How To Get A Prepaid Travel Card in 2023

Here’s how to get a prepaid travel card in Japan.

We always recommend that travellers buy a prepaid travel card like PASMO or SUICA in Japan, as having one makes getting around in Japan a breeze. Once loaded, you can also use it to pay for goods and services at many shops around Japan.

However, as you might have heard sales of SUICA and PASMO cards have been suspended indefinitely as of August 2, 2023 because of a semiconductor shortage. There’s no indication as to how long this situation will last.

What’s a hapless tourist to do? Fortunately, you can still purchase prepaid travel cards specifically for tourists. We’ve put together this guide outlining exactly how you can obtain one.

What are these tourist-only travel cards?

These are the PASMO Passport and the Welcome SUICA, which are issued by different companies. Functionally, they are identical and fully interchangeable, but we’ve outlined the key differences below:

PASMO Passport

• Valid for 28 days, after which it expires. No refunds available, so make sure you use all the cash balance before you depart.
• You must show your passport to the sales staff to prove that you’re a non-resident visiting Japan.
• It currently costs ¥1,500. This is the amount you’ll have loaded onto your card, as they’ve waived the ¥500 issuing fee. No word on how long that will last.
• You can buy it on arrival at the airport, and also at some locations in Tokyo.

It’s currently being sold in 21 locations, including Narita and Haneda Airports. This link takes you to a list of sales counters.

Welcome SUICA

• Valid for 28 days, after which it expires. No refunds available, so make sure you use all the cash balance before you depart.
• You can purchase it from the vending machine at the airport without showing your passport.
• If you’re purchasing one on behalf of a child aged 6 to 11 years old, you’ll need to show their passport (at the JR ticket office at the airport).
• You can load it with cash in thousand-yen increments to start with.
• You can only buy it at Narita or Haneda Airport.

Which one should I get?

Functionally, it doesn’t matter which one you buy. For example, you might decide you want the cute Hello Kitty-themed PASMO card as a souvenir instead of the sakura-themed Welcome SUICA card and base your decision on that. If you’re in a hurry to get out of the airport, you may also decide to just buy the PASMO Passport in the city.

That being said, the PASMO Passport sales counters are often a bit more difficult to find if you’re unfamiliar with the station layouts, especially larger stations with multiple lines and more than a dozen exits.

For example, the very nondescript-looking sales counter in Tokyo Metro Ginza Station is located near exit B6 around the Hibiya Line entrance, but you’d have to know that beforehand in order to find it and locations are, of course, not consistent across stations.

For this reason, we’d recommend purchasing the Welcome SUICA on arrival at Narita or Haneda Airport. It’s likely that you’ll have to wait in line, but it’s well worth the time spent here for hassle-free train travel afterwards. Plus, you don’t have to show your ID!

Here’s how you get a Welcome SUICA card

Where to buy it

As of 10 August 2023, you can only purchase the Welcome SUICA card at the following locations:

• JR-EAST Travel Service Center at Narita Airport Terminal Station 1, 2 and 3
• The Welcome SUICA vending machine on the Arrivals floor at Haneda Airport Terminal 3 Station, Tokyo Monorail Haneda Airport Line

Don’t forget to buy it on arriving at the airport in Tokyo!

If your flight lands at Narita Airport, head to the nearest JR-EAST Travel Service Center in Narita Airport Terminal 1 Station and Terminal 2/3 Station.

For the purposes of this article, we’ll show you how to do this at the vending machine on the Arrivals floor at Terminal 3 of Haneda Airport. This is where all international flights land at Haneda and it’s the most straightforward way to get one — just keep in mind that you’ll need to queue.

First, find the vending machine at Haneda Airport

After customs, you’ll be on the Arrivals floor. Follow the signs to the Tokyo Monorail. The vending machine is to the left of the ticket barriers. You can’t miss it. Have cash ready and get in line.

Follow the instructions on the screen

1. Choose your language (we selected English).

2. Hit “Accept” for the Adult Card.

– If you are purchasing a Child Card, the attendant nearby will likely ask to see a passport.

3. Insert the amount of money you’d like to put on the card.

4. Voila! A card. Make sure you keep the slip of paper that comes with it. This reference paper contains information about the validity period of your Welcome SUICA, but you’ll also need to show it if the staff ask to see it.

Other Options

The Kansai version of Suica/Pasmo is called Icoca and it’s available as normal at JR Stations in Kansai, as well as at Kansai International Airport. So, if you’re starting your trip in Kansai, pick one up and you can use it everywhere in Japan, just like Suica/Pasmo.

Also, if you have a relatively new iPhone model and have Apple Pay, you can get a Suica or Pasmo on your phone. Just note that you can only top it up with a MasterCard or American Express card, or using cash at train and subway stations in Japan.

More Information

• Icoca Card
• Tokyo Smart Cards: Suica and Pasmo
• Top 10 Japan Travel Hacks

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