Suica vs. Pasmo
Oct 16, 2022, 6:37 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: NJ USA
Programs: AA PLAT 2MM, MR TITANIUM 2M, HH DIA, Hyatt EXP, BW DIA, IC AMB, IHG PLAT, UA GLD
Posts: 1,086
Suica vs. Pasmo
My iPhone 13 max wallet offers both. Any difference? Either easier to use/maintain? Anyone have a preference, why? I read Suica offers JR train purchases. both conbini.
this trip I plan to use in Tokyo, Kyoto, and possibly Akita and Sendai and Narita day trips. Likely will have funds leftover for future Japan trips elsewhere.
appreciate any guidance on which to activate.
this trip I plan to use in Tokyo, Kyoto, and possibly Akita and Sendai and Narita day trips. Likely will have funds leftover for future Japan trips elsewhere.
appreciate any guidance on which to activate.
Last edited by fmkgb; Oct 16, 2022 at 6:47 pm
Oct 16, 2022, 7:01 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: PVG
Programs: MU Platinum, HH Diamond
Posts: 823
My iPhone 13 max wallet offers both. Any difference? Either easier to use/maintain? Anyone have a preference, why? I read Suica offers JR train purchases. both conbini.
this trip I plan to use in Tokyo, Kyoto, and possibly Akita and Sendai and Narita day trips. Likely will have funds leftover for future Japan trips elsewhere.
appreciate any guidance on which to activate.
this trip I plan to use in Tokyo, Kyoto, and possibly Akita and Sendai and Narita day trips. Likely will have funds leftover for future Japan trips elsewhere.
appreciate any guidance on which to activate.
However, one thing I will say about Suica is that I recently checked my Suica app, and the card I had was gone. Now, I last used it in Feb 2020, but take that as a data point. I don't know how to get it back. Could have happened to Pasmo as well, but I don't know.
Oct 16, 2022, 7:28 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: NJ USA
Programs: AA PLAT 2MM, MR TITANIUM 2M, HH DIA, Hyatt EXP, BW DIA, IC AMB, IHG PLAT, UA GLD
Posts: 1,086
In terms of daily usage I think they're pretty much interchangeable. In fact in convenience stores you just say you're using "交通系” (koutsuukei) when making payment (short for 交通系電子マネー , or transport-type e-money).
However, one thing I will say about Suica is that I recently checked my Suica app, and the card I had was gone. Now, I last used it in Feb 2020, but take that as a data point. I don't know how to get it back. Could have happened to Pasmo as well, but I don't know.
However, one thing I will say about Suica is that I recently checked my Suica app, and the card I had was gone. Now, I last used it in Feb 2020, but take that as a data point. I don't know how to get it back. Could have happened to Pasmo as well, but I don't know.
Oct 16, 2022, 10:36 pm
#4
Join Date: Oct 2022
Location: Osaka
Programs: UA GS, NH Diamond
Posts: 80
My iPhone 13 max wallet offers both. Any difference? Either easier to use/maintain? Anyone have a preference, why? I read Suica offers JR train purchases. both conbini.
this trip I plan to use in Tokyo, Kyoto, and possibly Akita and Sendai and Narita day trips. Likely will have funds leftover for future Japan trips elsewhere.
appreciate any guidance on which to activate.
this trip I plan to use in Tokyo, Kyoto, and possibly Akita and Sendai and Narita day trips. Likely will have funds leftover for future Japan trips elsewhere.
appreciate any guidance on which to activate.
JR East owns the master key for the IC area which they licence to other companies. It's a major source of income.
I use ICOCA since I'm in the South West.
The only issues I've had are in Hokkaido (they refuse to pay JR East on principle), and Hiroshima (they use 2K RAM rather than 1K RAM because of a more complicated fare structure, can't load day passes but can still pay for single trips from the e-money).
Last edited by austin.d.powers; Oct 17, 2022 at 2:59 am
Oct 17, 2022, 1:15 pm
#6
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite
Posts: 1,967
I just did a reset of my phone and they were all gone, had to go into Apple wallet and click add, then "previously used cards" to get it back, and it doesn't work between like midnight and 5am japan time, so you have to wait until after 5am to reenable it. Not sure if that'll work for you, but worth checking. FTR they don't expire for 10 years, so it should still be associated with your apple id.
Oct 17, 2022, 1:27 pm
#7
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Posts: 1,215
He is very sorry, but thank you for waiting.
Oct 17, 2022, 4:29 pm
#8
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: PVG
Programs: MU Platinum, HH Diamond
Posts: 823
I just did a reset of my phone and they were all gone, had to go into Apple wallet and click add, then "previously used cards" to get it back, and it doesn't work between like midnight and 5am japan time, so you have to wait until after 5am to reenable it. Not sure if that'll work for you, but worth checking. FTR they don't expire for 10 years, so it should still be associated with your apple id.
Just recovered ￥1633！
Oct 17, 2022, 9:33 pm
#10
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite
Posts: 1,967
Oct 18, 2022, 12:17 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,106
Does this make things clearer? 😁
JR East owns the master key for the IC area which they licence to other companies. It's a major source of income.
I use ICOCA since I'm in the South West.
The only issues I've had are in Hokkaido (they refuse to pay JR East on principle), and Hiroshima (they use 2K RAM rather than 1K RAM because of a more complicated fare structure, can't load day passes but can still pay for single trips from the e-money).
JR East owns the master key for the IC area which they licence to other companies. It's a major source of income.
I use ICOCA since I'm in the South West.
The only issues I've had are in Hokkaido (they refuse to pay JR East on principle), and Hiroshima (they use 2K RAM rather than 1K RAM because of a more complicated fare structure, can't load day passes but can still pay for single trips from the e-money).
I never had problems using my SUICA in Hokkaido though.
Oct 18, 2022, 12:57 am
#13
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: PVG
Programs: MU Platinum, HH Diamond
Posts: 823
I like the chart, but it's complicated. What does it really mean? For me, the 2key questions are:
- using SUICA, are there any regions where you can't use it on public transport? Hokkaido seems to have contradictory data points
- is there any difference between PASMO and SUICA?
- using SUICA, are there any regions where you can't use it on public transport? Hokkaido seems to have contradictory data points
- is there any difference between PASMO and SUICA?
Oct 18, 2022, 3:14 am
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: NJ USA
Programs: AA PLAT 2MM, MR TITANIUM 2M, HH DIA, Hyatt EXP, BW DIA, IC AMB, IHG PLAT, UA GLD
Posts: 1,086
Trying to add Suica or Pasmo transit to apple wallet. After I try to add 1000yen, With both I get error: can not add payment. So I went to apple store in Tokyo today. Two people tried to help. Added Suica and Pasmo app, they set up my account in Japanese (English translation of app not available). After setup, in the app we tried to add funds , said DONE but then it showed rejection of funds approval. They checked internet and said there was known issue of not being able to add funds with non-Japanese bank card. They said US phone have a different chip than Japanese phones.
is that your experience???
I find it hard to believe that apple would enable Suica and Pasmo transit cards in their wallet 1) when it doesn’t work for USA
users and 2) it only works with Japanese credit cards and 3) you need to set up in app which is not available in English.
any ideas how I can enable either Suica or Pasmo in apple wallet??
is that your experience???
I find it hard to believe that apple would enable Suica and Pasmo transit cards in their wallet 1) when it doesn’t work for USA
users and 2) it only works with Japanese credit cards and 3) you need to set up in app which is not available in English.
any ideas how I can enable either Suica or Pasmo in apple wallet??
Oct 18, 2022, 5:26 am
#15
Join Date: Oct 2022
Location: Osaka
Programs: UA GS, NH Diamond
Posts: 80
Trying to add Suica or Pasmo transit to apple wallet. After I try to add 1000yen, With both I get error: can not add payment. So I went to apple store in Tokyo today. Two people tried to help. Added Suica and Pasmo app, they set up my account in Japanese (English translation of app not available). After setup, in the app we tried to add funds , said DONE but then it showed rejection of funds approval. They checked internet and said there was known issue of not being able to add funds with non-Japanese bank card. They said US phone have a different chip than Japanese phones.
is that your experience???
I find it hard to believe that apple would enable Suica and Pasmo transit cards in their wallet 1) when it doesn’t work for USA
users and 2) it only works with Japanese credit cards and 3) you need to set up in app which is not available in English.
any ideas how I can enable either Suica or Pasmo in apple wallet??
is that your experience???
I find it hard to believe that apple would enable Suica and Pasmo transit cards in their wallet 1) when it doesn’t work for USA
users and 2) it only works with Japanese credit cards and 3) you need to set up in app which is not available in English.
any ideas how I can enable either Suica or Pasmo in apple wallet??
It wasn't even all that long ago, maybe 15 years, that a foreign ATM card could be used at most domestic ATMs. I remember having to find a Citibank branch to use my US card. Then 7-eleven and Japan Post opened things up, and apart from the outage after the Yakuza heist, at least now days global ATMs are everywhere, and offer 20 languages.
Last edited by austin.d.powers; Oct 18, 2022 at 9:35 am