Suica or Welcome Suica? Which IC Card to Get in Tokyo
Welcome Suica has no deposit but expires after 28 days. A regular Suica costs a ¥500 deposit and lasts years. Where to buy each, how to top up, where they work, and what the iPhone app adds.
A Suica is a rechargeable IC card run by JR East. Tap it at the ticket gate and the fare is taken automatically, so you never have to work out which ticket to buy. You can also use it in vending machines, convenience stores, coin lockers and many restaurants.
Visitors can choose between three versions, and they are easy to mix up. This guide explains each one, using JR East's own pages.
The short answer
- Staying 28 days or less, and you want a plastic card? Buy a Welcome Suica. No deposit, but it stops working after 28 days and the leftover balance cannot be refunded.
- Have an iPhone? The Welcome Suica Mobile app lets you set up Suica before you arrive and is valid for 180 days.
- Staying longer, or coming back often? A regular Suica costs a ¥500 deposit, which you get back when you return the card.
The three options side by side
| Welcome Suica (card) | Suica (regular card) | Welcome Suica Mobile (app) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Made for | Short stays | Anyone | iPhone users |
| Deposit | None | ¥500 | None |
| How long it works | 28 days, counting the day you buy it | Until unused for 10 years | 180 days from issue |
| Leftover balance | Not refundable | Refundable (¥220 fee) | Not refundable |
| Top up | Cash only | Cash only | In the app |
Welcome Suica (the card for visitors)
JR East sells this card to overseas visitors. Prices start at ¥1,000 and go up in steps (¥1,000, 2,000, 3,000, 4,000, 5,000 or 10,000), and there is no deposit to pay. In principle one card per person.
How the 28 days work. The 28 days include the day you buy it. The card stops working from day 29. The expiry date is printed on the reference paper you get at purchase, not on the card. The "GOOD THRU" date on the back is *not* the expiry date, so keep the paper with you.
Where to buy it. JR East's list, effective from March 27, 2025:
- Travel Service Centers at Narita Airport Station, Airport Terminal 2·3 Station, Haneda Airport Terminal 3 Station, Tokyo, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Ueno, Yokohama and Sendai
- Welcome Suica vending machines at Narita Airport Station, Airport Terminal 2·3 Station and Haneda Airport Terminal 3 Station
- JAPAN RAIL CAFÉ TOKYO and the Takanawa Gateway Travel Service Center
Some other Travel Service Centers (such as Kashiwa, Kawasaki, Tachikawa, Omiya, Funabashi, Fukushima and Niigata) are listed as temporarily not selling it, so the airport or a major Tokyo station is the safe choice.
Know before you buy
- The balance is not refundable, whether or not the card has expired. Top up in small amounts near the end of your trip.
- A lost card cannot be reissued.
- Children need a child card, and you need ID for the child (such as a passport) to buy one.
Regular Suica
A regular Suica is the same type of card without the 28-day limit. The first purchase includes a ¥500 deposit, so a ¥1,000 card starts with ¥500 of usable balance.
Getting your money back. Return the card at a JR East station and you get the ¥500 deposit and the remaining balance back, minus a ¥220 handling fee. JR East's example: with ¥1,000 on the card you receive ¥1,280 (¥1,000 − ¥220 + ¥500). If the balance is ¥220 or less, you still get the ¥500 deposit back.
The card only becomes invalid if you do not use it for 10 years. A lost card cannot be reissued.
Availability of regular Suica at a given station can vary, so if the machine does not offer it, ask at the staff window.
Welcome Suica Mobile (iPhone)
JR East's app, Welcome Suica Mobile, is for iOS and works with devices that support Apple Pay. You must be 13 or older. In the app you can:
- Set up a Suica and top it up on your phone, without queuing for a card
- Buy Green Car tickets for some commuter trains in the Tokyo area
- Reserve seats on the Shinkansen and Narita Express through JR-EAST Train Reservation (you pay by credit card)
Once issued, the Suica is valid for 180 days, and the balance in the app is not refundable. JR East also notes that in some countries, law restricts downloading the app or topping up from there, so you may only be able to set it up after you land in Japan.
Where they work
JR East says Welcome Suica works across the country wherever you see the nationwide IC card mark. The cards that work with it:
Suica, Kitaca, PASMO, manaca, TOICA, ICOCA, Hayakaken, nimoca and SUGOCA.
That covers trains, subways and buses in Greater Tokyo and many other regions, as well as shops, vending machines and coin lockers. Shops in PiTaPa areas do not accept it.
Three rules to know:
- You cannot ride across areas. The card must start and finish within the same IC card area. JR East's example: you cannot ride from the Tokyo area into the Sendai area with it. Buy a paper ticket for that journey.
- Limited express, express and Green Car need their own ticket on top of the card.
- Fares are taken on exit. If your balance is too low, add money at a fare adjustment machine.
Both cards can also hold a few discount tickets, including the Tokyo 1-Day Ticket, the Tokyo Metropolitan District Pass (Tokunai Pass), the NONBIRI Holiday Suica Pass and the Yokohama Minatomirai Pass.
Topping up
- Cash only. A Welcome Suica or regular Suica cannot be topped up by credit card.
- Limit: ¥20,000 on the card.
- Machines: ticket machines and fare adjustment machines in the Suica area, or the Seven Bank ATMs in 7-Eleven stores.
Which one should you get?
| Your trip | Best fit |
|---|---|
| 1–4 weeks in Japan, plastic card | Welcome Suica |
| iPhone, and you would rather skip the queue | Welcome Suica Mobile |
| Longer than 28 days, or you return often | Regular Suica |
| Mostly subway rides in Tokyo | A Suica, plus see our guide to the Tokyo Subway Ticket |
If you arrive at Haneda or Narita, see how to get into the city in our guides to Haneda and Narita.
Sources
All of these are JR East's official pages (the English pages on the site sometimes show the Japanese version of a page):
Prices change
Prices, exchange rates and rules in this article were checked on the date shown above. They can change at any time, so please confirm on the official website before you book or buy.
