JP Japan IC Card Specification Data Table v3 (2026)
| IC Card Name | Issuing Area | Purchase Method | Maximum Balance | Applicable Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suica | JR East: Tokyo Metropolitan Area, Sendai, Niigata, Aomori, Morioka, Akita, etc. Suica Area | JR East station ticket machines / JR EAST Travel Service Center, etc.; Regular Suica purchase includes ¥500 deposit, refundable upon card return | ¥20,000 | Suica, PASMO, ICOCA, Kitaca, TOICA, manaca, Hayakaken, nimoca, SUGOCA, etc. nationwide interoperable areas; Cannot use IC card directly for continuous rides across different IC areas |
| Welcome Suica | JR East, short-term tourist card for visitors to Japan | Available from 2025-03-27 at designated JR EAST Travel Service Centers, Narita/Haneda Welcome Suica ticket machines, JAPAN RAIL CAFE TOKYO, TAKANAWA GATEWAY Travel Service Center, etc.; Generally 1 card per person; No deposit; Valid for 28 days; Non-refundable | ¥20,000 | Same as Suica, usable at railways, buses, stores, and vending machines displaying the nationwide interoperable logo; Not applicable in PiTaPa area stores; Cannot ride continuously across different IC areas |
| Welcome Suica Mobile | JR East, iOS tourist mobile card | Download Welcome Suica Mobile iOS app to issue and top up Suica; Some countries have regulatory restrictions; May need to issue/top up after arriving in Japan; Ages 13+; Valid for 180 days; Balance non-refundable | Transportation IC balance still based on ¥20,000; From autumn 2026, Mobile Suica will add teppay code payment with additional service balance of up to ¥300,000 | Usable at transportation and stores supporting Suica/nationwide interoperable IC; Transit usage still uses transportation IC balance |
| PASMO | Tokyo private railways, subway, buses, etc. PASMO Area | PASMO operating entity stations/counters; Actual card availability depends on chip supply and individual station announcements; Can add PASMO to Apple Wallet | ¥20,000 | PASMO/Suica metropolitan and nationwide interoperable areas; Some route restrictions apply, e.g., Kanto Railway only accepts PASMO/Suica; Cannot ride continuously across different IC areas |
| TOURIST PASMO | PASMO, short-term tourist card | Available from 2026-05 at Narita, Haneda airport railway station counters and automatic ticket machines; For short-term visitors to Japan; ¥2,000 at Narita, ¥1,000/¥2,000/¥3,000/¥4,000/¥5,000/¥10,000 at Haneda; No deposit; Valid for 28 days; Non-refundable | Official information states can be recharged and reused; General PASMO/transportation IC balance limit applies at ¥20,000 | Same as regular PASMO, usable at metropolitan area and nationwide transportation IC-affiliated railways, buses, and partner stores |
| ICOCA | JR West: Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Hiroshima, Okayama, Hokuriku, etc. ICOCA Area | JR West station ticket machines/Green Windows, etc.; Tourist-exclusive original ICOCA sold at Kansai Airport Station JR Ticket Office, ¥2,000 including ¥500 deposit; 1 card per person; requires foreign passport and short-term stay qualification | ¥20,000 | ICOCA area and Kitaca, PASMO, Suica, manaca, TOICA, PiTaPa, Hayakaken, nimoca, SUGOCA interoperable areas; PiTaPa electronic money nationwide interoperability exception applies |
| KANSAI ONE PASS | Kansai, tourist card based on ICOCA | Only sold to holders of foreign passports with "Short-Term Stay" qualification; Cash purchase; Includes ¥500 deposit; Per announcement, sales at all locations will gradually stop from 2025-11; check inventory at each sales point | ¥20,000 | Major Kansai JR, subway, private railways, buses, and ICOCA/PiTaPa/IC-affiliated transportation; Also offers discounts at Kansai tourist facilities; Nationwide interoperability follows ICOCA rules |
| Kitaca | JR Hokkaido: Sapporo area, etc. | Purchased at JR Hokkaido-related stations; Tourists generally only need Kitaca for Hokkaido; Use Suica/ICOCA for main island travel instead | ¥20,000 | Kitaca area and nationwide interoperable IC areas; Cannot ride continuously across different IC areas |
| TOICA / manaca | Tokai: Nagoya, Shizuoka, etc. | Purchased at JR Central TOICA and Nagoya Transportation manaca handling points; Apple Wallet Japanese transportation card new page also supports TOICA, but issued by JR West as ICOCA when transferred to Wallet | ¥20,000 | Tokai/Nagoya IC area and nationwide interoperable IC areas; Cannot ride continuously across different IC areas |
| SUGOCA / nimoca / Hayakaken | Kyushu, Fukuoka, etc. | Purchased at JR Kyushu SUGOCA, Nishitetsu nimoca, Fukuoka City Subway Hayakaken handling points | ¥20,000 | Each respective Kyushu/Fukuoka IC area and nationwide interoperable IC areas; Cannot ride continuously across different IC areas |
IC Card Usage Guide
The most important rule for travelers using Japan's transit IC cards is that "where you buy a card generally doesn't matter—what matters is where you buy and how you get a refund." Ten major transit IC cards including Suica, PASMO, ICOCA, Kitaca, TOICA, manaca, Hayakaken, nimoca, and SUGOCA have been widely interoperable since 2013. This means you can typically use a Suica purchased in Tokyo to ride the subway in Osaka, or an ICOCA bought in Kansai to board JR or Metro in Tokyo—just tap to enter and exit. For short-term travelers, the most convenient options are: Welcome Suica, TOURIST PASMO, or Mobile Suica when arriving in Tokyo; ICOCA or Tourist Limited ICOCA when arriving in Kansai; and for iPhone users, Apple Wallet / Welcome Suica Mobile often saves the most time.
For balance loading, transit IC cards still have a standard maximum balance of ¥20,000. You can add value at station ticket machines, fare adjustment machines, convenience stores, or Seven Bank ATMs—most physical cards only accept cash. When riding, use the same card or phone for both entry and exit gates; if your balance is insufficient, you can usually top up at a fare adjustment machine. IC cards can be used for regular trains, subways, buses, and many convenience stores, vending machines, and coin lockers. However, limited express trains, reserved seats, Green Cars, and Shinkansen typically require separate tickets or advance service registration. Another common trap is that "national interoperability" doesn't mean you can travel continuously from one IC region to another—for example, traveling directly from the Tokyo metropolitan area to the Sendai area, or making long-distance trips across JR lines. According to official rules, you must first purchase a paper or electronic ticket, or exit and re-enter at regional boundaries. Refunds can only be processed in the issuing company's service area. Welcome Suica, TOURIST PASMO, and Welcome Suica Mobile balances are non-refundable, so try to use up remaining balance before departing Japan.
For Mobile Suica setup, you can add Suica, PASMO, ICOCA, or TOICA (TOICA converts to ICOCA when transferred to Wallet) on iPhone/Apple Watch via Apple Wallet. Basic requirements include: Apple Account with two-factor authentication enabled, iPhone 8 or Apple Watch Series 3 or newer with compatible software versions; Suica also supports iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2 purchased in Japan. Open Wallet, tap "+", select Transit Card, choose Suica/PASMO/ICOCA, enter the initial amount, and confirm with a payment card already added to Wallet. After first addition, Express Mode activates automatically, allowing entry without Face ID. For Welcome Suica Mobile, issue through the iOS app, set a secret keyword, enable location services—the card is valid for 180 days. Due to regulations in certain countries or regions, download, issue, or top-up may only be available after arriving in Japan.
2026 Latest Regulations
- TOURIST PASMO launching May 2026: PASMO officially announced on 2026-04-17 that TOURIST PASMO will be sold at Narita and Haneda airport railway stations, continuing the concept of the pre-2024 PASMO PASSPORT. The card is valid for 28 days from the issue date, with no deposit. The 2,000 yen version is available at Narita; 1,000 / 2,000 / 3,000 / 4,000 / 5,000 / 10,000 yen versions at Haneda. No refunds, including unused balance.
- Welcome Suica physical card sales points expanded since 2025-03-27, continues operating as 28-day short-term tourist card in 2026: JR East officially lists designated Travel Service Centers, Narita/Haneda ticket machines, JAPAN RAIL CAFE TOKYO, TAKANAWA GATEWAY, and other locations where purchase is available. No deposit, one card per person generally, maximum recharge 20,000 yen, standard no refunds apply.
- Welcome Suica Mobile operates as 180-day validity mobile solution for visitors to Japan: JR East 2026 information states iOS app can issue and recharge, remaining balance becomes invalid after validity period ends with no refunds.
- Mobile Suica scheduled to add teppay code payment in Fall 2026: JR East / PASMO related announcements show Mobile Suica will add teppay in Fall 2026, supporting code payment, transfer balance, online payments, etc. Mobile PASMO is scheduled to support in Spring 2027. Note this is in-app code payment service; train/bus rides still use transportation IC balance, visitors checking transportation recharge limits should still use 20,000 yen as the basic rule.
- KANSAI ONE PASS inventory-based discontinuation: KANSAI ONE PASS official website lists sales locations will gradually stop sales from November 2025 as stock runs out; visitors in 2026 should not assume every Kansai sales point has inventory, may purchase ICOCA instead.
Sources:
- JR East Welcome Suica: https://www.jreast.co.jp/en/multi/welcomesuica/welcomesuica.html
- JR East Welcome Suica Purchase/Recharge: https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/welcomesuica/purchase.html
- JR East Suica: https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/pass/suica.html
- JR East Welcome Suica Mobile: https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/wsmlp/
- PASMO TOURIST PASMO press release: https://www.pasmo.co.jp/visitors/en/news/pdf/TOURIST_PASMO_PressRelease_EN_20260417.pdf
- PASMO Interoperability: https://www.pasmo.co.jp/about/sharing/
- JR West ICOCA guide: https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/howto/icoca/
- JR West ICOCA usage area: https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/howto/icoca/area/
- KANSAI ONE PASS: https://kansaionepass.com/en/about.html
- Apple Support Japan transit cards: https://support.apple.com/en-lamr/108772
- teppay official: https://www.teppay.jp/index.html
Data date: 2026-05-10
Data Sources / Related Verification
The information in this article is compiled from internal FactcheckDocs (JP_datatable_交通費率_v3.md), with reference to publicly available official materials and industry documents from the JP region. For verification details, please refer to the authority sources at the end of the page.
