Apple Pay transit cards (Suica, PASMO, and ICOCA) and e-Money cards (WAON and nanaco) are different from Apple Pay payment cards in that a transit or e-Money card prepaid stored […]
Mobile Payments
Forget the Suica vs EMV open loop soap opera, it’s all about loyalty program banks now
Quick, what’s the number one complaint foreigners had when they couldn’t use their foreign issue VISA cards for Apple Pay Suica recharge? Was it inconvenience? No, it was points. Specifically […]
Mobile Payments
Lax JR Kyushu SUGOCA effort results in a fare evasion problem
I really like YouTuber kenzy201’s latest post regarding the mysterious disappearance of the ¥170 paper ticket button at JR Kyushu Kokura station kiosks. Kenzy’s simple no frills talk style might […]
Mobile Transit
How long will the Suica card shortage last? (Updated)
2024-09-01 Update The shortage is over, Suica and PASMO cards are back on sale at local station kiosks The first indication that something was up the FeliCa chip supply chain […]
Mobile Payments
Suica 2.0 Platform Closeup: How Suica 2.0 will remove IC fare region barriers and much more
The Suica cross region problem, no thru transit going from the Suica area to the TOICA area for example, is a well known and criticized shortcoming of the Transit IC […]
Help Desk - Transit
The ¥10 barrier-free train station tax fare increase
The railway station barrier-free fee system is “a Japanese railway fare system established with the aim of promoting barrier-free railway stations in urban areas” by leveraging a fee on urban […]