Suica & IC cards at Haneda: which one, and where

Which card, in one table

Physical cards work the same on any phone-free traveler; the iPhone/Android split only affects the digital cards. Details below.

Welcome Suica — the visitor card

Welcome Suica is built for short trips. It is sold at the Haneda Terminal 3 station (both the staffed window and a dedicated vending machine), needs no deposit, and is valid for 28 days. You buy it preloaded — ¥1,000, ¥2,000, ¥3,000, ¥4,000, ¥5,000 or ¥10,000 — one card per person. The one trade-off: the remaining balance is not refundable, so spend it down before you leave. You keep the card as a souvenir.

Regular Suica & PASMO — for longer or repeat trips

If you visit often or stay a while, a regular card avoids the 28-day clock. Since 15 March 2025 the Tokyo Monorail stations sell a regular Suica — the unnamed Suica card or the registered My Suica — for a ¥500 refundable deposit. On the Keikyu side, the Haneda terminal stations sell TOURIST PASMO (no deposit, valid 28 days) and a regular PASMO (¥500 deposit). All of these tap through the same gates and shops nationwide.

Mobile Suica: the iPhone / Android split

This is the part that trips people up. Welcome Suica Mobile — which lets you issue and top up a Suica in-app before you even land — runs only on Apple Pay-compatible iPhone and Apple Watch (age 13 and over), and the mobile card is valid for 180 days after setup.

Android is not currently supported. A version for overseas Galaxy phones has been announced as a goal for the first half of 2027, but that is a stated goal, not something you can rely on today. If you carry an Android phone, plan to buy a physical card at a station machine on arrival — which, as above, you can do at Haneda.

Buying a card for a child

A child Welcome Suica is available. It is usable until the first 31 March after the child turns 12. At purchase you show the child's identification document (such as a passport); a family member can buy it on the child's behalf, and the child's date of birth is entered at the vending machine.

Tapping a credit card instead

Yes on Keikyu and on Tokyo's subways — but not on any JR line, and not on the Keisei trains to Narita. Since 25 March 2026, 11 Kanto railway operators accept a contactless credit card at the ticket gate as one interoperable system, and at Haneda that means Keikyu. Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club, Discover and UnionPay all work, as does a card set up in a phone wallet.

Where it does not work matters more than where it does. JR East does not support contactless credit cards at all — that covers the Yamanote line, the JR route to Narita and the Narita Express. Keisei's trains do not support it either, so Narita rail access stays on Welcome Suica, a paper ticket or cash.

The catches on the lines that do accept it: adult fares only (no child fare, no disability discount), fares are charged in 10-yen units rather than the 1-yen units an IC card uses, you must enter and exit with the same card or phone, and it cannot be combined with a commuter pass.

So the advice above does not change: you still want a Welcome Suica for JR, for Narita and for children. But if you are an adult riding Keikyu into central Tokyo, the card already in your pocket is now a real option. Service start 2026-03-25 · verified 2026-07-28 against Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation (official), Keikyu — tap to ride (official) and JR East FAQ (official).

Good to know

Can I buy a Suica or IC card at Haneda?

Yes. Since 15 March 2025 the Tokyo Monorail stations at all three Haneda terminals sell a regular Suica, and the Keikyu stations sell PASMO and TOURIST PASMO. Welcome Suica, the card for short-term visitors, is sold at the Haneda Terminal 3 station.

What is the difference between Welcome Suica and a regular Suica?

Welcome Suica needs no deposit and is valid for 28 days, but its remaining balance is not refundable — you keep the card as a souvenir. A regular Suica costs a ¥500 refundable deposit and does not expire the same way, which suits longer stays and repeat visitors.

Do I need an iPhone to use a mobile IC card?

For now, effectively yes. Welcome Suica Mobile runs only on Apple Pay-compatible iPhone and Apple Watch (age 13 and over), and the mobile card is valid for 180 days after setup. Android is not currently supported — a version for overseas Galaxy phones is a stated goal for the first half of 2027, not something you can rely on today. On Android, use a physical card from a station machine.

Can I get an IC card for my child?

Yes. A child Welcome Suica is available, usable until the first 31 March after the child turns 12. You show the child's identification document (such as a passport) at purchase; a family member can buy it on the child's behalf, and the child's date of birth is entered at the vending machine.

How do I add money to the card?

At station ticket machines and fare-adjustment machines. Top-ups are cash-only — on the Tokyo Monorail machines, ¥500 to ¥10,000 at a time, up to ¥20,000. Bring yen; see our money & ATMs guide for where to withdraw it.

Can I get my Welcome Suica balance back before I leave?

No. The stored balance on Welcome Suica is not refundable — that holds for both the physical card and Welcome Suica Mobile, and the mobile version expires 180 days after setup. Because you cannot cash out what is left, add money in small amounts and aim to spend it down before you fly home. A regular Suica is different: it carries a refundable ¥500 deposit.

What if a card I add in the app won't top up my mobile Suica?

If a top-up inside the app does not go through, you can still add cash to the card at a station ticket or fare-adjustment machine. A cash top-up does not depend on any card working in the app, so it is the reliable fallback.