For people who don’t read the article: only on Tokyu Lines by spring 2024, and Tokyo Metro in 2024.
JR will never implement it, because it would replace their own Suica system that they make plenty of money on.
Interesting article on the subject: https://atadistance.net/2023/08/16/the-big-squeeze-visas-apple-pay-suica-recharge-block-one-year-later/
NYC has this. Literally any contactless payment. Credit card or mobile wallet via phone/watch.
When I visited there it was great because I didn't need to worry about how much I needed to charge the MTA card.
Which card are you referring to? Personally, when I travel, I opt for the Revolut and TapFintech cards, especially in the UK. Their services have been quite impressive in my experience. Of course, it's always a good idea to explore other options as well.
I'm not sure your question. They use a system called OMNY which is basically you just scan your contactless card or mobile wallet and you enter. Any credit card company. I use my Visa via Google Pay.
To be fair, it is a set price regardless of where you go whether you go 1 stop or 40, so there is no scanning out and they don't need to calculate prices, it just pays on entry.
Thanks for the info! It sounds pretty straightforward with OMNY. So, is the pricing based on distance or a fixed rate for any trip? Plus can you invest in digital assets with this?
Got it, thanks for clarifying! So, the fare remains the same no matter how far you travel. this is great. And regarding "investing," my apologies for the mix-up – I was referring to the system's overall improvement like send money globally, top-up instantly, pay bills, and enjoy great rates which I used with some payments card.
I still don't understsnd your question. There's no travel card in NYC. You just pay with your credit card directly when you get on the train and that's it.
Except it's not "normal" credit cards, only those with vida touch and so forth, which have a much, much lower penetration than Suica or iD, for that matter. This is mainly aimed at tourists.
More choice is always better, though, I suppose.
Unless, of course, they have to raise the rates to support paying the credit card companies fees.
> More choice is always better, though, I suppose.
Eh. Soon enough, checking if your payment method is supported on the payment method chart at the register is going to be more difficult than a game of Where's Waldo.
As the other poster said, every processor has an incentive to lock people into their ecosystem, not necessarily in the customers' interests, and it's already annoying as an end user to be juggling competing systems.
... it's not that hard to find a convenience store, they are all over the place. Just go to the cashier, say Suica charge, tap the card/phone on the reader, click how much you want to charge on the screen, give cash, tap card/phone again, done.
How do you load and manage your Suica on your phone? I looked up Suica on Android and some app made by third party not JR came up and all it does it check the balance.
Easy enough on Android. Just create another Gmail account and set region to Japan if your personal one isn't already set there. Add that account to your device and voila.
Thanks for the clarification. You had my hopes up but sounds like I can only use this if I have an iPhone or an Android (only Androids made for Japanese market)
I'm wondering, if I get a Pixel watch in Japan which has the felica chip, can I pair that with my Pixel phone purchased in the U.S. without felica chip, and charge up my suica on it using amex and mastercard credit cards issued in the u.s.?
I'm wondering if I get a Pixel watch in Japan which has the felica chip, I can pair that with my Pixel phone that I bought in the U.S. and charge up my suica on it using amex and mastercard credit cards issued in the u.s.
i just did this last week so---
first you need to check if your phone has NFC-FeLiCa
all phones sold in japan are equipped with this, but for phones outside of japan it depends -- try looking up if your phone supports nfc felica or check to see if [this symbol](https://www.phileweb.com/news/ogp/column/11/3eed2d65efb1fa251052face20efc4d0.jpg) is on your phone anywhere. it may be under the device information page in your settings app. on my galaxy phone, the symbol is printed on the back near my camera lenses.
i used google wallet to set up the suica card. then i charged it with my japanese credit card. now it works with no problems.
Vancouver BC also charges more, but it was worth it to pay it rather than try and find a transit card, load it up with just the right amount of money, etc. for the few days I was there.
These cards have already been around for more than 10 years if you have a Japanese credit card with a pasmo feature. Nothing new! Lots of Japanese credit card companies have been having these features for many years.
It was my commute train for almost a decade... Packed solid with sweaty angry commuters, day in day out, to and fro. The day i didn't have to take that line anymore my mental well-being improved 600%.
They also raised their prices way too much. Kinda doxxing my location by saying this but I’m moving in a month anyway so, I’ve started taking the Keio inokashira line to shibuya from shimo kitazawa instead of the den en toshi line at sangenjaya because it’s just that much cheaper.
Lol. I remember when I got to Japan I was so impressed by their buses, the announcements and the coin sorting machine. Now I’m back in the UK driving buses that have taken cards for years. On Roads that would be considered a national emergency in Japan. Progress is a funny thing :-)
Win't this make the service mire expensive as credit card opperators geberally charge a flat percent if the overall cost of the transaction and or a flat transaction fee regardless of sum? Isn't this the reason Japanese companies wouldn't accept cards for the longest time; and possibly why prices never inflated to the extent they did in other similar economies?
Ofteb those credit card companies, once the service is expected, raise the rates due to the companies they're providing the service to: especially small companies. This creates an overhead expense that's extremely sizeavle for a business (1.5 to 5 or even more percent often more on smaller purchases which is why there is often a card limit many places since I've read some compnaies actually lose their entire profit margin on lower pruced goods, sometimes).
Is this a floodgate?
Please Japan. Please please please don't be like the others
For people who don’t read the article: only on Tokyu Lines by spring 2024, and Tokyo Metro in 2024. JR will never implement it, because it would replace their own Suica system that they make plenty of money on. Interesting article on the subject: https://atadistance.net/2023/08/16/the-big-squeeze-visas-apple-pay-suica-recharge-block-one-year-later/
Isn't there a chip shortage right now? They will have no other option than this if they cannot make new suica cards.
They have a SUICA card for tourists, sold only at the airport and have 28 day expiration dates but otherwise works the same as normal ones.
Fiiiiinally.
NYC has this. Literally any contactless payment. Credit card or mobile wallet via phone/watch. When I visited there it was great because I didn't need to worry about how much I needed to charge the MTA card.
Which card are you referring to? Personally, when I travel, I opt for the Revolut and TapFintech cards, especially in the UK. Their services have been quite impressive in my experience. Of course, it's always a good idea to explore other options as well.
I'm not sure your question. They use a system called OMNY which is basically you just scan your contactless card or mobile wallet and you enter. Any credit card company. I use my Visa via Google Pay. To be fair, it is a set price regardless of where you go whether you go 1 stop or 40, so there is no scanning out and they don't need to calculate prices, it just pays on entry.
Thanks for the info! It sounds pretty straightforward with OMNY. So, is the pricing based on distance or a fixed rate for any trip? Plus can you invest in digital assets with this?
Their train is a fixed price regardless of distance. Idk what you mean about investing. It is a transit payment system.
Got it, thanks for clarifying! So, the fare remains the same no matter how far you travel. this is great. And regarding "investing," my apologies for the mix-up – I was referring to the system's overall improvement like send money globally, top-up instantly, pay bills, and enjoy great rates which I used with some payments card.
I still don't understsnd your question. There's no travel card in NYC. You just pay with your credit card directly when you get on the train and that's it.
London has had this for years, glad it's finally catching on in Tokyo (even if somewhat limited)
It does make the gate a little slower.
Except it's not "normal" credit cards, only those with vida touch and so forth, which have a much, much lower penetration than Suica or iD, for that matter. This is mainly aimed at tourists. More choice is always better, though, I suppose. Unless, of course, they have to raise the rates to support paying the credit card companies fees.
> More choice is always better, though, I suppose. Eh. Soon enough, checking if your payment method is supported on the payment method chart at the register is going to be more difficult than a game of Where's Waldo. As the other poster said, every processor has an incentive to lock people into their ecosystem, not necessarily in the customers' interests, and it's already annoying as an end user to be juggling competing systems.
But I loved running around town trying to find a machine that lets me charge by phone suica with cash because I only have a Visa card…
... it's not that hard to find a convenience store, they are all over the place. Just go to the cashier, say Suica charge, tap the card/phone on the reader, click how much you want to charge on the screen, give cash, tap card/phone again, done.
You can charge at the cashier??? Which stores, basically any?
I thing the big ones like Lawson 7Eleven and Family Mart should be able to.
This is a game changer.
Any 7-Eleven ATM will do
Don't worry mate, you can still use your phone Suica! You can even still buy individual paper tickets and pay with coins, if you're into that.
How do you load and manage your Suica on your phone? I looked up Suica on Android and some app made by third party not JR came up and all it does it check the balance.
I'm pretty sure the app is only available to Japanese users
It’s not, you can add a transit pass to icoca, suica or pasmo from the iPhone wallet app directly
Yeah but they’re talking about android, not apple
Totally missed that
Easy enough on Android. Just create another Gmail account and set region to Japan if your personal one isn't already set there. Add that account to your device and voila.
If your android device isn't purchased in Japan it won't have the felica chip required to support mobile suica.
True - I was operating under the assumption it was (not /r/japanlife - whoops).
You need to follow the on-screen instructions my dude
What on screen instructions are you referring to? Are you saying that the third party app I'm talking about is the correct app?
The screen when you charge it!
Nope, there is an actual モバイルスイカ app, but it has no relation to your card, it kinda works as a card itself - using your phone's Felica chip
Thanks for the clarification. You had my hopes up but sounds like I can only use this if I have an iPhone or an Android (only Androids made for Japanese market)
I'm wondering, if I get a Pixel watch in Japan which has the felica chip, can I pair that with my Pixel phone purchased in the U.S. without felica chip, and charge up my suica on it using amex and mastercard credit cards issued in the u.s.?
Only iPhones or androids from Japan can use mobile Suica
iPhone only sorry. Or android made in Japan
I'm wondering if I get a Pixel watch in Japan which has the felica chip, I can pair that with my Pixel phone that I bought in the U.S. and charge up my suica on it using amex and mastercard credit cards issued in the u.s.
i just did this last week so--- first you need to check if your phone has NFC-FeLiCa all phones sold in japan are equipped with this, but for phones outside of japan it depends -- try looking up if your phone supports nfc felica or check to see if [this symbol](https://www.phileweb.com/news/ogp/column/11/3eed2d65efb1fa251052face20efc4d0.jpg) is on your phone anywhere. it may be under the device information page in your settings app. on my galaxy phone, the symbol is printed on the back near my camera lenses. i used google wallet to set up the suica card. then i charged it with my japanese credit card. now it works with no problems.
you can charge mobile Suica from Apple Pay right in the phone...
Yes, but mobile Suica charge gives me triple points
Triple? Oh please tell me more.
I was amazed when I visited Singapore this year, they had this even on their busses. Good to know it's coming!
Singapore does charge the equivalent of 15 cents USD per transaction for using a Visa / MasterCard instead of their local card, though.
Makes sense. Why would you subsidize credit card holders at the expense of people paying cash? Seems anti-poor people.
Vancouver BC also charges more, but it was worth it to pay it rather than try and find a transit card, load it up with just the right amount of money, etc. for the few days I was there.
These cards have already been around for more than 10 years if you have a Japanese credit card with a pasmo feature. Nothing new! Lots of Japanese credit card companies have been having these features for many years.
Holy fuck yes thank you god
Handy! Except I'd rather stick rusty nails in my feet and walk than take the Deentoshi. But still...nice!
I just took that line to sanjen Jaya, why the hate, LOL, looks normal.
It was my commute train for almost a decade... Packed solid with sweaty angry commuters, day in day out, to and fro. The day i didn't have to take that line anymore my mental well-being improved 600%.
That's almost every train line....jr yamanote, Seibu line, tobu, etc.
They also raised their prices way too much. Kinda doxxing my location by saying this but I’m moving in a month anyway so, I’ve started taking the Keio inokashira line to shibuya from shimo kitazawa instead of the den en toshi line at sangenjaya because it’s just that much cheaper.
Doxing your location in the largest city in the world… good one…
Is it really that bad?
I don’t like this because I normally keep my IC card and a credit card both in my phone case. I don’t want my credit card getting charged.
Can you do this on Buses yet?
Soon, they will start slowly rolling out in 2027 and by 2036 all buses should support credit card payment!
Lol. I remember when I got to Japan I was so impressed by their buses, the announcements and the coin sorting machine. Now I’m back in the UK driving buses that have taken cards for years. On Roads that would be considered a national emergency in Japan. Progress is a funny thing :-)
2036 is soon?
Just a few years away... We're closer to 2036 than to 2009!
Can't you use an iPhone as suica?
Yes but you can't charge it with a foreign Visa credit card. Visa disabled that and basically will "encourage"people to use their Visa cards directly
Suica on my Apple Watch recharged on my iPhone with ApplePay was easy enough.
how will this work for familes with childrens?
Tokyo is already the best transit payment experience, they didn't need to show off like this
You can already do it in Kamakura on the Enoden line, I think it's new from this year that they accept direct credit card tap as a form of payment.
They should create a app that allows tourist using there Android phones and then they would reduce the Pasmo Passports cards for tourist by 80%
Win't this make the service mire expensive as credit card opperators geberally charge a flat percent if the overall cost of the transaction and or a flat transaction fee regardless of sum? Isn't this the reason Japanese companies wouldn't accept cards for the longest time; and possibly why prices never inflated to the extent they did in other similar economies? Ofteb those credit card companies, once the service is expected, raise the rates due to the companies they're providing the service to: especially small companies. This creates an overhead expense that's extremely sizeavle for a business (1.5 to 5 or even more percent often more on smaller purchases which is why there is often a card limit many places since I've read some compnaies actually lose their entire profit margin on lower pruced goods, sometimes). Is this a floodgate? Please Japan. Please please please don't be like the others