How to Add Suica or PASMO on Your Phone for Your Trip to Japan

When traveling to Japan, prepaid transportation cards like Suica or PASMO are essential.

Traditionally, getting a physical card was the norm but nowadays, having the digital version is more convenient. What’s great is that you can have it without downloading an app.

Why add Suica or PASMO to your phone?

Having the digital version of Suica or PASMO means that it’s one less thing to worry about. You don’t need to go to a machine or office to get one as you can have it before you even arrive in Japan.

You also won’t need to carry as much cash with you and deal with recharging at the ticket machine because you can simply charge them on your phone with your credit card.

All of your train rides and their fares will appear on your phone making it easy to reference where you went and when.

How to add Suica or PASMO on your iPhone

Go to the Wallet app and select "+"
Select “Transit Card”. Choose Suica or PASMO and select "Continue".
Scroll to “Japan” and choose the card type you want
Press “Continue” and follow the instructions

1. Go to the Wallet app and select "+"

2. Select “Transit Card”. Choose Suica or PASMO and select "Continue".

3. Scroll to “Japan” and choose the card type you want

4. Press “Continue” and follow the instructions

You can also select “Transfer Existing Card” if you already have a physical version.

Charging your card will come after these steps. Enter the amount you want to add, select “Add”, and then “Confirm”.

How to add Suica or PASMO on your Android phone

Go to the Google Pay app and select “Payment”.
Select “Payment method”, then E-money, and then either Suica or PASMO.
Select “Anonymous card”, then “Next”, and then “Accept” at the bottom of the Terms of Service.

How to top up your Suica or PASMO

Once Suica or PASMO have been added to Apple Wallet or Google Pay, you can easily add money by opening the app, selecting the IC Card, and then “Add Money”.

Add the amount you would like, select the method of payment, and confirm the transaction.

Note that not all foreign credit cards work

Some foreign credit cards are not accepted for recharging IC cards. Based on available information and experience, Mastercard and American Express have the highest rate of acceptance.

You can also recharge with cash

If you prefer to recharge with cash or are having credit card issues that prevent you from topping up your card, it is still possible to add money to your mobile IC card on your smartphone at train stations.

Many stations around Japan now offer the option of using ticket machines that are designed for “contactless” recharging. These ticket machines will either have a small shelf or indented space where physical IC cards or smartphones can be placed for recharging.

Simply place your iPhone or Android phone in or on the contactless charging area, and charge using the machine.

Please note that while not all stations are equipped with contactless ticket machines, but many are.

You can also top up at a convenience store. This can be done over the counter or at a 7-Eleven register.

Is there a downside to not using a physical IC card or the official apps?

While adding a Suica or PASMO via your Wallet is perfectly fine for most, it won’t be able to connect with “smartEX”, the Shinkansen bullet train app. Connecting with the smartEX app will let you use your Suica or PASMO to catch the Shinkansen.

In order to connect with smartEX, you need to either have the physical Suica or PASMO card, or get one through their official apps, which are only available in Japanese and have very poor reviews.

How to use Suica or PASMO to ride the train

Using Suica or PASMO to enter and exit the ticket gate is really easy. You don’t need to open an app or have your phone unlocked. All you need to do is place your phone near the reader and it automatically deducts the correct fare amount.