【Japan Travel 2026】Suica Card Purchase Guide | Physical Card, Mobile App Comparison and Top-up Methods

Want to get around Japan with a single Suica card? Whether you are taking the train, bus, or shopping at convenience stores, most everyday small purchases can actually be made with just one card. 10Life introduces the features of three types of Suica cards, how to buy and top them up in Japan, the range of places where they can be used, card cancellation procedures, and the differences between Suica and other Japanese IC cards, so that you can grasp all the key points before you set off. 

Suica (standard physical card)

The standard Suica is the familiar green penguin physical card issued by JR East, mainly used in the Kanto area (for example Tokyo, Ueno and Shinjuku) for transport and small purchases.

When purchasing, you need to pay both the stored value and a JPY 500 deposit, which can be refunded when the card is returned in the future. There is no clear short-term usage limit for this card, so it is generally not a problem for short trips. Even if you visit Japan again later, you can continue using the same card.

Due to a shortage of chips, sales to new travellers were temporarily suspended from 2023, and were limited to some Japanese residents or registered-name use only. Sales to ordinary travellers were then gradually resumed from March 2025, and it is now easier to obtain one at major stations.

Welcome Suica

Welcome Suica is a “tourist version” of the Suica card designed specifically for short-term visitors to Japan. It usually features a red-and-white cherry blossom design, and the card face clearly shows “Welcome Suica”.

• Its biggest feature is that no deposit is required, so you do not need to pay the JPY 500 deposit or go through the deposit refund process.
• It can be used for only 28 days from the first entry gate tap, and cannot be used for travel or payment after expiry; it can only be kept as a souvenir.
• It can be topped up at station ticket machines or convenience stores, and its usage range is broadly the same as standard Suica.
• As it has a 28-day validity period, you should top up according to the length of your trip to avoid having too much remaining balance when the card has already expired.
• It is suitable for travellers taking only one short trip and who do not plan to continue using the same card later, nor spend time reclaiming a deposit.

JR East has also introduced a mobile version of Welcome Suica, Welcome Suica Mobile, which conceptually combines the 28-day limit and no-deposit arrangement of the tourist card with the convenience of Mobile Suica, though it is not yet available to Hong Kong visitors to Japan.

Mobile Suica (mobile Suica)

Mobile Suica digitises Suica and stores it on a mobile phone or smartwatch, allowing you to tap directly at gates or for payment via the device’s NFC function. For Hong Kong travellers, the most common versions are Apple Pay on iPhone and Mobile Suica supported by some Android phones. 

How to use Apple Pay

• Add a transit card in the Wallet app, select “Suica”, and top up using a Hong Kong credit card, some UnionPay cards, or prepaid cards.
• When entering the gate, there is no need to open the app; simply tap the reader using the default transit card mode.
• Advantages: no need to pay a physical card deposit; if the phone is lost, the card can be locked via the account; you can top up with a credit card at any time without needing to find a ticket machine or use cash.
• Points to note: exchange rates and foreign currency handling fees depend on the credit card you use; if the card is not used for a long time, it may need to be set up again, so it is advisable to check before departure that Suica is working properly.

Android phones may not support Mobile Suica

Android users should pay particular attention to compatibility issues. Not all Android phones support the FeliCa (NFC Type F) technology required for Japanese transit cards. Even if the hardware supports it, Mobile Suica may still not work properly due to differences in system or store versions. In general, you need a device with NFC support, and you must download the Suica or JR East official app from Google Play. In some cases, a Japanese Google account may also be required. 

Before departure, remember to purchase Japan travel insurance to ensure protection against medical expenses, baggage delay or loss, flight delays and other unforeseen situations. You can visit the 10Life platform to compare travel insurance from different insurers, and choose the most suitable plan according to your trip duration, destination and coverage needs. 

Pre-purchase via online booking platforms

If you want to have a Suica in hand as soon as you arrive in Japan, and would rather avoid figuring things out at the ticket machines or queuing, you may consider pre-purchasing a Suica or Welcome Suica package via online platforms such as Klook and KKday. After completing the online payment, you will usually receive a redemption voucher or QR code. Once in Japan, travellers can present the voucher at designated counters (often at Narita Airport, Haneda Airport, or key stations in central Tokyo) to redeem a physical card. When purchasing, be sure to note the actual collection point and opening hours, so that you do not arrive during the early hours and are unable to collect the card immediately.

Purchase on the spot at major JR East stations

If you prefer to decide the amount according to your actual needs after arriving, you can buy a Suica on the spot at major JR East stations (such as Tokyo Station, Shinjuku Station, Ueno Station, as well as Narita and Haneda airports). Common purchase options include the station’s “multi-functional ticket machines” and service counters such as the “JR Travel Service Centre”.

Generally, the price of a Suica card includes a JPY 500 deposit, plus the amount you choose to top up. For an initial purchase, you can usually choose between approximately JPY 1,000 and JPY 10,000. By contrast, Welcome Suica does not require a deposit, but you still need to pre-load a certain amount. The actual top-up amount can be adjusted according to the length of your trip and your expected transport and spending needs. 

Whether it is a standard Suica, Welcome Suica, or the mobile version of Suica, the top-up methods are broadly similar and mainly include the following:

• Top up at station ticket machines or multifunction ticket machines:
  Place the card in the top-up area, select the top-up amount, then insert cash to complete the top-up. The screen will display the updated balance.
• Top up at convenience stores:
  At convenience stores such as 7-Eleven, Lawson, and FamilyMart, you can tell the cashier directly that you would like to top up your Suica, then place the card on the reader at the till and pay in cash to complete the top-up.
• Top up by credit card in the app:
  When using Mobile Suica, you can select “Top Up” in the app and instantly add value using the linked credit card or designated payment method, with the balance updated synchronously.

For short trips, a top-up of around JPY 1,000 to JPY 3,000 each time is generally appropriate. This helps avoid frequent top-ups while also preventing too much unused balance at the end of the journey. If you are using Welcome Suica, which has a 28-day validity period, you should estimate a reasonable top-up amount according to the length of your trip. 

Transport

• Kantō region: JR East lines across the Tokyo metropolitan area, subways, many private railways, buses, and the Tokyo Monorail (Haneda Airport Line).
• Other major cities:
  Hokkaido (some lines in the Sapporo area and areas interoperable with local IC cards).
  Some JR lines and transport in the Tohoku, Sendai and Niigata areas.
  Around Nagoya (JR, subways, etc. interoperable with TOICA and manaca areas).
  Kansai: in Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe and elsewhere, Suica can generally be used to enter and exit on JR lines, subways, private railways and buses that support ICOCA / PiTaPa.
  Areas in Kyushu (such as Fukuoka) and parts of Okinawa that support transport IC cards.

Daily spending

In addition to transport, Suica is also very useful for small-value payments.

• Convenience stores: most major chains such as 7-Eleven, FamilyMart and LAWSON.
• Supermarkets / shopping centres: major supermarkets such as AEON and many shopping malls.
• Drugstores / cosmetics shops: chain stores such as Matsumoto Kiyoshi, TSURUHA and SUNDRUG.
• Electronics retailers: Bic Camera, Yodobashi Camera and others.
• Restaurants / cafés: fast-food outlets (for example McDonald’s), cafés (for example Starbucks), budget chain restaurants, conveyor-belt sushi restaurants, etc., depending on the store.
• Vending machines: Suica can be used to pay at many drinks vending machines, as well as at some amusement arcades and entertainment facilities.
• Taxis, car rentals and tourist attractions: some taxis, rental car companies and attraction ticket counters support Suica contactless payments. 

Suica has very wide coverage on JR lines, but there are still some details to pay special attention to. In general, Suica can be used directly for: 

• Ordinary and rapid JR line trains
• Unreserved seats on most limited express trains (i.e. seats are not assigned, and you may board if there is a vacant seat)
• Most private railways, subways and buses (within areas interoperable with Suica)
• Selected monorails and trams
• Small payments at convenience stores, vending machines and some shops

However, Suica alone cannot be used for entry and exit in the following situations:

Shinkansen

When travelling on the Shinkansen, you will generally need to purchase a dedicated Shinkansen ticket or limited express ticket. Suica is not the primary ticket for boarding. Some routes do offer mobile tickets or online reservation systems, but these do not fully overlap with Suica.

Reserved seats on limited express trains

If you take a reserved seat on a limited express train (i.e. an assigned seat), even if the section you travel on would normally allow Suica to be used to calculate the base fare, you will still need to purchase an additional limited express ticket or reserved seat ticket. The common arrangement is to pay the base fare with Suica, and purchase the limited express component separately.

Whether a Suica card can be refunded depends on the card type and the actual circumstances. In general:

For a standard physical Suica, you can arrange a refund at the “Midori no Madoguchi” (Green Window) or a designated service counter at JR East stations. Staff will deduct a fixed handling fee from the remaining balance on the card and return it together with the ¥500 deposit in cash. If the remaining balance is very small, in some cases only the deposit may be refunded, with no return of the residual balance. To process the refund, simply hand the Suica to a staff member and say that you would like to return the card; they will inform you of the actual refundable amount, and the procedure can then be completed once you confirm.

As for Welcome Suica, since it does not require a deposit and has a 28-day validity period, it is generally not subject to the same deposit refund service as a regular Suica. In practice, most travellers choose to use up the remaining balance as much as possible on transport or shopping during the final days of their trip, and then keep the card as a souvenir after it expires.  

This English version of this article has been generated by machine translation powered by AI. It is provided solely for reference purposes. In the event of any discrepancy or inconsistency between this translation and the original Chinese version, the Chinese version shall prevail.