, and its balance isn’t refundable. Many visitors keep a standard Suica for next time, as it lasts 10 years without use.

What’s the difference between Welcome Suica and a regular Suica?

Welcome Suica has no deposit, lasts 28 days and can’t be refunded. A regular Suica has a 500 yen deposit, lasts 10 years without use and is refundable for a 220 yen fee. Welcome Suica suits one short trip; a regular Suica suits longer stays and return visits.

Can I just use my credit card on Tokyo trains?

On many lines, yes. Since March 25, 2026, Tokyo Metro, Toei, Tokyu, Keikyu, Keio, Seibu, Odakyu, Tobu, Sotetsu and Yokohama Minatomirai accept contactless Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Amex and others. JR East, the Tokyo Monorail, the Skyliner and the Narita Express don’t, and bank cards pay the slightly higher paper fare.

Is the Tokyo Subway Ticket worth it?

Only on days with lots of subway rides. At 1,000 yen for 24 hours you need about five rides to come out ahead, and it doesn’t cover JR. If you’re mostly walking one neighborhood such as Shinjuku or riding the Yamanote Line, Suica is cheaper and simpler.