Kyoto Prepaid Cards Icoca Pasmo And Suica

IC cards like Suica, Pasmo and Icoca are the easiest way to pay for nearly everything in Japan. Here’s the complete guide to physical and digital IC cards and a handy decision tree to help you choose which card to buy or install on your phone.

[Welcome Suica card © Florentyna Leow]

The Takeaway

• First, IC cards are incredibly convenient. You can use them to pay for almost anything in Japan (the main exceptions are shinkansen trips and hotels/ryokan).
• IC cards all work the same way everywhere (ie, they are not city-specific). So, you just need one for your whole trip.
• The Tokyo IC cards called Suica and Pasmo are no longer available to tourists. However, Welcome Suica and Pasmo Passport cards are available at Haneda and Narita, and Pasmo Passport is available in Tokyo.
• Other IC cards like Icoca (sold in Kansai) are available to tourists.
• You can charge IC cards at convenience stores, 7-11 ATMs and many train/subway stations.
• If you have an iPhone with an American Express or MasterCard linked to your Apple Wallet, you can install a digital Suica or Pasmo card, which works exactly like a physical Suica or Pasmo.
• If you get a physical Icoca card in Kansai, you can import it into your Apple Wallet even if it’s not linked to Amex or MasterCard. You can then charge it with cash.
• If all this is too confusing, relax: You don’t need an IC card! Cash and credit cards work just fine in Japan, as always.

Decision Tree

Here’s a decision tree to help you figure out which IC card you should get and where to get it. This covers both digital and physical IC cards. All the details that go into this decision tree can be found below.

The Details

What Is an IC Card?

An IC card is a prepaid integrated circuit card that allows you to make all kinds of purchases in Japan. The most common types are Suica and Pasmo, which are sold in Tokyo, and Icoca, which is sold in Kansai. Special versions of Suica and Pasmo are available to tourists and these are called Welcome Suica and Pasmo Passport.

[Suica card — image © tsuda / CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED]

Why Get an IC Card?

IC cards are incredibly convenient. They allow you to make purchases without winding up with a pocket full of loose change. They also allow you to ride local transport without ever having to calculate the fare; you just tap in and tap out (make sure you have sufficient balance on your card to cover your journey).

[Tapping a digital Icoca at a train station © Mike Rogers]

Where Can You Use an IC Card? Are They City-Specific?

IC cards are not city specific — they all work everywhere Japan. For example, if you buy an Icoca in Kansai, you can then use it in Tokyo, Hokkaido, Kyushu etc. Or, you can buy a Welcome Suica or Pasmo Passport in Tokyo and use it in Kyoto, Osaka and elsewhere. You can use an IC card to make almost any small purchase in Japan (as long as the place has an IC card reader). Here are some places you can use your IC card:

• local trains (both JR and private lines)
• local buses
• subways
• taxis
• convenience stores
• many restaurants
• many shops
• coin lockers
• vending machines

For more details on using an IC card (or a digital IC card, which works the same way), see this article.

[Welcome Suica Machine at Haneda — image © Florentyna Loew]

Where Can You Get an IC Card?

Most foreign travelers will arrive in Tokyo at Narita or Haneda airports. You can get Welcome Suica cards at Haneda and Narita, and Pasmo Passport cards at those airports as well as some offices in Tokyo (ordinary Suica and Pasmo cards are no longer for sale to tourists due to chip shortages). For details on buying a Welcome Suica or Pasmo Passport on arrival in Tokyo, see this page. If you arrive at Kansai International Airport, you can buy an ordinary Icoca card at the airport or in Kyoto or Osaka. Other major Japanese cities also have their own versions of the IC card.

[IC card machine at a JR station — image © Chris Rowthorn]

Where Can You Charge an IC Card?

You can charge an IC card at train and subway stations that have IC card charging machines, at most convenience stores, and at 7-11 ATMs in Japan. Note that you must use cash to charge the card. For more on charging IC cards, see this page.

[Digital Icoca card on iPhone — image © Mike Rogers]

You May Be Able to Install a Digital IC Card if You Have an iPhone

If you have an iPhone, you may be able to install a digital IC card on your phone. This saves you from having to carry around a physical card. In order to do so, your Apple Wallet must be linked to a MasterCard or American Express card (note that not all Amex and MasterCards can be linked to Apple Wallet). If your Apple Wallet is only linked to a Visa card, this will not work. To learn how to add a digital IC card to your iPhone, see this page. Finally, if your Apple Wallet is not linked to a MasterCard or Amex card, you can still import a physical Icoca card into your phone (see later in this article).

Icoca machines at Kyoto Station — image © Chris Rowthorn

You Can Buy a Physical Icoca Card in Kansai

If you’re landing at Kansai International Airport or traveling to Kansai (Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Nara etc) after soon after arriving in Japan, you can buy an ordinary Icoca IC card from a vending machine at the airport or at any big train station in Kansai. Look for bank of Icoca machines; the pink ones sell the cards and the blue ones are for charging. If you’ve got an iPhone, you can then import it into your phone (whether or not your Apple Wallet is linked to Amex or MasterCard).

[Importing an Icoca into an iPhone — image © Mike Rogers]

You Can Import a Physical Icoca Card Into an iPhone

If you can get a physical Icoca card in Kansai and you have an iPhone, you can import the physical Icoca into your iPhone. It doesn’t matter if your Apple Wallet is linked to a MasterCard or Amex card. To learn how to do this, see this page. You can then charge your digital Icoca card at all the same places you’d charge a physical IC card (see earlier in this article for details).

[Japanese yen cash — image © Japanexperterna.se / CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED]

You Don’t Need an IC Card!

If all this is just too confusing, or you just like to go old school, don’t worry: You don’t need an IC card. Japan is one of the world’s most cash-friendly societies and you can use Japanese yen cash anywhere. Of course, you’ll also want to have a credit card or two for bigger purchases. For more details, see Getting Money in Japan.

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