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Can I carry both Suica and Pasmo? 2011/8/30 20:03
I currently have a Suica commuter card and I used to just use mostly JR train lines to get to school but I am moving soon and the new area is the reverse where I will commute mostly through the other railway companies.

So I was just wondering if I need to get a Pasmo card. I know the two cards work interchangeably in the Tokyo region (where I am) but since I need to apply for the commuter pass I'm not sure if they can change my Suica so that it prints my new commuting route especially since I'm not mostly traveling on JR lines anymore.

Is it possible to carry both (any need to?) or do I need to return my Suica card and then get a Pasmo one?
by SuicaPasmo (guest)  

... 2011/8/31 07:21
There is no problem with carrying both. There is not problem with carrying 17 Suica and 88 Pasmo cards either. Just make sure that you only touch one and the same when entering and leaving stations for each ride.

I am not familiar with the details of modifying commuter passes, but I suspect that there is no need to change the card, especially if your new route still contains a small JR section.
by Uji rate this post as useful

Suica and Pasmo 2011/8/31 12:00
Hyperdia gives not only the fare for a one-way trip but also show how much a commuter pass for that trip cost for 1 month, 3 months, 6 months.
Try to check how much you pass cost for a month using Suica (don't forget to un-tick on the Hyperdia search details , everything that is not related to a normal commuter train, and also, at the very bottom, keep JR trains only).

Then do another search, using your new route, but this time leaves JR and tick also the other trains. See how much it cost, and how practical is the new route.

If, as Uji mention, your new route includes JR for even a short ride, you should be able to use Suica.
If not, it seems logical that only Pasmo should be used.
This is a problem of cards that are route specific.
As a tourist or, if living in Tokyo as an occasional transit user only, you can use either card as you don't get a discount on the trips.

Otherwise as a commuter you likely can only use the card that is for the rail companies you have to use each time.

Your best bet is to ask the staff in a JR station about still being able to use Suica or not. Please let us know...



by Red frog (guest) rate this post as useful

RE: Suica / PASMO: Keep cards apart. 2011/8/31 14:23
Is it possible to carry both

Possible, but it is recommended to avoid carrying together plural IC cards which can be processed without direct connection. If a passenger has two transport IC cards in one wallet for example, they can be handled incorrectly when they get very close to a reader-writer device at an automatic ticket gate. (The gate machines do not judge which card the passenger hopes to use.)


I used to just use mostly JR train lines to get to school
I will commute mostly through the other railway companies.

When two or more railroad operators are involved, there may be cases in which a commuter ticket cannot be issued for the whole route.

Only the operator which issued the transport IC card gets the card returned or makes discontinued the commuter ticket in the card. If your new route includes a JR-East section, please consult JR-East whether (a) you had better switch to a PASMO card or (b) you can still use your Suica card to commute on the new route.
(a) When you simply discontinue the commuter ticket, the fare may be partly refunded by month; so you can get some money back only if one month or more is left from the following day. e.g. If your commuter ticket is valid until 2011/10/14, you can get nothing refunded on 2011/09/14 or later.
(b) When you discontinue the commuter ticket to change routes, the fare may be partly refunded by each 10 days; so there may be a case in which you can get some money back even if less than one month is left.

by omotenashi rate this post as useful

. 2011/9/2 02:46
There's no regulation that says you cannot carry both, but I understand your situation.

Just simplify it.

If your home station (at your new home) is not a JR Station, then get the PASMO commuter card issued. (Return your old suica card for a refund first at the JR station). They should be able to issue you a PASMO commuter card even if it transverses JR lines. If you need to make multiple transfers between multiple railways then it becomes a bit more difficult.

If your home station (at your new home) is a JR Station, then simply change your current Suica card. The Suica card can be issued to cover other non JR railways as well. Again but if it transverses multiple railway companies, then it becomes a bit more difficult.
by ExpressTrain (guest) rate this post as useful

. 2011/9/2 02:47
For example, I have a PASMO commuter card that covers my first section from home (non JR line), then the card also covers my JR section when I transfer to work.
by ExpressTrain (guest) rate this post as useful

no need to have 2 2011/9/2 09:33
If a route has no JR Suica can't be used. (I needed to get a Pasmo when my commute was only on the subway.)

You can put money on a SUICA / PASMO in addition to the commuter pass so there is no need to carry both. (which I was doing for a while.) I use my same Pasmo for both teiki ken and regular fares.
by girltokyo (guest) rate this post as useful

the truth 2011/9/5 03:04
Basically, and this is an answer of 4 years experience:
There is hardly any point owning a pasmo card because the suica can everything the pasmo can and more!

Suica can be used on the subway alone, or in a combination of subway and JR.
Suica can also be used interchangeably with Kansais' ICOCA, which the pasmo cannot
The only difference between pasmo and suica is that suica is governed by JR
by Kumeru rate this post as useful

about Suica etc. 2011/9/5 04:30
"Suica can also be used interchangeably with Kansais' ICOCA"
Actually Suica can be used in ALL the other regions in Japan, from Hokkaido to Kyushu.

Obviously while regional cards, like ICOCA, works for ALL the trains etc in the region they are issued, the Suica only works for JR trains in all the other regions.

This likely isn't a big problem if one is only going to Osaka, Hiroshima etc. for a couple of days.

I don't live in Japan, only visit every so often..but I am a trains and transit fan and am currently learning how transit smart cards work in various countries as my home town transit is working on a transit smart card.
Therefore, while I am not the original poster, I thank you all for your very informative replies
by Red frog (guest) rate this post as useful

... 2011/9/5 08:53
There is hardly any point owning a pasmo card because the suica can everything the pasmo can and more!

As discussed in the thread, this is not quite true when it comes to commuter passes.

By the way, from spring 2013 all the JR IC cards, Pasmo, PiTaPa and a few other major non-JR IC cards will become fully compatible with each other. I know it is another 1.5 years, but this will introduce a wonderful new chapter for tourists.
by Uji rate this post as useful

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