However, there’s a fee for this and you’ll have to put down another deposit, so if you’re just here on holiday, consider whether you really want to bother. And if you don’t get it back, you can have your remaining balance transferred to your new one. Or if you’re worried you might lose your card and all the money on it, registering it means that you stand a better chance of getting it back (because your name will be on it). Why would you do this? If you’re going to be in Tokyo for a while and want to use it as a commuter pass. You can register your Suica card at the time of purchase by selecting “MySuica” and inputting the information requested - your name, DOB, gender, and phone number. And then use BOTH when going through the ticket machines.īuying a new Suica card couldn’t be easier. | Photo by Lily Crossley-Baxter How to register a Suica card and what to do if your Suica card gets lost or stolen So to ride the Shinkansen (or, say, the Narita Express to the airport), you have to buy a paper ticket from the ticket machines for the surcharge - doing so also reserves you a seat on the train. And IC cards like Suica generally only cover the base fare. And then, if you are riding any of Japan’s ~special~ trains, like the Shinkansen or other high-speed, limited express trains, there is a surcharge on top of the base fare. Here’s one of the tricky things about trains in Japan: There is the base fare, which is determined by how far you travel. Can I use my Suica card on the Shinkansen? They should have you sorted out in a jiffy. If you do find yourself somewhere that a Suica card doesn’t get you through the automatic ticket gate, simply make your way to the staffed gate, show them your card and say where you boarded the train. Or if you see “IC” on the card reader than it will work with Suica. Tl dr: If the card name has an “a” on the end, chances are it’s part of the Suica family. Hayakaken, used by the Fukuoka City Subway.nimoca, used by Nishitetsu (Nishi-Nippon), and others in the Fukuoka region.PiTaPa, used in the Kansai region, and some parts of Okayama, Hiroshima, and Shizuoka.They can be used on a whole bunch of mass transit systems outside Tokyo, such as Kyoto, Sendai and Niigata, as well as areas serviced by other IC travel card systems, including: Suica cards also work perfectly well in many other parts of Japan. It also works on the Tokyo Monorail to Haneda Airport. There’s a fair bit of interoperability, meaning that your Suica card will get you around Tokyo with no bother because it’s fully compatible with the Tokyo metro area’s Pasmo system. Pretty much everywhere: on all JR East train and bus lines, as well as on many lines owned by other Japanese rail companies. With a Suica card in hand, Tokyo really is yours | Photo by /prachanart Where do these magical Suica cards work? You’re supposed to keep this receipt in case anyone asks to see it (annoying). When you activate the Welcome Suica, you’ll get a receipt that has useful information like the expiration date on it. You can purchase the Welcome Suica card at JR East Travel Service Centers at Narita Airport Terminal 1 Station, Narita Airport Terminal 2/3 Station, Haneda Airport International Terminal Station, Tokyo Station, Hamamatsuchō Station, Shinagawa Station, Shibuya Station, Shinjuku Station, Ikebukuro Station, or Ueno Station. So any money left on the card goes back to JR! Which means you stand to lose more than the deposit on a regular Suica if you are not careful. However! You cannot get a refund for the remaining balance when your travels are over. You don’t have to go to the trouble of returning the card or sacrificing the ¥ 500 deposit. The card is available with two pre-loaded amounts, either ¥ 1,000 or ¥ 2,000. The card has no deposit, which is great, but it automatically expires after 28 days, so it’s only intended for those staying for a few weeks. In September 2019, Suica introduced the Welcome Suica, a sakura-themed card which is perfect for (some) visitors. The Welcome Suica Card: Specifically for short-term visitors to Japan You can also, obviously, get them at train stations. Suica cards are cheap, easy, flexible, and available for purchase online, with options to collect it at the airport. This contactless IC card, issued by JR (Japan Railway) East, is a pay-as-you-go pass for a whole host of Japanese train lines, as well as subways, bus lines and streetcars, vending machines, some convenience stores, and station-area facilities like coin lockers. The short answer is: the universe’s gift to travelers in Japan.
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