Japan IC Card Chooser

Japan's IC cards pay for trains, buses and convenience stores with a tap. Which one suits you depends on your phone, where you land and how long you stay. Answer three questions to see the card to get, where to buy it and what you get back at the end, checked against the rail companies' own pages.

Card rules checked on JR East, PASMO and JR West official pages · October 2026
Your phone
Where you land
Days in JapanCount the day you arrive and the day you leave.
Children
Where to get it
Cost
Lasts
Top up
When you leave

    Card rules change often. Check the official page linked below before you buy.

    How to use

    1. 1. Choose your phoneWelcome Suica Mobile is an iPhone app. Phones bought outside Japan can't add Japan's IC cards to Google Wallet.
    2. 2. Choose where you landVisitor cards are sold only at a few airports and big stations.
    3. 3. Enter your days in JapanWelcome Suica and TOURIST PASMO last 28 days; the app lasts 180 days.
    4. 4. Read your cardWhere to buy it, what it costs, how to top up and what you get back.

    The cards side by side

    All the cards top up with cash at station machines (the app: machines with a phone tray); Welcome Suica Mobile and ICOCA in Apple Wallet also top up with a card in Apple Pay. The balance limit on the cards is ¥20,000.

    One train ride can't cross from one card area to another (for example Tokyo to Sendai on local lines). For long trips, buy a ticket.

    CardPriceDepositLastsLeftover balance
    Welcome Suica MobileFree iPhone appNone180 daysNot refunded
    Welcome Suica¥1,000–¥10,000None28 daysNot refunded
    TOURIST PASMO¥1,000–¥10,000 (Narita ¥2,000)None28 daysNot refunded
    Suica¥1,000–¥10,000¥500 included10 years unusedBalance − ¥220 + ¥500
    ICOCA¥2,000¥500 includedNo 28-day limitBalance − ¥220 + ¥500

    Sources: JR East: Welcome Suica, JR East: Welcome Suica Mobile, JR East: Suica, PASMO: TOURIST PASMO, JR West: ICOCA, JR West: ICOCA refunds (Japanese)

    What changed in 2025 and 2026

    • March 1, 2025: regular Suica and PASMO cards went back on sale; sales had been paused since 2023.
    • March 2025: Welcome Suica Mobile started, on iPhone only.
    • March 27, 2025: Welcome Suica cards are now sold only at the main airports and a few big stations.
    • TOURIST PASMO: sold at Haneda and Narita stations; its launch was announced for May 2026. The older PASMO PASSPORT ended in 2024.
    • JR East plans to bring Welcome Suica Mobile to Samsung Galaxy phones sold abroad in the first half of 2027.

    Sources: JR East press release, April 21, 2026 (Japanese), PASMO for visitors, Google Wallet: e-money is for Japan only

    FAQ

    Can I use Suica on an Android phone from abroad?

    Not yet. Google Wallet's Japanese transit cards are for Japan only and need an Osaifu-Keitai phone (a phone payment feature made for Japan), and Welcome Suica Mobile is iPhone only. JR East plans Samsung Galaxy support in the first half of 2027. Use a physical card.

    Do I get the ¥500 deposit back?

    Yes for Suica and ICOCA: return the card at the issuer's station for the balance minus ¥220, plus ¥500. PASMO: the balance minus a handling fee, plus ¥500. Welcome Suica and TOURIST PASMO have no deposit and no refund.

    Welcome Suica or regular Suica?

    For a trip of 28 days or less, Welcome Suica has no deposit, but the leftover balance isn't refunded. For longer trips, or if you'll come back to Japan, a regular Suica is the better fit.

    Can I use Suica in Osaka and Kyoto?

    Yes. Suica, PASMO and ICOCA work in each other's areas. What you can't do is make one train ride that crosses from one area to another.

    Can I top up with a credit card?

    Not on the plastic cards: they take cash only. Welcome Suica Mobile and ICOCA in Apple Wallet top up with the card in your Apple Pay.

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