IC Cards in Japan: Suica, Pasmo and ICOCA: What They Are and Which to Get

An IC card is the single most useful object you can carry in Japan. It pays for trains, subways, buses, convenience stores, vending machines and even some taxis, all with a tap. The confusion is not whether to get one, but which one.

What IC Cards Actually Are

IC stands for Integrated Circuit: a contactless smart card that stores a prepaid balance. You load yen onto the card, then tap in and tap out at station gates. The fare is deducted automatically. There are ten regional IC cards in Japan, but Suica, Pasmo and ICOCA are the three you will encounter as a tourist. Since 2013, all ten cards have been fully interoperable: a Suica bought in Tokyo works on the Osaka subway, and an ICOCA bought in Kyoto works on Tokyo's Yamanote Line.

The Three Cards, One by One

Suica is issued by JR East and is the most widely accepted card in Japan. It works on the entire JR network, Tokyo Metro, Toei Subway, most private rail lines, and IC-compatible buses nationwide. You can buy it at any JR East ticket machine in Tokyo (look for the penguin logo), at Narita Airport, and at Haneda Airport. It is the default choice for most visitors arriving in Tokyo.

Pasmo is a competing card run by a consortium of Tokyo's private railways and the Tokyo Metro. It works on exactly the same gates as Suica: tap it anywhere you would tap a Suica. Historically, Pasmo was the card that let you load a commuter pass for private lines, but tourists rarely need that feature. From a practical standpoint, Pasmo and Suica are interchangeable in Tokyo.

ICOCA is JR West's equivalent, sold at Osaka, Kyoto and Hiroshima stations. If your trip starts in the Kansai region, buy an ICOCA at the airport or at Shin-Osaka Station. It works identically to Suica once you leave Kansai.

The Deposit and Refund

Every physical IC card requires a 500 yen deposit on top of your initial load. That deposit is refunded in full when you return the card at any issuing machine, minus a 220 yen handling fee if you still have a balance remaining. If you zero out your balance before returning, you get the full 500 yen back. Unused balance up to 20,000 yen is also refunded.

Mobile Suica: Skip the Physical Card Entirely

If you have an iPhone (iOS 16+) or an Android phone with NFC, Mobile Suica is the better option for most tourists. Download the Suica app, add the card to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, and top up with a foreign Visa or Mastercard. No deposit. No refund queue at the machine. The phone replaces the card entirely, including when the battery is dead, thanks to Express Transit mode on iPhone.

The one limitation: Mobile Suica requires a Japanese phone number for account registration or registration through Apple Pay / Google Pay directly, which bypasses that requirement. The latter is the route most tourists take and works smoothly as of 2026.

Which One to Get

If you searched for Suica, Pasmo, or “IC card Japan,” the short answer is: choose the card that is available where you arrive. For a Tokyo arrival, Suica or Pasmo is fine; for Osaka or Kyoto, ICOCA is equally practical. You do not need one card per region.

Suica or Pasmo?

For ordinary tourist travel they are functionally equivalent. Compare availability, mobile-wallet support and whether you need a commuter pass—not the logo. Keep one card active during a trip because most gates will not let you tap two different IC cards in the same wallet.

• Arriving in Tokyo: get a Welcome Suica at a JR East Travel Service Center (Narita or Haneda) — it's designed for tourists and has no deposit. Or add Mobile Suica via Apple Pay / Google Pay.
• Arriving in Osaka or Kyoto: get ICOCA at the station. It works on every network you will use.
• Already in Tokyo, phone with NFC: add Mobile Suica via Apple Pay or Google Pay.
• Pasmo: there is no tourist reason to prefer it over Suica. If a machine only offers Pasmo, take it: it functions identically.

Load at least 3,000 yen to start. Top-up machines are everywhere in stations. Your IC card is the one thing you do not leave the hotel without.

IC card searches answered

An “IC card Japan” search usually means a rechargeable transit card such as Suica, PASMO or ICOCA. They are broadly interoperable for ordinary travel; buy the card that is available at your arrival airport or station and keep enough balance for the next journey.