How to Use a Suica Card in Japan: The Ultimate Guide

Japan is a fantastic tourist destination for many reasons. One of them is the ease with which you can get around in the country. The Suica card makes transportation even more convenient for tourists and residents. In this guide, you’ll learn how this card works, where to get it, and how to use it. Find out why Suica is the easiest way to pay for your transport expenses in Japan.

What Is a Suica Card and How Does It Work?

Suica is a rechargeable smart card used as a means of electronic payment for public transportation and purchases across Japan, especially in the Greater Tokyo area.

Millions of people use Suica in Japan. It’s a green and white card featuring the image of a penguin and the official Suica logo. The East Japan Railway Company, popularly known as JR East, is in charge of the issuance and management of these cards. They operate on FeliCa (Felicity Card), a contactless RFID technology that powers various electronic money cards in Japan, the US, Singapore, and other countries.

You can use the Suica IC card to pay your fares on public transport systems within Japan, including trains, subways, taxis, and buses. You can also use the card to make purchases at many shops, chain stores, kiosks, restaurants, baggage lockers, and vending machines in the country. All you have to do to make payment is to place your Suica a short distance from an IC card reader. Your associated balance will be debited, provided it has enough funds in it.

You may top up your Suica with funds, but your balance cannot exceed 20,000 yen. Information stored on the card includes balance from top-ups, travel records (last 20 trips), and commuter passes (1, 3, or 6 months).

Suica cards are not free. However, many people gladly buy them to enjoy the following benefits:

• Convenience that comes with ticketless access to public transport systems, thanks to the tap-and-go feature.

• Fast, seamless payment at vending machines, shops, and restaurants.

• Easier access to baggage lockers.

A Brief History of Suica: Japan’s Smart Travel Revolution

The term “Suica” is, in fact, an acronym for “Super Urban Intelligent Card.” JR East launched the card in 2001. The first-generation Suica cards were magnetic IO cards that you could insert into readers. In 2004, JR East stopped printing them and shifted focus to creating IC cards. However, they halted support for IO cards about four years later.

In over two decades, the card has evolved by gaining wider compatibility and applications. JR East has also launched several variants of the card, including Welcome Suica, which is designed with international tourists in mind.

Where to Buy and How to Charge a Suica Card

In 2023, JR East announced the suspension of all sales of unregistered, standard Suica cards due to the global chip shortage of 2020-2023. Thankfully, on March 1, 2025, the sale of standard Suica cards resumed. You can now buy them in the following select locations:

• Airport Stations: You can buy Suica at major airports, including Haneda Airport and Narita Airport. Go to the JR-EAST Travel Service Center located at each of those airports.

• JR Kiosks: Major JR East train stations in Tokyo contain ticket offices or kiosks that sell Suica. Popular stations to check for these cards include Shibuya Station, Ueno Station, Ikebukuro Station, Shinjuku Station, and Tokyo Station.

• Ticket Vending Machines: Major JR stations in Eastern Japan have vending machines that sell Suica cards. Look for the word "Suica" written at the top of the machine.

The standard price for a new card starts at 1,000 yen. The cards are priced at 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, 4,000, 5,000, or 10,000 yen. You will receive an automatic deposit of 500 yen in your Suica balance after purchase. The remaining fee will be converted into usable credit. If you return the card, this deposit along with any remaining balance from top-ups will be refunded. Please note that your card will become invalid if you don’t use it for ten years. There are multiple ways to charge your card after buying it.

• Charging at JR East ticket machines: Go to a ticket vending machine at any major JR East station. Insert your card, select “charge,” choose an amount (multiple of 1,000 yen), and insert the equivalent cash.

• Charging at stores: Go to a convenience store like 7-Eleven, Lawson, MINI STOP, and FamilyMart, or an airport store. Politely ask a staff member or cashier for assistance using the word “charge.” You will have to make payment in cash and touch your card on the reader.

Using Suica for Trains, Buses, and More

The Suica card is arguably the most convenient way to navigate Japan’s vast public transport system, including trains, buses, taxis, and rental cars. To use it for travel, look for the ticket gates of JR East trains, subway lines, buses, and trams. You will see a card reader at the gate. Tap your Suica on the card reader before entering the public vehicle. Tap it again after exiting to seamlessly pay for your ride. Your total fare, which is based on the number of stops you passed before exiting, will be debited from your card balance. You can see the total fare and your remaining balance on the screen of the ticket gate when you tap your card on the reader.

Beyond Transit: Everyday Uses of Suica

Besides seamless travel, you can also use Suica for shopping, buying snacks, and purchasing certain facilities. The cards are accepted at participating retailers and service providers inside and outside JR East stations. The following are examples of places that accept the Suica as a valid means of payment:

• Convenience store chains (and their vending machines): FamilyMart, Seicomart, Lawson, ecute, Coca Cola, Daily Yamazaki, etc.

• Supermarkets and shopping centers: AQUA CiTY Odaiba, AEON, Coppice Kichijoji, Seven Park Ario Kashiwa, Sendo, LaLaport etc.

• Cafés: Excelsior Caffé, Ginza Renoir, Ginza Cozy Corner, Starbucks, etc.

• Fast food chains and rice bowl restaurants: Ikinari Steak, Gusto, CURRY HOUSE CoCo, KFC, Dominos, etc.

• Drugstores and electronic stores: SPC, ABC Mart, Cloverleaf, Shoe Plaza, Joshin, Mac-House, Welcia, etc.

• Entertainment spaces: Taito, Karaoke Manekineko, Kaikatsu Club, Atom Corp, etc.

• Accommodations: JR-EAST Hotel Mets, Spa Resort Hawaiians, Metropolitan Hotels, The National Museum of Western Art, etc.

• Storage facilities: Keyless baggage or coin lockers at JR stations. 

Suica vs. PASMO: What’s the Difference?

PASMO is another popular IC card used for convenient travel in Tokyo and some other parts of Japan. Unlike Suica, which is issued by JR East, PASMO is implemented by private railway operators. Both Suica and PASMO are compatible across networks thanks to the Nationwide Mutual Usage Service, which allows interoperability between Japan’s major IC cards. Essentially, you can use Suica anywhere PASMO is accepted and vice versa.

Mobile Suica: The Digital Wallet Option

In 2006, JR East launched Mobile Suica, a way for users to manage their card functions with their mobile phones. About five years later, Mobile Suica became available for Android devices, allowing Suica owners to perform even more functions.

Today, Mobile Suica lets travelers use their smartphones (iPhone/Android) as their Suica card. After downloading the app, you can get a virtual Suica card, which allows you to pay by tapping your smartphone on ticket gates at trains, buses, etc. The Mobile Suica app comes with recharge features that allow you to top up your balance. You can also track past transactions using your mobile phone.

In 2016, Apple added a functionality that allowed iPhone users to add Suica cards to Apple Pay. Two years later, the same function was added to Google Pay for Android devices.

Regional Suica Cards and IC Card Compatibility

The Nationwide Mutual Usage Service, which linked the top ten travel IC cards, launched in March 2013. Suica works in other cities through the IC card interoperability facilitated by the service. This system allows reciprocal use of Suica and PASMO, as mentioned earlier in this post.

The 8 other IC cards (and their primary area of usage) that are a part of the nationwide interoperation are Kitaca (Hokkaido), TOICA (Nagoya), ICOCA (Osaka, Kobe, and Kyoto), Hayakaken (Fukuoka), PiTaPa (Kansai region), manaca (Nagoya), nimoca (Fukuoka), and SUGOCA (Fukuoka). Many of them have unique features that set them apart, but they are primarily used as transit cards.

Tips for Tourists: Refunds, Expiration, and Suica Alternatives

If you’re a tourist in Japan, you shouldn’t expect to use Suica the same way as residents. Here are a few tips to help you get the best out of your card:

• Buy the physical Suica card in advance using a reputable online service and pick it up at Haneda Airport when you arrive.

• You can return Suica cards to any station run by the issuing company, typically JR East. After a successful return, you can claim your 500 yen deposit and any remaining balance, minus a 220 yen handling fee.

• Thanks to IC card interoperability, you can use your Suica or its alternatives in different cities, prefectures, and regions.

• Use your card at least once in ten years to avoid its expiration. If it does expire, you can transfer your remaining balance to a new card.

• The red and white version, Welcome Suica, is designed for short-term tourists who plan to spend 28 days or less exploring Japan. It features many discounts and special promo offers at select hotels.

• Use the Welcome Suica mobile app to issue and top up your card.

• You can only get a monthly pass for JR East train lines with Suica. Other passes may need different cards. For example, the Tokyo Metro monthly pass works with a PASMO card and not Suica.

Conclusion: Why Suica Is a Must-Have for Exploring Japan

Suica is an essential, time-saving, and fun tool that is perfect for anyone doing a lot of traveling in Japan. Besides letting you travel without a paper ticket, it also makes shopping and snacking in Japan seamless and stress-free.

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