Buy a Tokyo IC card at airport machines or major station counters, or add Suica/PASMO to iPhone before riding.
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Most visitors solve how to buy IC card in Tokyo by choosing between a mobile IC card on iPhone and a physical Welcome Suica, Suica, or PASMO after landing. A Tokyo IC card will not cut every fare, but it saves time because one stored balance works for train gates, buses, vending machines, coin lockers, and many convenience stores.
Physical IC card supply is far easier than it was during the chip-shortage years, but visitor cards still have rules that matter. Welcome Suica and TOURIST PASMO are short-stay cards with 28-day validity, regular Suica and regular PASMO use a refundable ¥500 deposit, and mobile cards are the cleanest answer for many iPhone users.
Buying A Tokyo IC Card: Airport, Phone, And Station Options
Tokyo IC card buying has three workable routes: add one to your phone, buy a visitor card at the airport, or buy a regular card at a city station. Phone first is easiest for a compatible iPhone; airport first is easiest for a physical card after a long flight.
Use this comparison before you stand at a ticket machine. The right pick depends less on train company loyalty and more on your device, trip length, and whether you want any unused balance back.
| IC Card Option | Where To Get It | Best Fit |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome Suica | JR East airport machines or JR East Travel Service Centers | Short Tokyo trips under 28 days with no deposit hassle |
| Mobile Suica | Apple Wallet on a compatible iPhone or Apple Watch | Travelers who want to tap a phone and reload digitally |
| Mobile PASMO | Apple Wallet on a compatible iPhone or Apple Watch | Travelers using Tokyo Metro, Toei, and private railway routes often |
| TOURIST PASMO | PASMO visitor sales points when available | Short-stay visitors who prefer the PASMO network card |
| Regular PASMO | Participating railway ticket machines and commuter-pass counters | Repeat visitors who want a reusable deposit card |
| Regular Suica | JR East ticket machines and ticket offices where sales are available | Repeat visitors using JR lines often |
| Child IC Card | Station counters or eligible machines with age verification | Children who qualify for child fares and have ID ready |
Which Tokyo IC Card Should You Buy?
Most short-stay visitors should buy Welcome Suica if they need a physical card, or use mobile Suica/PASMO if they have a compatible iPhone. Longer-stay and repeat visitors should lean toward regular Suica or regular PASMO because the ¥500 deposit card can be kept and refunded through the issuing network.
Welcome Suica is simple because there is no deposit and the starting balance options are clear. The drawback is the 28-day limit and the no-refund rule on remaining balance, so avoid loading far more than you can spend.
Regular PASMO and regular Suica work better if you expect to come back to Japan. They cost more upfront because of the ¥500 deposit, but the card itself is not a short visitor product.
Mobile IC cards are different. Apple says Suica, PASMO, ICOCA, and TOICA can be added to Apple Wallet on supported iPhone and Apple Watch models, while many Android phones sold outside Japan cannot create a Japanese transit IC card unless the device supports Japan’s FeliCa/Osaifu-Keitai standard.
How Do You Buy A Welcome Suica At The Airport?
Welcome Suica is the cleanest airport purchase because JR East sells it at Narita Airport Terminal 1, Narita Airport Terminal 2・3, and Haneda Airport Terminal 3 at the Tokyo Monorail station. JR East’s Welcome Suica purchase page lists the current sales points, preset purchase amounts, 28-day validity, and top-up rules.
Use the airport machine if you want the least conversation. Use the JR East Travel Service Center if you need a child card, a rail pass added to the card, or staff help.
- At Narita or Haneda Terminal 3, find the Welcome Suica ticket vending machine or JR East Travel Service Center.
- Select English on the machine screen, then choose Welcome Suica.
- Pick the starting amount: ¥1,000, ¥2,000, ¥3,000, ¥4,000, ¥5,000, or ¥10,000.
- Take both the card and the reference paper. The card itself does not show the validity period.
- Tap the card flat on the gate reader when entering and exiting trains, and tap on bus readers as directed.
Airport detail: At Haneda, the official Welcome Suica machine location is Terminal 3 at the Tokyo Monorail station. Haneda Terminal 1 or 2 arrivals may need to move terminals, use a regular ticket first, or buy another IC card option.
Where To Buy A Regular PASMO Or Suica In The City
Regular PASMO and regular Suica are useful when a 28-day visitor card feels too short. PASMO is sold by participating private railway and subway operators, while Suica is the JR East card used across the same broader IC network in Tokyo.
At a PASMO ticket machine, the common flow is: choose PASMO, choose Purchase New PASMO, then select a blank or personalized card. PASMO states that procedures can differ by transportation provider and that credit cards are not accepted for PASMO purchases.
At JR East stations, look for Suica-compatible ticket machines or staffed ticket offices. If a machine does not show the card purchase option, try a larger station such as Tokyo, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ueno, or Ikebukuro, or ask station staff for the nearest sales point.
Regular cards make the most sense when you want the card for future trips. A personalized PASMO requires name, date of birth, gender, and phone number registration, but it can be reissued if lost; a blank card is easier to buy but weaker if it disappears.
First Load Amounts And Top-Up Spots
Start with ¥2,000–¥3,000, about $12–$19 at roughly ¥162 to $1, for the first one or two days in Tokyo. Add more once you understand your route pattern instead of trapping too much balance on a non-refundable visitor card.
Physical Welcome Suica top-ups can be made at compatible station machines, fare adjustment machines, and Seven Bank ATMs in many 7-Eleven stores. JR East caps the stored balance at ¥20,000, about $123, and says Welcome Suica top-ups use yen cash rather than credit cards.
| Trip Situation | Starting Load | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Airport train plus one local ride | ¥2,000, about $12 | Covers an arrival day without leaving much unused money |
| One full Tokyo sightseeing day | ¥2,000–¥3,000, about $12–$19 | Works for several subway or JR hops plus a small purchase |
| Two easy city days | ¥3,000, about $19 | Reduces machine stops without overloading a visitor card |
| Three or four Tokyo days | ¥5,000, about $31 | Good if you also use the card at stores and vending machines |
| Day trip using local trains | ¥5,000–¥10,000, about $31–$62 | Useful for Yokohama, Kamakura, or Chiba local rail legs |
| Child IC card | Small first load | Child fare cards require age verification, so buy with ID ready |
| Final day in Japan | Top up only what you need | Welcome Suica and TOURIST PASMO balances are not normal refund cards |
Keep The Reference Paper And Watch Refund Rules
Welcome Suica has two traps: the 28-day validity starts on the purchase day, and normal remaining balance refunds are not available. The reference paper matters because it shows details that are not printed on the card face.
Carry the reference paper with the card during your trip. If the paper is lost, JR East says it can be reprinted at compatible ticket machines or by asking station staff inside the Suica area.
Regular Suica and regular PASMO are different from short-stay visitor cards. Their ¥500 deposit can usually be refunded when you return the card to the correct issuing company, but you should not expect a PASMO refund at a JR East counter or a Suica refund at a private railway counter.
Shinkansen, reserved limited express trains, and Green Cars can need a separate ticket or seat product even when you use an IC card for station entry. Treat the IC card as your city transport wallet, not as a pass for every train in Japan.
Pick A Tokyo Base Near A Line You Will Use
Tokyo hotel location changes how often you need the IC card because a station-side base cuts transfers. Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ueno, Tokyo Station, Ginza, Asakusa, and Shinagawa are practical areas when you want frequent rail access without long walks.
If your stay is not set yet, compare Tokyo hotels by station access before locking in dates:
A hotel near the JR Yamanote Line is flexible for a first Tokyo trip, while Asakusa works well for Narita access and older-east-side sightseeing. Shinagawa is strong for Haneda access and shinkansen plans, but it can feel less convenient for late nights in Shibuya or Shinjuku.
Most Travelers Should Do This
Most short-stay visitors should add Suica or PASMO to iPhone before the first ride, or buy a Welcome Suica at the airport with about ¥3,000 loaded. Repeat visitors, long-stay travelers, and anyone who wants refund options should buy a regular PASMO or regular Suica instead.
- iPhone ready: Add Suica or PASMO in Apple Wallet, load a small first balance, and tap through the first gate.
- Landing at Narita: Buy Welcome Suica at Terminal 1 or Terminal 2・3, then take the airport train into Tokyo.
- Landing at Haneda Terminal 3: Buy Welcome Suica at the Tokyo Monorail station if you want a physical card right away.
- Using Android from outside Japan: Plan on a physical card unless your device supports Japan’s FeliCa/Osaifu-Keitai transit system.
- Traveling with children: Bring passport or age ID for a child card, because adult IC cards charge adult fares.
- Leaving Japan soon: Spend down visitor-card balance at stations, convenience stores, vending machines, and coin lockers before departure.
The safe move is to keep the first load modest, carry a few yen bills for cash top-ups, and keep the reference paper with any Welcome Suica. Once the card is in your hand or on your phone, Tokyo transport becomes a tap-and-go routine instead of a ticket-machine stop before every ride.
References & Sources
- JR East.“Welcome Suica — Purchasing And Using.”Lists current Welcome Suica sales locations, purchase amounts, validity, top-up rules, and refund limits.