Originally Posted by
mjt49
One note: you can load with an amount less than JPY 1,000 - and also load an exact amount. For my last trip in the country on the Narita Express, I loaded just enough to cover the base fare with Suica (+ a paper ticket for the 'limited express seat reservation').
FWIW the seat reservation is 35% cheaper if you book "ticketless" through eki-net.com, and they take credit cards (including American Visa cards). The major catch is that the website is in Japanese, although you may be able to navigate it using Google Translate.