Buying Paper Tickets With Your Suica Card

Even If You Have a Suica, You Sometimes Need a Paper Ticket

Photo by Pixta

In most cases, you can use a Suica card or other IC cards to get on trains in Japan. But sometimes paper tickets are required to use certain trains. There are 2 cases in which this happens.

1. When Riding the Shinkansen Bullet Train, the Odakyu Romance Car or Other Special Express Trains

In this case, you are required to buy a "special express ticket" in addition to the normal train fare.
2. When Crossing Into Different Areas of Japan

This happens when you travel to other regions of Japan, such as from Tokyo to Osaka. There are some railways companies that don't accept IC cards yet.

There could also be a time when you think:
"I'm going back to my home country soon, but there isn't enough money left on the Suica to pay the train fare..."

You can solve this by buying a paper ticket.

These are the situations in which you can use your Suica to buy a paper ticket. You can also use your Suica balance in combination with cash when you don't have quite enough.

How to Buy Tickets with Your Suica

Now we'll show you how to buy a ticket using your Suica at a ticket machine.

When Buying a Standard Ticket

1. Insert Your IC card (Suica) into the Ticket Machine

Photo by Pixta

Start by inserting your card into the appropriate slot on the machine so that the arrow on the front of the card is facing towards the machine.

2. Select "きっぷ購入" (or "Purchase Ticket")

The screen will change after you insert your card. Select "きっぷ購入" (or "purchase ticket") from the menu on the left side of the screen.

3. Select the Price of the Ticket You Want

This screen shows many possible prices. Calculate how much you'll need to get to your next destination and select that option on the screen. The ticket fee will be taken off of your remaining Suica balance.

4. Take Your Ticket!

Your Suica and paper ticket will come out of the machine. Don't forget to grab both!

*The screen displays 3 options for the balance remaining on your card, but they are not the same. 「投入金額」 ("tonyu kingaku") refers to the amount left on your card rounded to the nearest 10 yen.

*Keep in mind that you can use as many as two Suica cards to buy a ticket, but you cannot use less than 10 yen from each.

Buying Seat Tickets

Photo by Pixta

You can buy seat tickets at the designated ticket machines. Follow the instructions on the machine to select your ticket and insert your Suica after you've chosen your seat.

If you don't feel comfortable using the machine, you can also pay with the Suica at an information desk.

You can call someone to help you by pressing the "よびだし" ("Call") button, on the ticket machine too, if you run into any trouble.