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Apple Pay & Suica on iPhone/Apple Watch in Japan [consolidated thread]

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Apple Pay & Suica on iPhone/Apple Watch in Japan [consolidated thread]

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Old Nov 12, 2018, 10:40 am
  #211  
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Originally Posted by mrploddy
It looks like you need to go in to iCloud and delete the cards from your old phone ? The issue is that it appears to still be linked to the old phone I think ?

https://eigoenglish.jp/iphone-non-suica/

This article covers it in quite some detail.
Thank you, the article was a great help! Unfortunately I received an error that I needed to wait 24h before adding a SUICA card, and now their system is undergoing maintenance, but hopefully I can get the card back up when I try again.
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Old Dec 3, 2018, 6:19 am
  #212  
 
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Originally Posted by mrploddy
It looks like you need to go in to iCloud and delete the cards from your old phone ? The issue is that it appears to still be linked to the old phone I think ?

https://eigoenglish.jp/iphone-non-suica/

This article covers it in quite some detail.
I found myself in a similar pickle, except I forgot to delete the cards from my old phone before I removed the phone from my iCloud. Now I can't even add any Suica cards to my new phone, which from what I've found on the internet, seems to be related to the fact that I forgot to do that and the JR East backend doesn't like that. Does someone here know if there's another way to go back and delete it from my old phone? Or am I going to have to call customer service and hope they have a way to sort it out?
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Old Dec 20, 2018, 3:41 pm
  #213  
 
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Originally Posted by freecia
Seems like the magical phrase is "Apple Pay で" and double tap to use the Suica anyhow. Saying "Suica で" won't apply the 4X. That is what the website said (which seemed illogical to me since you have to tell non-Lawson combini suica?) and people have confirmed that's how it works.
https://www.reddit.com/r/japanlife/c...le_pay/e9aj2zr
Thank you again for pointing this out! I was able to download Ponta from the Japan App Store (had an existing Japan Apple ID, what a pain to set up that was), set up a new Ponta card (second phone/pad with Google Translate was useful), and add it to my wallet.

Some notes on using it:
- Apple Watch is a bit of a pain to use if you can’t see the face to make sure it scans and then select the Apple Pay card to actually pay for it. I’m also not sure that the Ponta selected from the Wallet app on Watch will scan correctly vs double clicking the side button and selecting it from there. Via the double click side button, the Ponta box gives the “Ready...” at the top.

- changing the payment method from “Apple Pay” to “Suica” (because I was having trouble with the Watch without being able to see the screen) required the Lawson clerk to cancel the transaction and rescan my purchases and select Suica. What I could have done I think is just change the payment card to Suica and it should have worked as an Apple Pay method.

- using Ponta / Apple Pay on iPhone was much easier because the screen is visible. No issues using a US Apple Pay credit card with the Ponta Wallet card (iPhone is set to US region, Watch is Japan region).

- Ponta app, but not Wallet card, has a bar code for getting points when paying with cash or other non Apple Pay methods.

- completely unrelated to the above, Suica can’t be used to purchase gift cards, specifically iTunes gift cards, according to konbini clerk.
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Old Dec 20, 2018, 6:42 pm
  #214  
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Originally Posted by rustykettel
Some notes on using it:
- Apple Watch is a bit of a pain to use if you can’t see the face to make sure it scans and then select the Apple Pay card to actually pay for it. I’m also not sure that the Ponta selected from the Wallet app on Watch will scan correctly vs double clicking the side button and selecting it from there. Via the double click side button, the Ponta box gives the “Ready...” at the top.

- using Ponta / Apple Pay on iPhone was much easier because the screen is visible. No issues using a US Apple Pay credit card with the Ponta Wallet card (iPhone is set to US region, Watch is Japan region).

- Ponta app, but not Wallet card, has a bar code for getting points when paying with cash or other non Apple Pay methods.


I was able to pay with my Apple Watch's Suica by using asking for Apple Pay, double click, then selecting Suica card. When the terminal scanned the Suica, the Suica also popped a little message with a Ponta icon. I believe the bonus points are granted at the end of the month or some monthly batch, based on some comments about the promo's fine print.

Interesting that US Apple Pay works at Lawson. I never tried it since noticing signs after the Japan Apple Pay launch stating Japan Cards only with Apple Pay. Was it Amex, MC, or Visa (which I don't think is supported in Japan Apple Pay?).


Last edited by freecia; Dec 20, 2018 at 7:45 pm
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Old Dec 20, 2018, 6:52 pm
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Originally Posted by freecia
Was it Amex, MC, or Visa (which I don't think is supported in Japan Apple Pay?).
It was a US Visa card. Japan Visa cards only won’t work with Apple Pay, from my reading of atadistance.

I’ll have to give the Apple Pay/Suica combination a shot on my next trip. Too late for bonus points, but would satisfy my curiosity.
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Old Dec 20, 2018, 7:19 pm
  #216  
 
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I am flying to the US for a couple of weeks and I am bringing my Japan model iPhone 7 Plus.

I would like to know if I can pay in the US with Apple Pay in Apple Pay and/or Contactless supported stores.

I have checked this page https://atadistance.net/apple-pay-japan-credit-cards/
Apparently some of my Japanese cards are supposed to be available (JAL Card master card, which is DC, then my ANA SFC JCB card, but I guess not many places in the US will accept JCB).

Can anyone confirm this?
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Old Dec 20, 2018, 8:06 pm
  #217  
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Originally Posted by sodaisei
I am flying to the US for a couple of weeks and I am bringing my Japan model iPhone 7 Plus.

I would like to know if I can pay in the US with Apple Pay in Apple Pay and/or Contactless supported stores.

I have checked this page https://atadistance.net/apple-pay-japan-credit-cards/
Apparently some of my Japanese cards are supposed to be available (JAL Card master card, which is DC, then my ANA SFC JCB card, but I guess not many places in the US will accept JCB).

Can anyone confirm this?
The merchant will need to either accept JCB natively (yes, many do), or accept Discover where that merchant account was setup to accept JCB via the Discover network - so if the merchant has one of those options, and accepts Apple Pay, then you're good to go. Apple Pay won't work as a bypass to a merchant not accepting JCB.
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Old Dec 20, 2018, 8:29 pm
  #218  
 
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Originally Posted by bocastephen
The merchant will need to either accept JCB natively (yes, many do), or accept Discover where that merchant account was setup to accept JCB via the Discover network - so if the merchant has one of those options, and accepts Apple Pay, then you're good to go. Apple Pay won't work as a bypass to a merchant not accepting JCB.
Great! Thank you!
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Old Dec 21, 2018, 12:32 am
  #219  
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Originally Posted by bocastephen
The merchant will need to either accept JCB natively (yes, many do), or accept Discover where that merchant account was setup to accept JCB via the Discover network - so if the merchant has one of those options, and accepts Apple Pay, then you're good to go. Apple Pay won't work as a bypass to a merchant not accepting JCB.
A merchant accepting JCB and/or Discover isn't necessarily going to guarantee that contactless cards/devices are going to work. For instance, Subway at one point (possibly still today) will fail if you try to tap Discover but will work with Visa/MC/AmEx no problem.

Also, contactless in general still isn't that big of a thing here so I wouldn't rely solely on it. At least people are somewhat used to phones being used for payment now, so they'll likely let you attempt it.
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Old Dec 21, 2018, 2:21 pm
  #220  
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Originally Posted by tmiw
A merchant accepting JCB and/or Discover isn't necessarily going to guarantee that contactless cards/devices are going to work. For instance, Subway at one point (possibly still today) will fail if you try to tap Discover but will work with Visa/MC/AmEx no problem.

Also, contactless in general still isn't that big of a thing here so I wouldn't rely solely on it. At least people are somewhat used to phones being used for payment now, so they'll likely let you attempt it.
A merchant accepting Apple Pay usually has a sticker along with the accepted credit card logos - but in realistic practice, the experience will be the opposite of Japan because over here 99% of transactions will need the JCB card swiped, and maybe 2% can be Apple Pay depending on where they are shopping.
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Old Dec 21, 2018, 3:03 pm
  #221  
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Originally Posted by bocastephen
A merchant accepting Apple Pay usually has a sticker along with the accepted credit card logos - but in realistic practice, the experience will be the opposite of Japan because over here 99% of transactions will need the JCB card swiped, and maybe 2% can be Apple Pay depending on where they are shopping.
Too bad there are no US issued JCB cards available anymore to get some datapoints (not like the one that existed ever supported any of the mobile wallets to my knowledge, but still).
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Old Jan 21, 2019, 11:41 pm
  #222  
 
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Originally Posted by pesos
Now I have an XS max and a Series 3 watch, and was able to create a new suica right in the app with no trouble (with my wife helping translate). Only annoying thing is, even though both devices are now suica-capable, the e-suica or whatever you want to call it can only be added to one device or the other at a time - it can't be used on both.
Newbie question: Is it possible to have two separate e-suica's (one on the phone, one on the watch)?

(My wife has an XS and a series 4, but I'm an android user ...)
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Old Jan 22, 2019, 6:49 am
  #223  
 
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Originally Posted by shuigao
Newbie question: Is it possible to have two separate e-suica's (one on the phone, one on the watch)?

(My wife has an XS and a series 4, but I'm an android user ...)
Yes - got exactly that to cover when I feel one way or the other eg get phone out or pay with my watch LOL.
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Old Jan 22, 2019, 8:18 pm
  #224  
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Originally Posted by mrploddy
Yes - got exactly that to cover when I feel one way or the other eg get phone out or pay with my watch LOL.
For the benefit of shuigao (who asked the question), can you provide directions on how to do this? As Suica cards can only exist on one device at a time, presumably you have to add a card to your iPhone and then move it to the watch and then, once that has been done, add another card to the iPhone (and set that second card as the Express Transit card on the iPhone)?
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Old Jan 24, 2019, 4:59 am
  #225  
 
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Originally Posted by tt7
For the benefit of shuigao (who asked the question), can you provide directions on how to do this? As Suica cards can only exist on one device at a time, presumably you have to add a card to your iPhone and then move it to the watch and then, once that has been done, add another card to the iPhone (and set that second card as the Express Transit card on the iPhone)?
For me personally physical suica cards were not involved. You install the Suica card and issue 2 suica cards from within the App and then load each one to the respective wallet. The app is in Japanese so you may need to find some guides about how to issue the suica cards from within the App. Note you already need a apple pay enabled card loaded to "charge" the suica as the App expects you to fund it from either Apple Pay bank card or from registering a credit card directly.

Both cards can be set as express transit on each respective device. Think of the Suica App as the "resource pool" from where the wallet's pull the cards from.
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