Welcome Suica Mobile App – Experience Seamless Travel Across Japan (2025 Japan Travel UPDATE)
if you’re on the hunt for a Suka or pasmo card good news Japan is launching a brand new welcome Suka app in Spring 2025 here’s why you should consider it instead one you can purchase and recharge it before your trip meaning no more scrambling at the airport trying to buy a physical card two the card is valid for whooping 18 180 days once activated and can not only be used for all forms of public transport but also for shopping wherever the sua is accepted as a payment method I know you might be asking at this stage how is it different than the digital sua or pasmo that can be activated within the Apple wallet well get this you can use this digital welcome Saker to purchase and Link shinkansen tickets online meaning that you can skip the shinkansen ticket cues and simply use the welcomer app to directly Bard dising consent just scan and go there is a catch though the app is at present only available on Apple devices if you’re an Android User You may wish to watch my YouTube video on ad S/P pasmo alternatives
NEW Welcome SUICA App!
Japan is launching a NEW Welcome SUICA App by Spring 2025 (aka March 2025) allowing you to activate and reload the card you need to ride all forms of public transport BEFORE our trip ready to use upon arrival!
Card is valid for a 180 days and can also be linked to your Shinkansen ticket!
App is ONLY available on iOS at present (there are plans to expand to Android) and so if you are looking for alternatives check out my YouTube video on 5 other SUICA or PASMO alternatives, you’ll find it be searching “SUICA PASMO alternatives” on Youtube or Google
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16 Comments
Where to buy this?
Noo!!! Cries on my android phone😢
Appreciate this update! Any chance you know if one iphone can have multiple suica cards? One parent with two kids here.
Does this also mean we can select seats for the shinkansen?
Why only Apple mobiles? A lot of people ,including me prefer Android
Looks like it isn’t available quite yet. Darn!
Whopping, not Whooping. Whooping is what you get when you are in trouble with your parents.
This apple only stuff is getting old.
For anyone wondering why it is only for Apple:
As far as I know it has something to do with the near field communcation system (NFC) the public transport is using. It is called NFC-F and Apple made all their Iphones have this system (after some model I don't remember which year though). Some android phones produced in asia also support this system and can work with the digital suica/pasmo stuff but most of them wont. If you for instance buy any phone (non apple phone) in japan, it will work! A lot of my friends actually got a cheap phone for free when they got their phone contract just so they can use the digital versions.
If I'm wrong on anything let me know!
If this app is only on ios why would anyone get it over just having it on your wallet?
Your money in the wallet doesn't expire and can be used on your next Japan trip!
Alsoooo one thing that I think is good about this is that Apple devices on some region dont fully support Apple Pay, and the Wallet App is pretty much useless (you cant add any type of cards. you have to have an app or service that has an "Add to Apple Wallet" feature)
HELLO APPLE, ANDROID HERE, WHY ARE YOU IGNORING ME?
You can link your apple wallet suica card as well btw. You just need to provide the suica card number which you can get by downloading the japanese suica app. Once you have the number you can add that number to your online JR account and then link your shinkansen tickets.
Thanks for this!
Note – from what I've heard, this card links to Non-reserved Shinkansen tickets and any money left on the card at the end of 180 days is forfeited.
Do you think JR Pass Shinkansen tickets could be linked as well or it’s only ticket sold separately from a JR Pass?
the app is now only available in japanese. I honestly wonder why do you recommend it…
Hi, thanks for sharing this! Can the welcome suica card be linked to Shinkansen reservations bought with JR South Hokkaido Rail Pass?