KPT

The only caveat I would add to the above is that suggesting not buying a Japanese keyboard model if you're a software developer. The layout is incredibly different, and you will be scratching your head trying to figure out where certain symbols are or why the layout is slightly different (specifically w.r.t to parentheses, braces, and whatnot).

Another thing to note is that Apple changes its prices very rarely, presumably because their corporate treasury department has very large contracts for dollars, so they don't have to worry as often about fluctuations in currency -- but that said these deals don't last forever.

Lastly, Apple products' warranty is good worldwide, so unlike most products you buy in Japan, you can be rest assured that Apple will honor the warranty wherever you end up, and taking it into the store is no problem at all.

freecia

Do mobile Suica reloads with a Chase Sapphire type card code as travel? My records show JR East in-person long distance train ticket purchases with a Chase Sapphire code as travel.

bocastephen

IIRC my reloads via the app using ApplePay with Amex coded as travel as the merchant (JR East) should be recognized that way by any credit card based on their own merchant account.

freecia

Is there a coverage difference between QuicPay and Suica outside of transit?

It seems that Line Pay offers prepaid JCB cards which can be used to re-load suica app cards. The Line Pay JCB card can be purchased at combini's.

This makes me wonder if the prepaid JCB card could also be added to Apple Wallet as a domestic Apple Pay option other than Suica, as international credit cards in Apple Pay can't be used at Felica terminals. Not sure it is needed if you have Suica, though?

AtaDistance blog also reports you can re-charge the Suica with cash at some JR kiosks like you can currently do so with regular IC cards. They've changed the card slot to a larger "nook" so smart devices can fit.
https://atadistance.net/2017/03/31/s...-credit-cards/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLtU...ature=youtu.be

AtaDistance also has a brief tutorial on how to add suica with Apple Watch & foreign iPhones
https://atadistance.net/2017/02/21/a...s-from-abroad/
Useful Apple Pay Japan Q&A
https://atadistance.net/2016/10/24/a...apan-intro-qa/

rustykettel

Thanks for posting the links! I have an older iPhone and Watch 2 but hadn't sat down to go through the process of adding the Suica card from the app yet.

Also, when I bought my watch in January as a walki-in, the Shibuya Apple Store only had the sport band and not the cloth band in stock. The Ginza Apple Store did have the cloth band but since I was already there, I went with the sports band. Limited selection of the larger size leather bands too.

jamar

I've yet to see a place where another domestic contactless system (like QuiCPay) is accepted and Suica isn't, and also, I thought your LINE account had to be registered to a Japanese cellphone to be able to tie a LINE Pay card to it (some here probably have one, but not everyone)? Also the video doesn't show the LINE Pay card being added to Apple Pay, just the Suica app itself.

And I've tried adding other prepaid cards to Apple Pay. I've got a Lawson JCB prepaid and a Cocokara Fine Visa prepaid, and neither can be added. I would be very surprised if this one could.

freecia

Thanks! Documentation states "You can add credit and prepaid cards to Apple Pay on iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and Apple Watch Series 2 to make payments in stores using QUICPay or iD." https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206638 Good to know that prepaid doesn't seem to work, yet.

I spent part of yesterday hunting around for a Japanese sms enabled sim other than Softbank or Telecom Square's Wi-Ho, which both have voice prepaid sim (barely) obtainable with visitor visa. Wi-Ho seems to have a fixed 14 day expiration. OCN and IIJMio have data + sms, no voice sims on monthly subscriptions meant for the domestic market which may allow sign up with a (foreign) credit card. No identity card needed. I guess they take the resident restriction on voice pretty literally rather than as a phone number. Line's MVNO requires identity verification for their data and data + sms sims.

A non-expiring no min contract data sim, sms, and a few other ways to carry currency seems useful for repeat visits.

jamar

Well, it might not be appropriate to say that all prepaid doesn't work. But both of the cards I have are issued by Credit Saison, which is a listed Apple Pay compatible issuer. The Lawson JCB gives me a "not eligible" error right after the card number, and the Visa prepaid goes as far as asking for expiry and CVV before telling me the issuer doesn't support it. But that means that the two easiest prepaid cards for a foreign visitor to get and set up are out of the picture if the goal is to have a Japanese "credit" card on Apple Pay.

Cocokara Fine- ask at the till to sign up for a point card. Fill in a name and Japanese address, then deposit some funds. The card is ready to use at physical stores straight away and will be ready to use on the internet in a few days. I got this one when it first came out, but I don't use it much anymore.

Lawson- They usually have packets containing the cards at the till next to the d-Point cards. Grab one, deposit some funds to it, it's ready to use in person straight away for payment and point earning, and it'll be ready to use on the internet (and redeem Ponta points) as soon as you register it online with your name and address. This one has become my main Japanese prepaid card since Ponta points are redeemable for games and UFO catcher credits at Sega arcades (roughly at a rate of 50 points = 100 yen), and it can be loaded in any amount above 1000 yen. I usually load it with my leftover yen as I depart KIX or NRT.

And as for the SMS-enabled SIM, I just got a SoftBank prepaid SIM as soon as it was allowed for visitors. My visiting patterns don't justify having a monthly subscription that has to be paid for even when I'm not there.

freecia

To derail this thread a little further - is that the sim available at the Softbank rental airport locations? I e-mailed them for Haneda's Simple Style device price list and they had the Blade Q android. Rather more than I need or want to spend. I think you mentioned sometime back that the Prepaid Sim had a fixed expiry date while sim in prepaid handsets could extend expiry date with recharge?

To bring it back and tie it into data connectivity - the iPhone needs a mobile/data connection to add money to Suica via app/Apple Pay but can be used in airplane mode going through ticket gates as long as there is enough stored credit. So repeat visitors could use the Wallet Suica stored value without a data connection (in case they want to pick up a sim in town vs airport)... Just like a regular IC card.

bocastephen

Am a little confused by this since I am able to use any of my registered US credit or debit cards to recharge my SUICA account on my iPhone via ApplePay, and then use the balance at any SUICA terminal.

Are you trying to do something different?

jamar

Yep, that's the one, and the main problem with that is that the price including the Blade Q+ is tough to swallow if you already have a phone. The plus side is that if you wanted, you could sell off the Blade Q+ at certain shops that don't ask too many questions (or rather, will accept your foreign passport as ID for sale as opposed to requiring a Japan-issued ID), and stick the SIM in any phone that supports a MicroSIM (they won't give you a NanoSIM on that one, though, you'll have to cut it yourself).

And on the second topic, sometimes I've had all the cards in my wallet "freeze up" until the iPhone is done updating the cards, whatever that means.

You can do that. What you can't do is directly set your US credit or debit cards to work directly for tap payments in Japan, and thus the tangent about getting a Japan-issued prepaid Visa/JCB card to work in that scenario. Of course, when you come right down to it, there's not a whole lot of reason to get a Japanese card for this purpose, since Suica works most places. But, if we're going to talk about Apple Pay, the conversation was bound to go in that direction sooner or later.

MrJBoy

I have a US AT&T version iPhone 7 Plus.
I know I can download Suica App but I can't actually add the Suica to the Wallet in the AT&T iPhone.
My understanding is that I can add Suica to Apple Watch 2's Wallet if it's a Japanese version Apple Watch 2 and I can actually use the Suica in the Apple Watch 2 not iPhone, for example, at JR's ticket gate scanner. Is that right?

I'm thinking to buy an Apple Watch 2, so maybe I will buy it in Japan if that's all true...

Also, can I charge the mobile Suica by the existing US issued credit cards in my iPhone automatically ?

bocastephen

You can use the Apple Watch 2 if it's a Japan model - I believe the SUICA app on your US iPhone will be useless as it won't do anything.

I've never added a card to my SUICA account for automatic charging, I just use Apple Pay to move fixed amounts from my US credit card to my SUICA account as-needed as I don't want to have a positive SUICA balance while I'm outside Japan.

rustykettel

See the links upthread in freecia's post at #109 for step by step setup directions with Japanese Apple Watch and a non-Japanese iPhone. The Suica app will detect when you've paired with the watch and will have more options in the app than without a paired watch.

After setting up the Suica card and send it to the Apple Wallet on your watch, the Suica app will also show the balance and you can reload with your Apple Pay credit card on your phone.

freecia

Just another data point - US iPhone 6 Plus + Japan Apple Watch 2 + Chase credit card works. Chase codes "SUICA MOBILE PAYMENT" reloads as travel. I also don't have auto-top up setup and periodically add funds via Apple Pay. I did add a little balance before I left Tokyo in case I need some balance on arrival, forget to do so before departing for Japan, and can't get internet on arrival.

I registered MySuica via a combination of screenshots, Google Translate app (now can use "photos" as images for OCR), and guesswork. After registration - just be sure that you understand unlock (via touch id or otherwise) vs reset password, which is green text on the bottom of the initial screen. I used SmarTalk app to get a 050 phone number for free.

jamar - I also managed to register my osaifu ponta JCB prepaid online to check balance. I think it might take a few days after registration to be able to link the web account via recruit jp to the Ponta number printed on the JCB card so I'll try again in a while. Thanks! I had to ask for the card as they were kept in a small basket by the register, out of easy sight.

Softbank at Haneda had both the Blade Q+ and the 3G 301Z in stock when I was there. They require the purchase price of the phone AND a top up (3,000 yen?). I thought the phone came with some included credit as listed on the website and there is probably a ~3,000 yen activation fee hidden somewhere in the fine print?