Originally Posted by
bocastephen
I have a no-registered credit card Mobile SUICA account on my Samsung S4 that I recharge with cash, so now that Felica is supported on the iPhone and I want to move away from Android, this looks like good timing.
So my questions (I understand some of them may not be answerable yet)
1. will there be an option for a cash-recharge only (no registered card) version of the iPhone Mobile SUICA app (same as Android), or will it require a Japanese issued credit or debit card or some integration with a Japanese registered Apple Pay account? If it requires the local banking registration of some kind, then I assume this entire scenario is a non-starter for any of us living outside Japan planning on using the phone for SUICA purchases during trips
I don't live in Japan and I've had a credit card-registered Mobile Suica practically since it first became a thing. Back when it was first introduced it accepted all foreign credit cards just fine (I'd top up from my CSP with no issue- I think it even coded as travel), and then a couple years ago they switched payment processors and now it's AmEx/JCB only for non-Japan cards so I switched it to top up from my JCB card or Bluebird, depending.
If they didn't allow top-up from foreign credit cards on Apple Pay it would be a serious step backwards.