It has been a year since the VISA payment network in Japan stopped accepting foreign issue VISA cards for Apple Pay In-App use with Suica and PASMO Wallet cards (and the recently launched Apple Pay ICOCA card too). With no explanation or reason, one little VISA payment system configuration change […]
Mobile Payments
Wanted: a JR East Apple Pay Suica support campaign in English
Now that plastic Suica cards are mostly unavailable unless you tearfully plead with a kind hearted JR East station staffer that you lost it and need a replacement Suica, inbound tourists are stuck with lining up at Narita or Haneda station kiosks for the not so welcome Welcome Suica. Unless […]
Help Desk
Using Apple Pay Suica • PASMO Commuter Passes when transfer protocol is in effect
The Yamanote Line was not running this morning due to a signal malfunction. Yet everything looked like any normal Monday morning commute so I had no idea when I entered Asagaya station. Then I heard the announcement on the platform. The train came, I got on. Again everything looked normal, […]
Mobile Payments
VISA blocking foreign issue cards for select Japanese in-app and online payments
Notice: latest VISA situation update here When foreign issue VISA cards in Wallet stopped working for Apple Pay In-App Suica and PASMO recharge on August 5, the first people to howl in pain were Apple Pay PASMO users who suddenly couldn’t recharge with their Chase Sapphire VISA cards. Chase Sapphire […]
Mobile Payments
MythBusters: plastic Suica isn’t safer than Mobile Suica
b On June 24 from 0:37 to 13:00 JST, JR East online services went offline due to a mishap during server center related power supply construction. The most affected services were the most used: Mobile Suica and the online Eki-Net ticketing service. While embarrassing and inconvenient, the damage was minimal […]