Checked with JR East and PASMO pages
Suica or PASMO: is there any difference?
For riding, no. Suica and PASMO both work on almost every train, subway and bus in Tokyo and in other big cities. Choose by where you land: TOURIST PASMO at Haneda, Welcome Suica at Narita, or no card at all on an iPhone.
Where they really differ
- Where you can buy them. Welcome Suica has its own machines at Narita and Haneda Terminal 3. TOURIST PASMO is sold at Haneda stations (credit cards accepted) and, as a ¥2,000 card only, at the Keisei counter at Narita.
- Refund. The tourist versions (Welcome Suica, TOURIST PASMO) have no deposit and give no refund. A regular Suica or PASMO has a ¥500 deposit and you can get the balance back, minus a ¥220 fee.
- Phone. Suica has the Welcome Suica Mobile app for iPhone. Suica, PASMO and ICOCA can all be added to Apple Wallet.
Where they work
Suica, PASMO, ICOCA and 7 other IC cards work on trains and buses with any of the 10 card logos across Japan. One trip cannot cross from one card area into another (for example Tokyo to Sendai). Limited express trains and Green Cars need a separate ticket. Shops in PiTaPa areas do not take the cards.
Welcome Suica
| Deposit | None |
|---|---|
| Where to buy | JR EAST Travel Service Centers at Narita T1, Narita T2/T3, Haneda T3 (Tokyo Monorail), and Tokyo, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Ueno, Yokohama and Sendai stations. Welcome Suica machines at Narita T1, Narita T2/T3 and Haneda T3 (Monorail) only |
| Top up | Yen cash at machines with the Welcome Suica mark or Seven Bank ATMs. No credit cards. Up to ¥20,000 |
| Valid | 28 days including the day you buy it |
| Refund | No refund of the balance, ever |
| Good to know | The GOOD THRU date on the back is not the expiry. The expiry is on the paper you get when you buy it. A JR East press release (April 21, 2026) says 28 days from first use; plan on 28 days from the day you buy it to be safe |
Source: JR East, Welcome Suica: where to buy. Checked October 13, 2026.
TOURIST PASMO
| Deposit | None |
|---|---|
| Where to buy | Haneda T1/T2 station ticket machines, and the Keikyu Tourist Information Center and the machine next to it at Haneda T3 (credit cards accepted). Narita T1 and T2: SKYLINER & KEISEI INFORMATION CENTER, ¥2,000 card only |
| Top up | Cash at station machines (up to ¥20,000), and at some stores |
| Valid | 28 days from the day you buy it |
| Refund | No refund, even if unused. Not reissued if lost |
| Good to know | Sold from May 2026. The full price is stored value; there is no fee |
Source: PASMO Association, TOURIST PASMO. Checked October 13, 2026.