Welcome Suica app gets release date as Japan's tourist friendly IC travel card goes digital

JR East have announced the launch date of the tourist focused Welcome Suica Mobile app.

Suica is a widely used prepaid electronic money card (IC card) issued by JR East and the new Welcome Suica Mobile app aims to simplify the way international tourists travel in Japan.

Japanese public transport does not yet widely support contactless debit or credit cards, although trials have begun in Tokyo and other areas.

Due to this, IC cards such as Suica are essential for seamless travel on public transportation throughout Japan.

A JR train in Gunma Prefecture — Suica is predominantly used on public transport operated by JR East

The Welcome Suica Mobile app is designed to provide an easy and convenient way for tourists to pay for public transportation using their smartphone rather than a physical IC card.

A screenshot showing how the app will appear when first used — How the Welcome Suica Mobile app will appear when first downloaded

Welcome Suica cards issued via the app can be used for 180 days, which matches rules that allow some visitors to stay in Japan for up to 90 days within a 180 day period.

This lengthier period of use is an increase on the 28 days offered by the normal physical Welcome Suica card.

The move to digital services has been brought forward by issues surrounding IC chips, used by travel cards such as Suica and PASMO, with a global shortage in 2023 leading to suspended sales of some and eventually all types of IC based travel cards.

Travellers who prefer a physical card will be pleased to hear that unrestricted sales of regular Suica cards will shortly be reinstated following a sales suspension caused by a shortage of the IC chips that travel cards utilise.

Whilst restrictions on issuing new physical IC cards are now almost fully resolved, JR East is keen to direct visitors to Japan towards their new digital services to alleviate any potential future issues with IC chip supplies.

With the new Welcome Suica app, tourists will be able to:

Pre-register and load money onto their Suica before arriving in Japan: This will eliminates the need to purchase and topping up a card upon arrival.
Utilize Apple Pay for seamless transactions: The app is compatible with Apple Pay which will enable a fast and secure method to top-up your digital Suica card.
View comprehensive travel information: The app will include up-to-date travel information and useful resources, such as maps, route planners, and real-time updates on train schedules and disruptions.

A series of screenshots showing how the app is expected to appear — Initial functionality will focus on creating and topping up a digital Suica card and providing travel information

Later this year, JR East will update the Welcome Suica app to allow users to reserve seats on their Shinkansen and Limited Express trains including the Narita Express that connects Narita Airport Station to Tokyo, Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Yokohama.

A screenshot showing how shinkansen and express train reservations are expected to appear within the app — Users will be able to reserve seats on Shinakansen and Limited Express trains later this year

An exact date for this has not yet been provided beyond “Fall 2025”.

From “Spring 2026” the app will also be updated to allow the purchasing of “green car” tickets on regular trains heading towards Narita Airport or Kamakura.

A screenshot showing how green car reservations is expected to appear within the app — A further update will enable reservation of seats in “Green Cars” on select trains

The digital Welcome Suica card can also be used as if it were a normal Suica card, allowing users to make payments at locations such as convenience stores, vending machines and even some restaurants and shops.

Japanese vending machines with IC card payment options — The app will also allow contactless payment at vending machines

With the launch of the Welcome Suica Mobile app, tourists will be able to enjoy the convenience of cashless payments powered by their smartphone while eliminating the need to navigate unfamiliar ticketing systems and exchange currency to top-up their IC card.

On launch, the Welcome Suica Mobile app will only be compatible with Apple devices, with JR East advising that it will work on current versions of the iPhone and Apple Watch, though support may be limited for older versions of iOS or watchOS.

The Narita Express train — Tourists will be able to reserve tickets on the Narita Express through the app

An Android version currently appears to be unlikely to appear in the near future, as the “Felica” NFC standard used by Japanese IC cards, such as Suica, is not supported by a large number of Android devices.

The Welcome Suica Mobile app will launch from 10:00am on March 6th 2025 and can be downloaded from the App Store on their chosen Apple device.

Source: East Japan Railway Company