After a hiatus of nearly two years, the providers of Tokyo’s two main IC transport cards – Pasmo and Suica – will finally resume sales of unregistered prepaid cards. Registered cards were made available again last September, but the more convenient unregistered cards have remained unavailable for purchase.
Thankfully, they’re coming back soon. NHK News reports that unregistered Suica and Pasmo cards will be available once again from March 1. Sales of both IC cards were suspended indefinitely in 2023 due to a global semiconductor shortage – with the exception of some special cards available only to tourists.
'Unregistered' cards are prepaid transport cards which can be purchased directly from station ticketing machines and can be reloaded with funds when necessary. These are the easiest type of card to get your hands on and require no registration of personal details such as your name, gender and phone number. They’re especially helpful for short-term visitors who wish to have a physical IC card, as recently tourists have only been able to purchase the 28-day limited Welcome Suica at airports and select stations.
In addition to Pasmo and Suica, unregistered Rinkai Suica cards will also be made available again. This card is sold by Tokyo's waterfront area rapid transit (Rinkai Line) and features a blue dolphin instead of the Suica penguin.
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