tt7

TCG

rustykettel

From atadistance:Have you tried just reloading again? Make it a nominal amount just to see if it will go through.

Steve M

There's lot's of good advice and experience regarding Apple Pay, mobile Suica, and iPhones and iWatches. Let me make a helpful suggestion for those reading this that are not regular travelers to Japan: consider not bothering with it. Consider all of the issues above: what model iPhone or iWatch. Where was it purchased. What iOS version. What region is it set to. Primary support not in English. And so on. Do yourself a favor and just get a regular Suica card upon arrival (takes all of 30 seconds) and be done with it. You won't get any additional functionality by putting it on your phone or watch that will make any difference for a short stay, and you will save yourself a tremendous amount of frustration, research, and worry. You will find that just the regular Suica card has so many advantages compared to whatever you have at home that it will be more than enough of a "wow" factor without having to spend half a day of your visit being frustrated. At least that's the way I see it.

freecia

This is decent advice especially if you don't care if you load it with a credit card or cash. I'm the OP and I also advise friends who aren't regular visitors & not into points to get a regular suica/pasmo/icoca IC card. Heck, I lend the them one of my un-named spares with some yen on it to get them started.

Suica format doesn't make a large difference for the first time guest going between core Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. The card is a 500 yen deposit and some banks don't reimburse ATM fees so it might cost a bit more to load it with cash. You probably won't want to join any loyalty clubs like ponta or JRE Points as bothering over a few hundred yen return on combini purchases isn't really worth your while. Just don't lose it or you still might be spending half a day rather frustrated (see post 38 3 day pass for Tokyo subway... Help) No worries if you drop it either as long as it isn't into a used washlet or storm drain.

For those who like trying to go cashless and want the points from the Suica top-ups but don't need the other JP functions, JR East released an English version of the app https://atadistance.net/2019/03/24/t...a-english-app/ as @rustykettel mentioned. This is also useful if you tend to lose cards but not your phone. Or JR Passes - get a lanyard or two Wallet / Holder for JR Pass. In a similar vein, though, always keep some cash yen as you might end up in a place where they don't take IC or credit card (or cc is down/not going through). About half of JR East's stations took Suica in 2018 and the others do not https://atadistance.net/2019/02/13/suica-simplified/ so cash is still useful when roaming the combini sparse countryside where the only international enabled ATM is probably at the tiny JP Post open during countryside hours. The cash-is-king caveat is JR East seat reservation machines started going cashless earlier this year https://atadistance.net/2019/01/24/j...oing-cashless/

love_to_travel

(b) above worked for me. On my last trip to Japan (4/4/19), I reloaded the digital Suica on my iPhone while on the plane, but for some reason the balance didn't update. Once I landed I put it in service mode and the balance updated.

Throughout my trip the balance would not update and I would not get notifications, either when adding money or after exiting a station, unless I put it in service mode, which was extremely annoying. However the Suica card "knew" how much it had on it even if the balance wasn't showing correctly on my iPhone. The CORRECT balance would ALWAYS show on the STATION GATE.

On the last day of my trip, on the way back to Nartia, it started updating the balance correctly and sending me notifications again. I don't think I did anything to fix it, it just fixed itself magically.

I'm headed back on the first ANA A380 return flight to NRT on 5/24, and I'm hoping that my iPhone Suica remembers how to update itself.

Also, I don't see many of the locals using Suica enabled phones. I wonder if they just prefer the physical card.

TCG

Just to update everyone, this worked after several days for no reason whatsoever, none of the tricks above worked, but waiting like love_to_travel was all that was required.
We didn't keep track of the balance situation at the station gates, perhaps we should've paid attention.

freecia

iOS 12.3 includes Suica reliability improvements https://atadistance.net/2019/05/11/i...a-performance/

VoiD

Not for the technologically challenged.
I've used it for about a year now and I do like the convenience of recharging through apple pay whenever i need it.
I try not to use any cash since Japan has too many coins.

lsquare

Which merchant category does reloading Suica fall under? Is it transit or travel?

LASNRT

VoiD

mine also posted as travel under CSR and credited under $300 travel credit

lsquare

Looks like I'll be using my CSP until I get a CSR.

MattEvan

Shhhhhhhh

lsquare

Yes, it's very annoying, but that's a problem for anywhere that uses cash. Since I can't speak Japanese, if I flash my credit card, and the restaurant says no and cash only, are the odds good that they'll at least accept Suica? Maybe I can use my iPhone and pay for everything with Suica then?