Tokyo Subway Ticket Options: Suica or PASMO?

Poste date: Friday, July 11, 2025

If you live in Tokyo, you know that the public transportation system is second to none. Subways, trains, and buses run on time from early morning until late at night, connecting every corner of the city. Where a congested highway can take two or more hours to get from point A to B, the train system often gets you there in half the time.

If you’re a regular commuter, you’re likely familiar with the ticket gates and kiosks where you can buy tickets or recharge your IC cards. Nowadays, PASMO and Suica cards — or their convenient mobile versions on your smartphone — are essential for stress-free daily travel. These contactless smart cards allow you to enter and exit nearly any station in Tokyo with just a simple tap.

Suica or PASMO: Is There a Difference?

You can’t miss the signs and mascots for PASMO and Suica when entering Tokyo’s train stations. While the names are easy to remember, telling them apart is a bit trickier. Essentially, both are rechargeable IC cards that make commuting around Tokyo and even other regions of Japan much easier than in the old days when you had to buy a separate ticket every time you transferred between different train or bus companies.

PASMO, a joint partnership operated by Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway and accepted by various other transportation companies in the Tokyo area, and Suica, a service run by JR East and accepted on all JR rail lines and buses within the Tokyo metropolitan area, are essentially two faces of the same system. The two cards are completely interoperable — you can use your PASMO card to ride JR trains and buses, and your Suica card will get you on any train or bus line that accepts PASMO.

Furthermore, you can easily recharge either card at any station that supports PASMO or Suica, or use the convenient Mobile PASMO or Mobile Suica apps on your smartphone. Both cards are also widely accepted at convenience stores, vending machines, and even some taxis throughout Japan, and they are interoperable with other IC card systems nationwide, such as ICOCA and TOICA, making travel between regions smooth and convenient.

Using Your Suica or PASMO for Train and Bus Fares

First, you’ll need to purchase a smart card — also known as an IC card — from a ticket kiosk or ticket office at any participating bus or train station. When buying your card, you have a few options: you can choose a “blank” card with a prepaid balance, or you can register an account with PASMO or Suica so the card is linked to you personally. The benefit of registering is that if your card is lost, stolen, or damaged, you can get a replacement.

It’s also good to know that there’s usually an initial issuance fee of around 500 yen, so try not to lose your card too often! These days, you can also add your PASMO or Suica to your smartphone using the Mobile PASMO or Mobile Suica apps, which makes it even more convenient.

Here are a few more tips for using your IC card.

■ When traveling around Tokyo

When you’re traveling around Tokyo, simply tap your card on the reader at the ticket gate or as you board the bus. If your card has enough funds, the screen will light up blue. If not, it will turn red to let you know you need to add more money.

If this happens, step back from the gate and politely say “sumimasen” to those behind you until you’re clear of the line. Then you can either recharge your card at a nearby machine or buy a paper ticket instead.

■ Exiting a bus or train station

When you scan your card to exit a bus or train station, the correct fare is automatically deducted from your balance. However, if the screen turns red, just follow the same steps above to add more funds or pay the difference.

■ Adding funds to your IC card

If your balance runs low, you can top up your card at any ticket machine, on some buses, or at shops that accept PASMO or Suica. Note that at kiosks you usually need to use cash — top-ups are done in increments of 1,000 yen at non-JR stations or 500 yen at JR stations. Credit cards generally aren’t accepted for topping up at machines.

■ Using your IC card throughout Japan

In recent years, the PASMO and Suica network has expanded, so you can now use your card in many other regions across Japan. Just look for the IC card logo at train stations and buses nationwide.

Using Your PASMO or Suica as an IC Card for Other Purchases

n addition to paying for transportation fares, you can also use your PASMO or Suica card to make purchases at many shops, restaurants, vending machines, coin lockers, and even parking lots around Tokyo. Just look for a sign that displays the PASMO or Suica logo and a place to tap your card. While these signs are easy to find in Tokyo, you may have more difficulty locating the same payment options in rural areas or in other major cities like Osaka, since some regions have different transportation IC systems.

When using your card at a vending machine, coin locker, or parking lot, simply select what you want as you normally would and then tap your card on the reader to pay.

If you’re paying at a shop or convenience store that accepts IC cards, let the cashier know when you check out, and tap your card on the reader when they prompt you.

Tips on Using Mobile Suica

If you have a smartphone with mobile wallet capabilities, you can add PASMO or Suica to your phone and use it just like a physical card. This is one of the key differences that may help you decide which card to choose, since Suica and PASMO both now offer mobile options. Using a mobile IC card means you can top up on the go and avoid carrying an extra card.

Check out the link below to learn how to set up Mobile PASMO or Mobile Suica on your device.

>> Details on how to set up and use Mobile Suica.