Suica or PASMO? Which IC card a tourist should get in 2026 (iPhone and Android)

Checked against official JR East, PASMO and Apple pages on November 4, 2026.

Each traveler needs their own card; nobody needs both Suica and PASMO. They work the same on Tokyo-area trains and buses. iPhone: add Suica or PASMO in Apple Wallet. Android from outside Japan: buy a physical Welcome Suica or TOURIST PASMO at the airport.

1. Choose: Suica or PASMO?

For riding, it does not matter. Both cover JR, subways, private railways, buses and monorails in the Tokyo area, and both work in shops that show the IC card logos. You tap in, tap out, and the fare comes off your balance. One card cannot be used by several people at the same time.

Outside Tokyo: Suica also works on some transport in Sendai, Niigata, Aomori, Morioka, Akita, Hokkaido, Tokai, West Japan (the ICOCA area), Kyushu and Okinawa. You cannot ride from one area into another on one card, for example Tokyo to Osaka. Buy a ticket for those trips.

You haveGet this
iPhoneSuica or PASMO in Apple Wallet
iPhone, and you want the app's extras (Green Car, a first-class car with extra fee, or Shinkansen bookings)Welcome Suica Mobile app
Android phone bought outside Japan, or no phonePhysical Welcome Suica or TOURIST PASMO

Sources: JR East: Suica · JR East: Suica areas · PASMO: riding trains · PASMO · JR East: Welcome Suica Mobile

2. Get it on iPhone: Apple Wallet

You need an iPhone 8 or later on the latest supported iOS, an Apple Account with two-factor authentication, and an eligible payment card in Apple Wallet.

  1. Open Apple Wallet (the Wallet app) and tap the Add (+) button.
  2. Tap Transit Card.
  3. Choose Suica or PASMO.
  4. Tap Add New Card.
  5. Choose an amount and tap Add.
  6. Follow the steps on screen to pay and confirm.

Your first transit card turns on Express Mode automatically, so you can tap the gate without unlocking your phone.

Sources: Apple: Add a transit card to Apple Wallet in Japan · PASMO with Apple Pay

3. Welcome Suica Mobile vs Suica in Apple Wallet

Welcome Suica Mobile is a JR East app for visitors. It is for iOS only and works on Apple Pay devices. It issues a Suica that is valid for 180 days. When the 180 days end, any balance left expires and is not refunded. You must be 13 or older. In some countries the law blocks the download or top-up until you arrive in Japan. The app also sells Green Car tickets for local trains and seat reservations on Shinkansen and limited express trains.

Suica/PASMO in Apple WalletWelcome Suica Mobile
PhoneiPhone 8 or lateriPhone (iOS app)
Leftover balanceStays on your Apple Account when you remove the cardExpires 180 days after issue, no refund
Top upApple Pay in WalletApple Pay in the app, or cash
Seat bookingJR East Green Car tickets through the card issuer's appGreen Car tickets, Shinkansen seats in the app

First trip: pick Apple Wallet. It covers riding and shopping. Pick Welcome Suica Mobile only if you want its extras: Green Car tickets and Shinkansen or limited express seat bookings in the app. JR East says to download the app before your trip.

Sources: JR East: Welcome Suica Mobile · Apple Support 108772 · Apple Support 120474

4. Get it at the airport (Android or no phone)

PASMO says mobile PASMO generally does not work on Android phones bought outside Japan, so buy a physical card.

Welcome Suica (JR East): ¥1,000 to ¥10,000, no deposit, valid 28 days including the day you buy it. One card per person.

  • Narita: Welcome Suica machines and JR EAST Travel Service Center at Narita Airport Terminal 1 Station and Terminal 2·3 Station.
  • Haneda: Welcome Suica machines and JR EAST Travel Service Center at Haneda Airport Terminal 3 (Tokyo Monorail) Station.

TOURIST PASMO (the new visitor card, launched in 2026 after PASMO PASSPORT ended in 2024): no deposit, valid 28 days from purchase.

  • Haneda Terminal 1·2 (Keikyu): ticket machines for travelers, one at each terminal gate. ¥1,000 to ¥10,000. Credit cards accepted.
  • Haneda Terminal 3 (Keikyu): Keikyu Tourist Information Center, 2nd floor arrival lobby next to the ticket gates, plus one machine beside it. ¥1,000 to ¥10,000. Credit cards accepted.
  • Narita Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 (Keisei): SKYLINER & KEISEI INFORMATION CENTER. ¥2,000 only.

Welcome Suica sales are temporarily halted at Kashiwa, Kawasaki, Tachikawa, Ōmiya, Funabashi, Fukushima and Niigata stations. Airport counters and machines are listed as selling.

Sources: JR East: Welcome Suica purchase · TOURIST PASMO · PASMO notice, Apr 17 2026 · PASMO PASSPORT notice, Oct 4 2024

5. Top up

Apple Wallet: open Apple Wallet, tap your Suica or PASMO, tap Add Money, choose an amount, tap Add, pick your payment card and confirm with Face ID or Touch ID. Apple and JR East do not publish a list of foreign card brands that work. JR East's Welcome Suica Mobile FAQ says to ask your card issuer whether your Visa, Mastercard or Amex works with Apple Pay. If a payment fails, the Suica FAQ sends you to Apple support.

If your card is declined: pick a different card in Apple Wallet and try again. If none works, buy a physical Welcome Suica or TOURIST PASMO when you land and top it up with cash at station machines.

Welcome Suica Mobile: tap Top up, set the amount, tap Top Up with Apple Pay. Cash works at convenience stores, Seven Bank and Lawson Bank ATMs, and station charge machines that support the app. Max balance ¥20,000, up to ¥10,000 per top-up.

Physical cards: cash only, up to a ¥20,000 balance. Welcome Suica: ticket machines and fare adjustment machines with the Welcome Suica mark, or Seven Bank ATMs. TOURIST PASMO: station ticket machines, convenience stores, or on a bus with ¥1,000 bills.

Sources: Apple: Top up your transit card · WSM FAQ 7021 · Suica FAQ 3811 · WSM FAQ 7110 · WSM FAQ 6917 · WSM FAQ: top-up · Welcome Suica · TOURIST PASMO

6. Use it

  • Tap the card or the top of your iPhone on the gate reader when you enter and exit. Your iPhone does not need Wi-Fi or mobile data.
  • On buses, tap the reader.
  • Limited express trains, express trains and Green Cars need a separate ticket on top of the fare. Shinkansen use with Suica has area and other limits, so book a Shinkansen ticket.
  • You cannot ride from one IC area into another (for example Tokyo to Sendai, or Tokyo to Osaka). Buy a ticket for those trips.
  • Pay at shops, vending machines and coin lockers that show the IC logos.

Sources: Apple: Use transit cards in Japan · JR East: Suica card types · PASMO: riding trains · JR East: Welcome Suica · JR East: Suica

7. Problems

  • Gate will not read your physical card: take it out of the card holder. If it still fails, ask station staff.
  • Station staff need to fix your iPhone card: Apple Wallet > your card > More > Card Details > turn on Service Mode, then hand it over.
  • Balance does not update in Apple Wallet: restart your iPhone, then try Service Mode. Check your payment card history for the charge.
  • Lost Welcome Suica or TOURIST PASMO: it cannot be reissued.
  • Broken Welcome Suica: ask for a malfunction refund. You need the "JE" card number on the back. Collect the money at a JR EAST ticket office from the next day, up to 14 days after the card expires.
  • Child cards: Welcome Suica and TOURIST PASMO child cards work until March 31 after the child turns 12. Show the child's passport when buying Welcome Suica (Child).

Sources: JR East: Welcome Suica · TOURIST PASMO · Apple: Balance doesn't update · Apple Support 120474

8. Leftover balance

  • Welcome Suica and TOURIST PASMO: no refund of any balance. Top up in small amounts near the end of your trip and spend the rest in shops.
  • Welcome Suica Mobile: the balance expires after 180 days with no refund.
  • Suica or PASMO in Apple Wallet: if you remove the card, the balance is stored on your Apple Account and can be moved back to an iPhone on the same account for your next trip.

Sources: JR East: Welcome Suica · TOURIST PASMO · Welcome Suica Mobile · Apple Support 108772

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