this is the coolest video ever! i went to japan back in 2019 and i still have my suica card! even though i'm back in the u.s., i just transferred my balance from my card to my iphone and saw how much i had left 😂. this just brings me nostolgia and who knows i'll probably go back in the near future. awesome video it was informative and a trip down memory lane for me!
Wow that is so awesome! I’m glad you found some value in this video, until recently I did not even know you could transfer the balance of a physical Suica card to your iphone. I ❤️ Japan, and I want to go back to visit soon. Again, thank you so much for your kind comments!
@@borednomadI recently added a Suica card on my IPhone’s Apple wallet. But when I tried adding money in, a message kept popping up, saying that the payment could not be completed. Any ideas what could be the problem? I’ve heard on another that supposedly I can only use Mastercard to add money. Do you anything about that also?
Hi, yes you will scan on entry, and it will deduct the minimum to ride, then on what every station you exit at you will scan to exit, and it will deduct the rest of tour fare depending on how far to traveled. Hope this helps!
Hi! Thank you for your video ❤ here is my question: I'm going to Japan in May and I was wondering if my suico card would still work? I bought it in the winter of 2019...two days ago, I found it in my souvenirs and even added it to my Apple wallet. It is an old version of a suico card not a welcome one for tourists and I hope I can save some time in lines in airport with it 😂
Hi, and thank you for your kind words. My understanding is that the Suica card should be valid from 10 years from date of purchase. So you should be okay. And if you were able to add your card into tour apple wallet it should work in theory. If it shows a balance in the apple suica wallet I think you won’t have a problem. I hope it works and you can save some money. Keep us updated!
HI, did you link your physical Suica to the one in Apple Wallet? If so you are correct. When you link your physical card it transfers it over and the physical card no longer works from what I hear.
Sweet! Heading to Japan later this year, but I was curious about adding funds with Apple Pay. When you recharged with a credit card, did you get charged a cash equivalent fee? I tried asking my card issuer but they weren't sure and tentatively said yes. Thanks!
I don’t think I was charged any International transaction fees if that what you are referring to. But I did use a credit card that doesn’t charge any international transaction fees, so that may be why. Not super positive if this is the case with everyone though. But also, I was able to add funds to the Suica Apple Pay while in the USA. As far as the exchange rate when using Apply Pay via credit card, I’m pretty sure the credit card company I used figures what the exchange rate was. It seemed to be a fair exchange rate based on what I was seeing at the time. I didn’t happen to see any cash equivalent fees of any kind though. I hope this helps.
@@borednomad Thanks that helps a ton, guess it's treated the same way as purchasing a NYC metro card in that sense. Sometimes credit card issuers charge you an additional fee when its a transaction thats treated as though you are withdrawing cash from the card. This helps a ton though, won't need to worry about any fees. Thanks a ton for taking the time to write up such a thorough response, really appreciate it.
@@surrealnebs5346 Oh good to know. Yeah I don’t think you’ll have a problem then. Some user did report problems reloading with non Japan credit cards recently, if you read some of the other comments. I didn’t experience any problems with that, but I haven’t been back to Japan since 2020, and it seems to be a fairly new glitch. Hopefully it is just a temporary glitch though. Have fun in Japan, it’s an amazing country.
I’ve read that you cannot add money now using a visa card, I did tried it a while ago and indeed there is a visa issue now, 2 years ago I able to add money on it using my chase sapphire which is a visa card and there is no problem…they are accepting mastercard but I don’t know if amex is also accepted…I want to use the chase so it is under the category of travel since I am into points😂 now I can’t do it anymore….
@@diet340 I would need to double check my statements but I’m fairly certain I used my Amex gold with no issue for refills (back while in Japan this past October). Think I couldn’t get my visa to work either. At the end though I ended up having so much change I used all that to refill my pasmo for the last couple days of trips. Definitely wouldn’t say no to more points for sure 🤣 used up most of mine to cover all the trip expenses.
Hi, if you have an iPhone that allows tap to pay, you can just open the Apple Wallet App. Then click the plus (+) icon top right. In there you select “Transit Cars” then search for “Suica”. You can then just setup a virtual Suica Card within Apple Wallet and it should be in whatever language you have in your iphone settings. But if you downloaded the Suica App within Apple App Store or Google Play, unfortunately I’m not exactly sure how you change the language settings.
One thing to note is most Non-Japanese issued Visa Card don’t seem to work to top up Suica in Apple Wallet. But I have a Non-Japanese Mastercard that works fine. I also hear Amex should work as well. I know this doesn’t help in changing the language to English in the standalone Suica App, but hopefully this work around can work for you.
When you entered the gate, you said it deducted the fee. How does that work if it doesn't know where you are going to exit? Does it deduct the minimum amount and then take out the rest when you exit?
You are exactly correct. There is a base fee to enter thru the gates at any of the metro subway stations. At your arrival station you will also need to tap you phone on the reader in order to exit and it will deduct the rest of the fare if needed. I always forget to mention something important, lol.
@@user-mn3wv3by6l Then how do you get out? Does the train station's computer remember where you entered and then you have to pay the appropriate amount to exit?
My Capital One Visa is a US based card, but this was back in 2019 when I used it. I have heard from other some Non-Japanese issued Visa do not seem to work anymore. But I have used my Chase Spark Mastercard USA without any problems. I’ve hear non Japanese issues Mastercards and Amex seem to work.
Hi Charick, I think the only way to do that would be to buy a physical Suica card at a metro station and pay with cash. Then in Apple wallet, when you add a transit card and then add Suica, there is an option to link an existing Suica account. This is the only possible work around I can think of.
Does anyone know if there is a way to hook a Physical Suico card with a Mobile App card in a way where I can reload my Physical card on my iPhone? I have a old Welcome Suica card from when I went to Japan in February 2020, and it’d be cool when I come back in October if I can reuse that card - even if on the back of that card it says it expires 28 days after from date of first use.
I’m not sure about how you would do that in the Suica standalone app, but in Apple Wallet if you have fairly recent iphone (mine is 10S) If you go into Apple Wallet app and tap the (+) symbol on top right, then select transit cards, search for Suica, then once added you will see a small text that says “Transfer Existing Card”, tap that and see if your card will work. Hopefully it will work!
I have read that once you transfer a balance from a physical card to the Apple Wallet/virtual Suica, that you physical card will not longer work/ essentially cancelling out the physical card. But I hear it transfers the deposit you paid when getting the physical card. I think that deposit amount was probably 500 Yen. Also I’ve heard Non-Japanese Visa card may not work when topping up within Apple Pay. I hear Non-Japanese Mastercards and Amex should work though. I have a US based Mastercard and hd no problems topping up my Apple Wallet Suica.
I made the commuter pass (PASMO) and added on my apple wallet. If I recharge at the station with the physical card is it gonna work? Another doubt, do i need the app to be able to use the phone at the station?
I’m not sure as I’ve never used the PASMO on the iphone, but I am assuming the physical PASMO and the PASMO in your Apple wallet may be two separate accounts. At least that’s the way the Suica works in the Apple Wallet. The Suica in the Apple Wallet is basically a digital version of a physical Suica card from my understanding.
support.apple.com/en-us/HT207155 , says that you can transfer a Suica or Pasmo card to your apple wallet. But I’ve never attempted it, also unsure if you recharge via the physical card would update the balance in the apple wallet or vice versa, but it might be worth a try with a small amount.
After reading the apple support document it looks like if you transfer a physical Suica or PASMO card to your Apple wallet it will cancel out your physical card ince the transfer is complete, and add the 500 deposit fee to your balance in Apple Pay.
hello i just want to ask if you had a problem reloading it? i had a balance of ¥8 at my suica card i tap ¥10,000 and it reloaded so my balance is ¥10,008 but when i tap for another ¥9,992 because i want to be my balance to be at limit exactly at ¥20,000 because i know that the maximum balance is ¥20,000, but it didn’t reload and stays at ¥10,008. what supposed to be the problem?:( nice video btw.. new subbie here(: thank you
I have never reloaded to the max amount, but I di remember adding some yen and it not updating. I believe I just ended-up restarting my iPhone and then the balance showed up. I hope that helps you.
Anyone else having issues with adding funds to Suica card in Apple Pay when charging funds to a u.s. credit card? Mine’s worked for years, but stopped on 20 Aug 2022
Nebbyyy Hmmm, not sure. It just showed up for me when I was in Japan. I did buy a local prepaid data SIM card though. Are you in Japan currently? It may only show up if your in Japan.
Bored Nomad I fixed the issue!! Turns out you need to set ur region to japan first on ur phone before trying this. Thank you for trying to help though!!!
hey, great video! I have a question. Can I get my money back after loading to Suica card in apple wallet? Let me explain: I would like to know if after my trip to Japan there still some money that I have added to the SUICA card while I was there in Japan. So, I probably won't use that money anymore (outside Japan)... In that case, could I get the money left back?
Hi, so from my understanding and research, your Suica balance will remain in you Apple Wallet for up to ten years. And what ever balance you have with in you Suica Apple wallet app is not refundable if you don’t use up the balance. So my recommendation is if you want the convenience of having Suica on your Iphone via Apple pay, is that you top up as needed. I’m pretty sure if you would rather just use a physical Suica card that you can refund the amount at the airport before you leave Japan. But at the time of this writing I believe there is a 220 Yen service charge ($1.64 USD) I hope this is helpful.
Can you also add money to your suica card and not go physically to a store or ATM machine because I want to have the card as well &The app instead of going to the store I can just add money from the iPhone is that possible?
Hi, yes you can ad via Apple wallet to the virtual Suica all within Apple Wallet with a linked credit card. I have heard issues with Non-Japanese issued Visa not working for some people. I have a US based Mastercard that works to top up my Apple Wallet Suica, and I’ve heard Non-Japanese Amex works too. And at least for my Capital One Mastercard there are no foreign transaction fee or cash advance fee charged when doing so in my experience. All the major convenient stores like 7/11, Family mart and Lawsons all except tap to pay with Suica via Apple Wallet. Just pull up Suica in Apple wallet on your phone and tap the phone to the sensor to pay for snacks and drinks is so great.
Thank you for the info. If I wanted to reload my suica card using cash, is there a function for that at the train station to reload directly on my iphone or do I need to reload my physical card paying cash and somehow sync it up to my mobile card?
I’m not exactly sure how you would do that. I do know you can link a physical Suica card to your Apple Pay. So theoretically if you have your physical Suica card you should be able to top it up with cash at a train station, and if it is linked to your Apple Pay, it should show up. But I have never actually tested it so I can’t be positive. Maybe try to add a small amount at the train station to see if it works. Let me know if you happen to try it and it works. I’m not currently in Japan, but otherwise I would test it to see if it works just out of curiosity. Here’s a UA-cam short video I did that kinda shows how to link a physical card. Japan : Travel Hack 🇯🇵 #shorts #travelhack #japan #suica #iphone #applepay ua-cam.com/users/shorts-nFmysLEG-E?feature=share
Hi, I know this question was posted 8 months ago, and at the time I didn't have any experience toping up an iPhone with cash at a station. And in the comment below @axi8118 was able to answer that question 👍 , That's what I love about YT, people helping each other out. But I was browsing UA-cam and just saw this YT short that kinda shows the process from @zackche6816 , and I thought it might be helpful to see the process. Here it is, ua-cam.com/users/shortsEe4UyCfcCGY?feature=share
Hi, can you tell me why I followed the steps, paid with MasterCard, the top-up money was deducted from my debit card, but the Suica is not listed on Apple Wallet. Does it have anything to do with me adding it from Italy?
Hi, I had that problem once while I topped up in Japan with my US Mastercard. After I hard restarted my iphone it showed up in my balance. I’m hoping that might be the case with your circumstances. I hope this helps, lemme know if that does the trick.
I’m so sorry to hear this, I have topped in apple wallet before when I was in the US. I wish I had a better answer for you. Hopefully you can contact your CC provider to see if they can reverse the charge. My only other thought is to go into your iPhone settinhs and change your region to Japan, it will restart your phone, then check to see if the balance shows in Apple wallet, then change tour region back to what it previously was.
So, if you have an iPhone, you don't have to buy a physical Suica or Pasmo card? Can you create a new Suica and Pasmo card separately via Apple Pay, without the need of buying physical Suica and Pasmo cards?
Yes, you need to set the region to japan and go to the wallet app and buy a suica or pasmo card. The minimum Charge for both are 1000 Yen = 6 - 8 Dollars. To Pay the Suica or Pasmo Card u need a Credit/Debitcard in Apple Wallet.
Exactly, I was able to use my iphone and never had to buy a physical suica card. You will have to change your region in your iphone settings as Pikachu said.
@@tc.1999 Made me wish that I want to buy an iPhone 11 Pro (not iPhone 12 for good reasons) for that. But then I remembered my country doesn't support Apple Pay, so that was a bust.
I think you can also use it on Android phones if it supports NFC (Near Field Communication) If you have a newer Android phone chances are it will have NFC capabilities and you should be able to use Suica or Pasmo thru your phone if in Japan. But there might be a language barrier.
It only works for worldwide iPhones & Apple watches, & Japan bought Android devices & watches (that specifically mention IC compatibility, like the new Garmin ones)
Hi, When I used my US Mastercard I was not charged a foriegn transaction fee or and cash advance fees. However my particular credit card Capital One offers No Foriegn Transaction Fees, so that may be the reason I'm not being charged a foriegn transaction fee. From researching the web I found this great article, from what I have gathered you may be charged a foriegn transaction fee if your credit card doen't offer free forign transactions. But I do know you can recharge in cash (YEN) at many transtations and convienent stores in Japan once you get there. So it might be worth trying your credit card and charging a small amount say like 1000 Yen (About $7 USD) that way if your credit card company does end up charging you a forign transaction fee it would be minimal. And then topping up in Japan at a train station with cash (Yen) I wish I had a better answer for you, but hopefully this is some what helpful. Here's the link to that web article. atadistance.net/all-about-apple-pay-suica-recharge/
Also forgot to note that Non-Japanese issued Visa card do not seem to be working when topping up Suica via Apple Pay, but you shouldn't have a problem with Mastercard or Amex
Hi, to my knowledge you wouldn’t be able to get a 24hr/48 hour pass to use within Apple Wallet. So I could be wrong, but I believe you would have to buy the day pass at a station machine. But those ticket vending machines should be able to accept your Suica Apple Pay Wallet via your iphone. I believe when I was traveling Japan I opted not to buy a day pass because I would have to use the metro at least 5 times per day to really reap any savings. I would on most days only use the metro 2-4 rides per day. So for me a day pass didn’t really help me save. I hope this helps.
I realize you cal also get it online and I’m in the u.s. since the pandemic and I haven’t got my 2nd dose of pyzer vaccine I can’t take vacation trips yet
Hi, I think you will need multiple Suica cards to ride if you want a tap and go experience. You could probably technically buy individual tickets with one Suica card, but that kinda defeats the convenience of the card. The Suica cards are easy to find if not everyone in your family has an iphone. I hope this helps.
Hi, It seems some people are having trouble using non -Japan credit cards. But I have a US mastercard I have used at least 5-6 times to add funds, even when I was not in Japan and I haven’t had problems. So not exactly sure if some credit card companies treat adding funds to Suica via Apple wallet differently.
So, based on this article it does seem to appear that Non-Japanese Visa may not work when adding fund to Suica Apple Wallet. atadistance.net/all-about-apple-pay-suica-recharge/
Hi, so there is an ID number but the full ID number is not visible within Apple Pay. It only shows you the last 4 digits. From what I have gathered from Apple Discussions board is that if you download Suica Finance App, that you can see the full number. Suica Finance app is all Japanese though. I haven’t tried this so I can’t confirm if it works. But here’s a link to Apple Discussion. discussions.apple.com/thread/254617997
So I downloaded the “Suica Finance” app, and it does show my Apple Pay Suica ID in full. On the landing page when you open the app you will see an Info icon. Circle with an “i” inside. If you click that button it shows you the ID number in full. I hope this helps.
I haven't tried this on an Android device, but I think the iPhones use a technology called FeLiCa that is used in Japan for NFC (Near Field Communication) From what I'm learning on the interwebs is that Goole Pixels sold in Japan should be able to use Suica via Google Pay as they support FeLiCa, but that Pixels sold outside of Japan have a different NFC technology. So this is just my assumption, but if you have a Pixel bought outside of Japan I'm guessing you won't be able to use it with Suica.
Heres what I found on this topic on Reddit. Hope this helps. www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/dyf26a/question_on_foreign_android_phone_using_suica_on/
If I get a physical Suica card then add it to Apple Wallet will the card become disabled? Can you also get a balance refund when you return the card if you added it to Apple Wallet?
This is what I found from one of apples support pages. “You can transfer your physical Suica or PASMO card and its current balance to Apple Wallet. After the transfer, your physical card won't work and your deposit will be added to your Suica or PASMO balance in Apple Wallet.” support.apple.com/en-us/HT207155 , Hope this answers your question.
You don’t actually need a physical Suica Card to use Suica on Iphones. As long as your iPhone support tap to pay. But if your in Japan and purchased a physical card, you can link it to your iPhones via Apple Pay. I hope this helps! I have an iPhone XS that was used in this video.
@@borednomad Does this work in reverse -- if you start by getting the mobile SUICA card on your phone before going to Japan, is there then any way to get a physical card as a backup and link the two?
@@mattlv2002 Hey, to my understanding once you link a physical Suica card to Apple Wallet it moves all balance to your Apple Wallet and cancels out the physical card. But I personally didn’t have any problems using my iphone XS as my only Suica. If you want to try the Apple Pay version of Suica I believe the minimum balance is 1000 Yen (Little less than $10 USD) But also you can get a physical Suica at most major train stations or at Narita or Haneda airport, if you feel more comfortable getting a physical card. One thing I’ve heard is some Non-Japanese Visa Card don’t work using the Apple Wallet versions of Suica. But Non-Japanese Mastercard or Amex should work in Apple Pay. Hope this helps.
@@borednomad Thanks so much. Yes, I tried to pay for the mobile Suica card using Apple pay and it was rejected because my primary card was visa, I had to toggle over the my secondary card, a mastercard.
Good question, I'm sorry I don't have an answer for that because I have never tried, but Apple support states you can add a previous Suica card to your iphone. support.apple.com/en-us/HT207155#:~:text=On%20your%20new%20iPhone%2C%20open,your%20Suica%20or%20PASMO%20card.
You should be able to place your phone on to any IC card reader. You just have to make sure there are some funds added in the Apple wallet into your Suica. You will see a “Add Money” button in the Suica tab when you open Apple wallet.
@@borednomad if your credit card on apply pay is a 0 percent foreign transaction fee do they still add any fees on credit card reills like cashback fee kidna deal?
@@Crunchyconservativemamma Hi, sorry I tried to reply earlier but wasn't able to find the comment for some reason. Anyway as far as the credit card I used Capital One Spark, it did not charge any foreign fees or Cash advance fees. The credit card company converted the Yen amount to USD at what I felt was a fare exchange rate when comparing to the global exchange rate at the time. Not sure if other credit cards might treat any fees differently, but in my case I haven't experienced any other additional fees charged when using Apple Pay to top up my Suica via Apple Wallet. I hope this helps
Hi, if you download the Suica app in the app store you are correct, it appears to be only in Japanese language. But if you open your Apple Wallet app, you can create a digital Suica card and top it up without having to us the Suica app from the app store. Here’s a short I did that shows the process. I hope this is helpful. Japan : Travel Hack 🇯🇵 #shorts #travelhack #japan #suica #iphone #applepay ua-cam.com/users/shorts-nFmysLEG-E?feature=share
One thing to note is Non-Japanese issued Visa card do not seem to work when trying to top up a digital Suica via Apple Wallet. But you should be fine using Mastercard or Amex.
Very good "how to" video. Detailed but not verbose, exact and effective.
this is the coolest video ever! i went to japan back in 2019 and i still have my suica card!
even though i'm back in the u.s., i just transferred my balance from my card to my iphone and saw how much i had left 😂.
this just brings me nostolgia and who knows i'll probably go back in the near future.
awesome video it was informative and a trip down memory lane for me!
Wow that is so awesome! I’m glad you found some value in this video, until recently I did not even know you could transfer the balance of a physical Suica card to your iphone. I ❤️ Japan, and I want to go back to visit soon. Again, thank you so much for your kind comments!
Cool. This video has covered a critical part => no need to open any app in your iPhone during scanning.
Thanks for creating this video! Super useful with the global chip shortage. Going to Japan in about a week!
Awesome, I hope you have a blast!
That's a good idea. We need them in the UK
I think they should have them everywhere as well, so convenient!
We sort of do down south, our busses have a contactless option, you tap when you get on, and tap when you get off.
@@borednomadI recently added a Suica card on my IPhone’s Apple wallet. But when I tried adding money in, a message kept popping up, saying that the payment could not be completed. Any ideas what could be the problem?
I’ve heard on another that supposedly I can only use Mastercard to add money.
Do you anything about that also?
Wish I had seen this, when I went to Japan this Summer... Oh well, now I know for my next trip to Japan!
How does it know how much to charge? Do you scan when entering AND exiting? Super helpful vid!
Hi, yes you will scan on entry, and it will deduct the minimum to ride, then on what every station you exit at you will scan to exit, and it will deduct the rest of tour fare depending on how far to traveled. Hope this helps!
Hi! Thank you for your video ❤ here is my question: I'm going to Japan in May and I was wondering if my suico card would still work? I bought it in the winter of 2019...two days ago, I found it in my souvenirs and even added it to my Apple wallet. It is an old version of a suico card not a welcome one for tourists and I hope I can save some time in lines in airport with it 😂
Hi, and thank you for your kind words. My understanding is that the Suica card should be valid from 10 years from date of purchase. So you should be okay. And if you were able to add your card into tour apple wallet it should work in theory. If it shows a balance in the apple suica wallet I think you won’t have a problem. I hope it works and you can save some money. Keep us updated!
Thanks for this video. Please make more videos like these for Japan
Your welcome, I would love to. I need to get back to Japan, lol. I love it there!
Hey, when you attach it my phone wont detect my physical card.
HI, did you link your physical Suica to the one in Apple Wallet? If so you are correct. When you link your physical card it transfers it over and the physical card no longer works from what I hear.
A very useful video
Do I need to use iphone that purchased in Japan to use this feature or I can use any iphone that is support apple pay?
Any iphone that supports wireless tap to pay. I believe it’s models XS and newer should work. I have a US bought XS and it worked great.
@@borednomad thank you so much for the information. 🙏
Going to Japan later this July can I use Suica mobile app card on my iPhone for me my wife and kid? Or do we have to each get one on our piones
I believe each person will need one on there phones.
Sweet! Heading to Japan later this year, but I was curious about adding funds with Apple Pay. When you recharged with a credit card, did you get charged a cash equivalent fee? I tried asking my card issuer but they weren't sure and tentatively said yes. Thanks!
I don’t think I was charged any International transaction fees if that what you are referring to. But I did use a credit card that doesn’t charge any international transaction fees, so that may be why. Not super positive if this is the case with everyone though. But also, I was able to add funds to the Suica Apple Pay while in the USA. As far as the exchange rate when using Apply Pay via credit card, I’m pretty sure the credit card company I used figures what the exchange rate was. It seemed to be a fair exchange rate based on what I was seeing at the time. I didn’t happen to see any cash equivalent fees of any kind though. I hope this helps.
@@borednomad Thanks that helps a ton, guess it's treated the same way as purchasing a NYC metro card in that sense. Sometimes credit card issuers charge you an additional fee when its a transaction thats treated as though you are withdrawing cash from the card. This helps a ton though, won't need to worry about any fees. Thanks a ton for taking the time to write up such a thorough response, really appreciate it.
@@surrealnebs5346 Oh good to know. Yeah I don’t think you’ll have a problem then. Some user did report problems reloading with non Japan credit cards recently, if you read some of the other comments. I didn’t experience any problems with that, but I haven’t been back to Japan since 2020, and it seems to be a fairly new glitch. Hopefully it is just a temporary glitch though. Have fun in Japan, it’s an amazing country.
I’ve read that you cannot add money now using a visa card, I did tried it a while ago and indeed there is a visa issue now, 2 years ago I able to add money on it using my chase sapphire which is a visa card and there is no problem…they are accepting mastercard but I don’t know if amex is also accepted…I want to use the chase so it is under the category of travel since I am into points😂 now I can’t do it anymore….
@@diet340 I would need to double check my statements but I’m fairly certain I used my Amex gold with no issue for refills (back while in Japan this past October). Think I couldn’t get my visa to work either. At the end though I ended up having so much change I used all that to refill my pasmo for the last couple days of trips. Definitely wouldn’t say no to more points for sure 🤣 used up most of mine to cover all the trip expenses.
Just downloaded this app. How do I switch the app to display English? 😅
Hi, if you have an iPhone that allows tap to pay, you can just open the Apple Wallet App. Then click the plus (+) icon top right. In there you select “Transit Cars” then search for “Suica”. You can then just setup a virtual Suica Card within Apple Wallet and it should be in whatever language you have in your iphone settings. But if you downloaded the Suica App within Apple App Store or Google Play, unfortunately I’m not exactly sure how you change the language settings.
I also did a UA-cam Shorts video kinda showing the process to adding Suica within Apple Wallet App. ua-cam.com/users/shorts-nFmysLEG-E?feature=share
One thing to note is most Non-Japanese issued Visa Card don’t seem to work to top up Suica in Apple Wallet. But I have a Non-Japanese Mastercard that works fine. I also hear Amex should work as well. I know this doesn’t help in changing the language to English in the standalone Suica App, but hopefully this work around can work for you.
@@borednomad I got it setup and used my apple card to add the funds successfully. Thanks for the help!
@@ACSRob Awesome, glad it worked!
When you entered the gate, you said it deducted the fee. How does that work if it doesn't know where you are going to exit? Does it deduct the minimum amount and then take out the rest when you exit?
You are exactly correct. There is a base fee to enter thru the gates at any of the metro subway stations. At your arrival station you will also need to tap you phone on the reader in order to exit and it will deduct the rest of the fare if needed. I always forget to mention something important, lol.
@@borednomad Thanks. It makes perfect sense.
@@BooLee01
In Kansai, you can enter the ticket gate even if your IC card has no remaining balance.
@@user-mn3wv3by6l Then how do you get out? Does the train station's computer remember where you entered and then you have to pay the appropriate amount to exit?
@@BooLee01 That's right.
Is your capital one visa based in Japan? I’ve read and experienced that foreign Visa cards do not work to reload the Suica wallet on iOS.
My Capital One Visa is a US based card, but this was back in 2019 when I used it. I have heard from other some Non-Japanese issued Visa do not seem to work anymore. But I have used my Chase Spark Mastercard USA without any problems. I’ve hear non Japanese issues Mastercards and Amex seem to work.
Correct. Non-JP Visa CC doesn’t work. Amex or MC works. Or go to a machine that can read the iPhone and accept cash like 7-11 ATM.
Hi! I just want to ask how can you load your Suica(teikiken) without a credit card?
Hi Charick, I think the only way to do that would be to buy a physical Suica card at a metro station and pay with cash. Then in Apple wallet, when you add a transit card and then add Suica, there is an option to link an existing Suica account. This is the only possible work around I can think of.
Does anyone know if there is a way to hook a Physical Suico card with a Mobile App card in a way where I can reload my Physical card on my iPhone?
I have a old Welcome Suica card from when I went to Japan in February 2020, and it’d be cool when I come back in October if I can reuse that card - even if on the back of that card it says it expires 28 days after from date of first use.
I’m not sure about how you would do that in the Suica standalone app, but in Apple Wallet if you have fairly recent iphone (mine is 10S) If you go into Apple Wallet app and tap the (+) symbol on top right, then select transit cards, search for Suica, then once added you will see a small text that says “Transfer Existing Card”, tap that and see if your card will work. Hopefully it will work!
Here’s a youtube short I did that kinda shows the process, I hope this helps! ua-cam.com/users/shorts-nFmysLEG-E?feature=share
I have read that once you transfer a balance from a physical card to the Apple Wallet/virtual Suica, that you physical card will not longer work/ essentially cancelling out the physical card. But I hear it transfers the deposit you paid when getting the physical card. I think that deposit amount was probably 500 Yen. Also I’ve heard Non-Japanese Visa card may not work when topping up within Apple Pay. I hear Non-Japanese Mastercards and Amex should work though. I have a US based Mastercard and hd no problems topping up my Apple Wallet Suica.
I made the commuter pass (PASMO) and added on my apple wallet. If I recharge at the station with the physical card is it gonna work? Another doubt, do i need the app to be able to use the phone at the station?
I’m not sure as I’ve never used the PASMO on the iphone, but I am assuming the physical PASMO and the PASMO in your Apple wallet may be two separate accounts. At least that’s the way the Suica works in the Apple Wallet. The Suica in the Apple Wallet is basically a digital version of a physical Suica card from my understanding.
support.apple.com/en-us/HT207155 , says that you can transfer a Suica or Pasmo card to your apple wallet. But I’ve never attempted it, also unsure if you recharge via the physical card would update the balance in the apple wallet or vice versa, but it might be worth a try with a small amount.
After reading the apple support document it looks like if you transfer a physical Suica or PASMO card to your Apple wallet it will cancel out your physical card ince the transfer is complete, and add the 500 deposit fee to your balance in Apple Pay.
hello i just want to ask if you had a problem reloading it? i had a balance of ¥8 at my suica card
i tap ¥10,000 and it reloaded so my balance is ¥10,008
but when i tap for another ¥9,992 because i want to be my balance to be at limit exactly at ¥20,000 because i know that the maximum balance is ¥20,000, but it didn’t reload and stays at ¥10,008. what supposed to be the problem?:(
nice video btw.. new subbie here(: thank you
I have never reloaded to the max amount, but I di remember adding some yen and it not updating. I believe I just ended-up restarting my iPhone and then the balance showed up. I hope that helps you.
Anyone else having issues with adding funds to Suica card in Apple Pay when charging funds to a u.s. credit card? Mine’s worked for years, but stopped on 20 Aug 2022
I was just able to add 500 yen with my US credit card. I’m currently in the US. My card was a Capital One Spark card. Hopefully it’s just a kink.
@@borednomad I’m in Japan using my U.S. VISA and no go. 😭
@@markymarkjapan Sorry to hear that it’s not working for you.
It’s not working for me either in Japan with a German Visa card :(
I wish I knew the solution to help both of you out. Curious if changing your region settings would help?
hello for me the suica option doesn't show up. any ideas on how to fix it?
Nebbyyy Hmmm, not sure. It just showed up for me when I was in Japan. I did buy a local prepaid data SIM card though. Are you in Japan currently? It may only show up if your in Japan.
Bored Nomad I fixed the issue!! Turns out you need to set ur region to japan first on ur phone before trying this. Thank you for trying to help though!!!
Nebbyyy Awesome, I didn’t even realize you could even do that. Very helpful information! Glad everything worked out!
hey, great video!
I have a question.
Can I get my money back after loading to Suica card in apple wallet?
Let me explain: I would like to know if after my trip to Japan there still some money that I have added to the SUICA card while I was there in Japan. So, I probably won't use that money anymore (outside Japan)... In that case, could I get the money left back?
Hi, so from my understanding and research, your Suica balance will remain in you Apple Wallet for up to ten years. And what ever balance you have with in you Suica Apple wallet app is not refundable if you don’t use up the balance. So my recommendation is if you want the convenience of having Suica on your Iphone via Apple pay, is that you top up as needed. I’m pretty sure if you would rather just use a physical Suica card that you can refund the amount at the airport before you leave Japan. But at the time of this writing I believe there is a 220 Yen service charge ($1.64 USD) I hope this is helpful.
@@borednomad thank you!
Can you also add money to your suica card and not go physically to a store or ATM machine because I want to have the card as well &The app instead of going to the store I can just add money from the iPhone is that possible?
Hi, yes you can ad via Apple wallet to the virtual Suica all within Apple Wallet with a linked credit card. I have heard issues with Non-Japanese issued Visa not working for some people. I have a US based Mastercard that works to top up my Apple Wallet Suica, and I’ve heard Non-Japanese Amex works too. And at least for my Capital One Mastercard there are no foreign transaction fee or cash advance fee charged when doing so in my experience. All the major convenient stores like 7/11, Family mart and Lawsons all except tap to pay with Suica via Apple Wallet. Just pull up Suica in Apple wallet on your phone and tap the phone to the sensor to pay for snacks and drinks is so great.
@@borednomad thank you appreciate it
Thank you for the info. If I wanted to reload my suica card using cash, is there a function for that at the train station to reload directly on my iphone or do I need to reload my physical card paying cash and somehow sync it up to my mobile card?
I’m not exactly sure how you would do that. I do know you can link a physical Suica card to your Apple Pay. So theoretically if you have your physical Suica card you should be able to top it up with cash at a train station, and if it is linked to your Apple Pay, it should show up. But I have never actually tested it so I can’t be positive. Maybe try to add a small amount at the train station to see if it works. Let me know if you happen to try it and it works. I’m not currently in Japan, but otherwise I would test it to see if it works just out of curiosity. Here’s a UA-cam short video I did that kinda shows how to link a physical card. Japan : Travel Hack 🇯🇵 #shorts #travelhack #japan #suica #iphone #applepay
ua-cam.com/users/shorts-nFmysLEG-E?feature=share
no, I just tried it. Go to your wallet and tap the + sign > transit card > search suica > add value > choose payment to add funds
Larger stations have at least one machine where you can place and recharge your Suica card or FeliCa-enabled smartphone.
Hi, I know this question was posted 8 months ago, and at the time I didn't have any experience toping up an iPhone with cash at a station. And in the comment below @axi8118 was able to answer that question 👍 , That's what I love about YT, people helping each other out. But I was browsing UA-cam and just saw this YT short that kinda shows the process from @zackche6816 , and I thought it might be helpful to see the process. Here it is, ua-cam.com/users/shortsEe4UyCfcCGY?feature=share
Hi, can you tell me why I followed the steps, paid with MasterCard, the top-up money was deducted from my debit card, but the Suica is not listed on Apple Wallet. Does it have anything to do with me adding it from Italy?
Hi, I had that problem once while I topped up in Japan with my US Mastercard. After I hard restarted my iphone it showed up in my balance. I’m hoping that might be the case with your circumstances. I hope this helps, lemme know if that does the trick.
Unfortunately I don't even get the right sign on Apple Wallet, even though the money was deducted 😓
I’m so sorry to hear this, I have topped in apple wallet before when I was in the US. I wish I had a better answer for you. Hopefully you can contact your CC provider to see if they can reverse the charge. My only other thought is to go into your iPhone settinhs and change your region to Japan, it will restart your phone, then check to see if the balance shows in Apple wallet, then change tour region back to what it previously was.
OK thank you
So, if you have an iPhone, you don't have to buy a physical Suica or Pasmo card?
Can you create a new Suica and Pasmo card separately via Apple Pay, without the need of buying physical Suica and Pasmo cards?
Yes, you need to set the region to japan and go to the wallet app and buy a suica or pasmo card. The minimum Charge for both are 1000 Yen = 6 - 8 Dollars. To Pay the Suica or Pasmo Card u need a Credit/Debitcard in Apple Wallet.
Exactly, I was able to use my iphone and never had to buy a physical suica card. You will have to change your region in your iphone settings as Pikachu said.
@@tc.1999 Made me wish that I want to buy an iPhone 11 Pro (not iPhone 12 for good reasons) for that.
But then I remembered my country doesn't support Apple Pay, so that was a bust.
I think you can also use it on Android phones if it supports NFC (Near Field Communication) If you have a newer Android phone chances are it will have NFC capabilities and you should be able to use Suica or Pasmo thru your phone if in Japan. But there might be a language barrier.
It only works for worldwide iPhones & Apple watches, & Japan bought Android devices & watches (that specifically mention IC compatibility, like the new Garmin ones)
If I use an American credit card to add funds, will there be a foreign transaction fee?
Hi, When I used my US Mastercard I was not charged a foriegn transaction fee or and cash advance fees. However my particular credit card Capital One offers No Foriegn Transaction Fees, so that may be the reason I'm not being charged a foriegn transaction fee. From researching the web I found this great article, from what I have gathered you may be charged a foriegn transaction fee if your credit card doen't offer free forign transactions. But I do know you can recharge in cash (YEN) at many transtations and convienent stores in Japan once you get there. So it might be worth trying your credit card and charging a small amount say like 1000 Yen (About $7 USD) that way if your credit card company does end up charging you a forign transaction fee it would be minimal. And then topping up in Japan at a train station with cash (Yen) I wish I had a better answer for you, but hopefully this is some what helpful. Here's the link to that web article. atadistance.net/all-about-apple-pay-suica-recharge/
Also forgot to note that Non-Japanese issued Visa card do not seem to be working when topping up Suica via Apple Pay, but you shouldn't have a problem with Mastercard or Amex
How to change the language?thank you
In your iPhone General Settings go to Language & Regions. You should-be able to change language there. I hope this helps.
Is it also possible to get 24/48h passes for Tokyo with the Suica Card in the apple wallet?
Hi, to my knowledge you wouldn’t be able to get a 24hr/48 hour pass to use within Apple Wallet. So I could be wrong, but I believe you would have to buy the day pass at a station machine. But those ticket vending machines should be able to accept your Suica Apple Pay Wallet via your iphone. I believe when I was traveling Japan I opted not to buy a day pass because I would have to use the metro at least 5 times per day to really reap any savings. I would on most days only use the metro 2-4 rides per day. So for me a day pass didn’t really help me save. I hope this helps.
I realize you cal also get it online and I’m in the u.s. since the pandemic and I haven’t got my 2nd dose of pyzer vaccine I can’t take vacation trips yet
I hope the whole world will be able to get past this pandemic and we will all be able to travel freely!
@@borednomad Yes I need to get the booster shot so I am not immune to DELTA Varent
Hey does Suica card expire?
To my knowledge it expires in 10 years.
Hi! Planing on going to japan with my wife and 2 kids. Can we just use 1 card or we have to have 1 each to ride? TIA
Hi, I think you will need multiple Suica cards to ride if you want a tap and go experience. You could probably technically buy individual tickets with one Suica card, but that kinda defeats the convenience of the card. The Suica cards are easy to find if not everyone in your family has an iphone. I hope this helps.
Thank you so much
Hi. Is it true you can't use US Visa card to add funds into your Suica phone app ?
Hi, It seems some people are having trouble using non -Japan credit cards. But I have a US mastercard I have used at least 5-6 times to add funds, even when I was not in Japan and I haven’t had problems. So not exactly sure if some credit card companies treat adding funds to Suica via Apple wallet differently.
So, based on this article it does seem to appear that Non-Japanese Visa may not work when adding fund to Suica Apple Wallet. atadistance.net/all-about-apple-pay-suica-recharge/
@@borednomad omg, thank you so much for the info. appreciate the follow up response :)
When I leave Japan, is there any way to refund the leftover money from the suica card on Apple Wallet?
I dont think just buy stuffs from suica and extract the money from marts and All
Agree with @Sanz_evanz , I don’t believe there is a refund for remaining balance. I would use up as much as I could before leaving Japan.
Hi does the Apple Pay Suica card have Suica ID number on it?
Hi, so there is an ID number but the full ID number is not visible within Apple Pay. It only shows you the last 4 digits. From what I have gathered from Apple Discussions board is that if you download Suica Finance App, that you can see the full number. Suica Finance app is all Japanese though. I haven’t tried this so I can’t confirm if it works. But here’s a link to Apple Discussion. discussions.apple.com/thread/254617997
So I downloaded the “Suica Finance” app, and it does show my Apple Pay Suica ID in full. On the landing page when you open the app you will see an Info icon. Circle with an “i” inside. If you click that button it shows you the ID number in full. I hope this helps.
@@borednomad awesome! Thank you! I’m planning on adding my shinkansen tickets,that I bought on SmartEX, to my Apple Pay Suica.
@@ksbma Nice, have fun in Japan 🇯🇵
@@borednomad thank you! Also do you know if the Shinigawa station and Kyoto station have QR ticket gates?
huuuuuh are we living in the future or what? how does this even work
Is it available on Google pixel? Thanks in advance 😃
I haven't tried this on an Android device, but I think the iPhones use a technology called FeLiCa that is used in Japan for NFC (Near Field Communication) From what I'm learning on the interwebs is that Goole Pixels sold in Japan should be able to use Suica via Google Pay as they support FeLiCa, but that Pixels sold outside of Japan have a different NFC technology. So this is just my assumption, but if you have a Pixel bought outside of Japan I'm guessing you won't be able to use it with Suica.
Heres what I found on this topic on Reddit. Hope this helps. www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/dyf26a/question_on_foreign_android_phone_using_suica_on/
If I get a physical Suica card then add it to Apple Wallet will the card become disabled? Can you also get a balance refund when you return the card if you added it to Apple Wallet?
This is what I found from one of apples support pages. “You can transfer your physical Suica or PASMO card and its current balance to Apple Wallet. After the transfer, your physical card won't work and your deposit will be added to your Suica or PASMO balance in Apple Wallet.” support.apple.com/en-us/HT207155 , Hope this answers your question.
So you need a physical card to get it started.
You don’t actually need a physical Suica Card to use Suica on Iphones. As long as your iPhone support tap to pay. But if your in Japan and purchased a physical card, you can link it to your iPhones via Apple Pay. I hope this helps! I have an iPhone XS that was used in this video.
@@borednomad Does this work in reverse -- if you start by getting the mobile SUICA card on your phone before going to Japan, is there then any way to get a physical card as a backup and link the two?
@@mattlv2002 Hey, to my understanding once you link a physical Suica card to Apple Wallet it moves all balance to your Apple Wallet and cancels out the physical card. But I personally didn’t have any problems using my iphone XS as my only Suica. If you want to try the Apple Pay version of Suica I believe the minimum balance is 1000 Yen (Little less than $10 USD) But also you can get a physical Suica at most major train stations or at Narita or Haneda airport, if you feel more comfortable getting a physical card. One thing I’ve heard is some Non-Japanese Visa Card don’t work using the Apple Wallet versions of Suica. But Non-Japanese Mastercard or Amex should work in Apple Pay. Hope this helps.
@@borednomad Thanks so much. Yes, I tried to pay for the mobile Suica card using Apple pay and it was rejected because my primary card was visa, I had to toggle over the my secondary card, a mastercard.
Can i load a suica card i purchased in japan several years ago to my apple wallet?
Good question, I'm sorry I don't have an answer for that because I have never tried, but Apple support states you can add a previous Suica card to your iphone. support.apple.com/en-us/HT207155#:~:text=On%20your%20new%20iPhone%2C%20open,your%20Suica%20or%20PASMO%20card.
@@borednomad The link was super helpful. Thanks for taking the time to help me out!
@@tofulosophy Anytime, glad it was helpful!
I dont have suica app but i transferred my suica card on my iphone12 wallet. But i dont know how to use it.
You should be able to place your phone on to any IC card reader. You just have to make sure there are some funds added in the Apple wallet into your Suica. You will see a “Add Money” button in the Suica tab when you open Apple wallet.
@@borednomad if your credit card on apply pay is a 0 percent foreign transaction fee do they still add any fees on credit card reills like cashback fee kidna deal?
@@Crunchyconservativemamma Hi, sorry I tried to reply earlier but wasn't able to find the comment for some reason. Anyway as far as the credit card I used Capital One Spark, it did not charge any foreign fees or Cash advance fees. The credit card company converted the Yen amount to USD at what I felt was a fare exchange rate when comparing to the global exchange rate at the time. Not sure if other credit cards might treat any fees differently, but in my case I haven't experienced any other additional fees charged when using Apple Pay to top up my Suica via Apple Wallet. I hope this helps
the app only looks to support Japanese...
Hi, if you download the Suica app in the app store you are correct, it appears to be only in Japanese language. But if you open your Apple Wallet app, you can create a digital Suica card and top it up without having to us the Suica app from the app store. Here’s a short I did that shows the process. I hope this is helpful. Japan : Travel Hack 🇯🇵 #shorts #travelhack #japan #suica #iphone #applepay
ua-cam.com/users/shorts-nFmysLEG-E?feature=share
One thing to note is Non-Japanese issued Visa card do not seem to work when trying to top up a digital Suica via Apple Wallet. But you should be fine using Mastercard or Amex.