More fallout from the VISA JP Apple Pay agreement: JR East announced they will implement 3D Secure in iOS Suica App, requiring authorization for all non-Apple Pay in-app purchases.
Suica App is convenient because it works hand in glove with Apple Pay and app registered Japanese issue credit cards, giving users the widest possible card coverage. Since 2016, Suica App was the only work around solution for using VISA JP cards for Apple Pay Suica recharge.
With the VISA JP Apple Pay deal however, we are seeing a bunch of credit card backend changes, like merchant code changes that eliminate Suica recharge 3x travel points for Chase Sapphire Reserve VISA holders. JR East is changing how Suica App works, 3D Secure authorization for all non-Apple Pay in-app purchases is part of that. For users this means doing Suica recharge and commute plan renewal in Wallet instead of Suica App to avoid 3D Secure login hassles. Wallet is the hands down easiest way to recharge Suica and renew commute plans.
We’ll see a Suica App v3.0.4 update when 3D Secure is in place, likely after the new Eki-Net launches June 26. PASMO App already uses 3D Secure for registering cards but not for in-app purchases.
With direct Wallet addition of Suica cards starting with iOS 13 coupled with last year’s migration of Shinkansen eTicket functionality to Eki-Net, and the addition of VISA JP Apple Pay in-app support, Suica App is less essential than ever. The only reason for using it now is new commute plan purchases, Auto-Charge setup (which remains the 3D Secure free way to recharge) and receiving Suica Pocket recharge rewards.
There are some VISA JP cards that still don’t support Apple Pay in-app, MUFG holders still have to recharge the old Suica App way. Whatever the reason, the across the board change will be likely be very unpopular with iOS Suica App and Android Mobile Suica users.
UPDATE July 20, 2021
3D Secure is now required for registering credit cards in Suica App. So far there are no reports of 3D Secure confirmation required for Suica App in-app recharge or Green Car Seat upgrades. This matches my own limited testing. I’ll update this post if anything changes.
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