Tokyo Train Payment: Suica, PASMO or Tapping a Foreign Card

Where a foreign card tap works, and where it does not

Since the first train on 25 March 2026, contactless bank cards work across 11 Kanto railway operators as one network, according to Toei's notice of 28 January 2026: Tokyo Metro, Toei Subway, Odakyu, Odakyu Hakone, Keio, Keikyu, Sagami Railway, Seibu, Tokyu, Tobu and Yokohama Minatomirai. The notice put coverage at 54 lines and 729 stations at launch, with Sagami Railway's gates added in stages and Seibu expecting full coverage by March 2027.

Toei's tap-and-go page names the companies that do not accept it: JR East, Keisei and Hokuso. It also says you cannot tap in or out at Narita Airport Station or Airport Terminal 2 Station. Tokyo Metro's Tap to Ride page adds that you cannot continue from Tokyo Metro onto JR East, the Saitama Rapid Railway or the Toyo Rapid Railway on a card tap, and that boarding at Nakano Station is not covered (checked 12 October 2026).

The accepted brands are Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club, Discover and UnionPay, on a physical card with the contactless symbol. On a phone wallet, Tokyo Metro lists Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express and Discover. No registration is needed to ride.

The rules that change the choice

The tap rules matter more than the brand list:

• Adult fare only. Both Toei and Tokyo Metro say there is no child fare; a child may use a card in their own name but is charged the adult fare.
• One card per person. Only the named cardholder may use the card, and you must enter and exit with the same card or the same card number on the same phone.
• Ticket fare, not IC fare. Tokyo Metro charges "the same as the standard passenger fare (in 10-yen increments) for a ticket".
• One transfer discount only. You get ¥70 off when changing between a Tokyo Metro line and a Toei Subway line; no other discounts apply.
• No mixing. A tap cannot be combined with commuter passes, day passes or other tickets.

Toei also says each day's fares are combined and settled the next day, and a credit card bill may show it the following month or the month after. Your card issuer may add its own foreign-transaction fee; the railways do not publish one.

IC cards a visitor can buy in Tokyo

All figures checked 12 October 2026 on the issuers' pages cited below. The IC cards work on JR East as well as on the subways and private railways, which is the gap a card tap leaves.

Welcome Suica

JR East's purchase page lists adult and child cards at ¥1,000, ¥2,000, ¥3,000, ¥4,000, ¥5,000 or ¥10,000, with no deposit and, in principle, one per person. Sales points listed since 27 March 2025:

• JR EAST Travel Service Centers at Narita Airport Terminal 1 and Terminal 2・3, Haneda Airport Terminal 3 (Tokyo Monorail) station, and Tokyo, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Ueno, Yokohama and Sendai stations
• Welcome Suica vending machines at the Narita Terminal 1, Narita Terminal 2・3 and Haneda Terminal 3 (Tokyo Monorail) stations
• JAPAN RAIL CAFÉ at Tokyo Station, and the Travel Service Center at Takanawa Gateway

The card stops working on the 29th day; the "GOOD THRU" date printed on the back is not its expiry. JR East states that no refunds are available whatever the remaining balance, except for a malfunctioning card, and that a lost card cannot be reissued. You can top up as often as you like during the 28 days, in yen cash only; JR East says credit cards cannot be used for Welcome Suica top-ups. The Welcome Suica overview adds that it covers trains, subways, buses and the Tokyo Monorail in the Tokyo area, and payments at convenience stores, restaurants, vending machines and coin lockers, but limited express, express and Green Car seats need a separate ticket.

TOURIST PASMO

The TOURIST PASMO page describes the newer airport alternative, announced in the PASMO notice of 17 April 2026 for sale from May 2026 and aimed mainly at short-stay international visitors. It has no deposit, is valid for 28 days and does not refund unused value.

• Haneda: ¥1,000, ¥2,000, ¥3,000, ¥4,000, ¥5,000 or ¥10,000, from traveller ticket machines at the Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 gates of Haneda Terminal 1·2 Station, or at the Keikyu Tourist Information Center (2nd-floor arrival lobby) and the machine beside it at Terminal 3 Station. PASMO says the Haneda ticket machines accept credit cards.
• Narita: ¥2,000 only, at the SKYLINER & KEISEI INFORMATION CENTER in Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 stations.

A child TOURIST PASMO can be used until 31 March of the year the child turns 12. Top-ups at station machines stop at a ¥20,000 balance.

PASMO's visitor page states that PASMO PASSPORT, the earlier visitor card, has not been sold since 25 June 2024, so ignore older advice about it.

Welcome Suica Mobile on an iPhone

JR East's Welcome Suica Mobile page describes an iOS app that issues a Suica and tops it up "with the credit card you have registered with Apple Pay". JR East's press release of 18 February 2025 says it runs on iPhone and Apple Watch, needs no personal registration or deposit, expires 180 days after issue, and does not refund remaining value. JR East does not list which card brands are accepted for top-up, so add your card to Apple Pay and test the top-up before you rely on it. There is no Android version on these pages, and PASMO's home page says Android phones bought outside Japan are generally not compatible with Mobile PASMO.

Regular Suica and PASMO

The ordinary cards are for longer stays or repeat visits. Tokyo Metro's PASMO page lists sales at ticket machines in all its stations from ¥1,000, which includes a ¥500 deposit. The Rules for Using PASMO charge a ¥220 fee per refund (or the whole balance if it is under ¥220) and return the deposit; JR East's Suica page describes the same ¥220 fee and ¥500 deposit, with JR East-issued cards refunded only at JR East stations. Either card expires after 10 years unused, so it can wait for your next trip.

Which option suits a 3-day visitor

Tokyo Metro publishes both fares side by side (fare table, checked 12 October 2026). For an adult on a 1–6 km trip, a card tap costs ¥180 and an IC card ¥178; at 12–19 km it is ¥260 against ¥252. On fares alone the gap is small, so the real decision is which lines you ride and who is travelling.

Take two adults on a 3-day stay who each make about four short Tokyo Metro trips a day. On card tap that is 12 × ¥180 = ¥2,160 each, ¥4,320 for the pair; on IC cards 12 × ¥178 = ¥2,136 each. Toei's tickets page lists the 72-hour Tokyo Subway Ticket at ¥2,000 per adult for Tokyo Metro and Toei lines, which wins from the 12th short subway ride, but it covers no JR East lines.

When to switch

Switch from a card tap to an IC card as soon as a route touches JR East, Keisei or the Hokuso line, or when a child is travelling. Switch from an IC card to a pass when your subway count passes the break-even above. If you leave with value on a Welcome Suica or TOURIST PASMO, spend it before you fly, because neither issuer refunds it; JR East lists convenience stores, vending machines and coin lockers among the places Welcome Suica pays. When planning your arrival, our guide to getting from Narita and Haneda to central Tokyo shows which airport lines sit on each side of that line.

Topping up and using the card on the day

1. Buy the card at the airport station before your first ride, choosing a value close to what you will spend in 28 days.
2. Top up with cash at station ticket machines; JR East says Suica top-ups go in ¥500 to ¥10,000 steps up to a ¥20,000 balance.
3. Tap the same card or phone on entry and exit; Tokyo Metro and Toei make this a condition of card-tap travel.
4. On buses, JR East's Welcome Suica page says you touch the card on the reader when boarding and exiting.

For days out within the city, the Tokyo Skytree ticket guide and the teamLab Planets and Borderless guide cover the admission side once your transit card is sorted.