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Suica, PASMO or ICOCA Refund Before You Fly Home (2026): Deposit, ¥220 Fee, or Keep It

Your trip is ending and there is money left on your IC card. A regular Suica, PASMO or ICOCA card gives you back the ¥500 deposit plus the balance minus a ¥220 fee. Welcome Suica, Welcome Suica Mobile and TOURIST PASMO give back nothing, so spend them down. If you'll be back in Japan, you can simply keep a regular card: the deposit and balance stay on it, and it stays usable as long as you use it once every 10 years.

We checked JR East, PASMO, JR West, Tokyo Metro and Apple's official pages on 9 November 2026. This page is about the end of the trip; for buying a card, see Suica for visitors and ICOCA for visitors.

Spend it down first. The ¥220 fee only comes out of the balance. Get a regular card's balance to ¥0, then hand it in, and you get the full ¥500 deposit back with nothing lost.
Your departure day, step by step →
By How to Book Japan Editorial TeamLast checked Nov 9, 2026

Refunds are free to arrange and we earn nothing from them. A few links further down (airport transport, luggage delivery, eSIM) are affiliate links.

The short answer
Regular Suica, PASMO, ICOCA card
¥500 deposit back + balance − ¥220 feeIf the balance is under ¥220, it all goes on the fee and you get the ¥500 deposit.
Welcome Suica, Welcome Suica Mobile, TOURIST PASMO
Nothing backNo deposit was taken, and the balance isn't refunded. Spend it.
Where
At the card's own railwaySuica at a JR East station, ICOCA at a JR West station, PASMO at a PASMO railway or bus counter.
Suica in Osaka, ICOCA in Tokyo?
NoOther areas accept the card for fares but don't refund it.
Apple Wallet cards
Refund only through the card's app, paid to a bank accountFor Suica, JR East says a bank account in Japan.
Keep it?
Yes, if you'll be backA Suica becomes invalid only after 10 years with no use. PASMO and ICOCA have a 10-year rule too.

Which IC cards give money back?

It depends on whether you paid a ¥500 deposit. Cards with a deposit can be returned. The visitors' cards had no deposit and don't refund the balance either.

Refund: yes

Regular Suica, PASMO or ICOCA card

Hand the card in. You get the ¥500 deposit, plus whatever balance is left after the ¥220 fee.

Refund: no

Welcome Suica

Valid 28 days, counting the day you bought it. JR East says no refunds, whatever the balance. JR East's Welcome Suica for extended use (180 days) doesn't refund either.

Refund: no

Welcome Suica Mobile

The iPhone app. Valid 180 days. When it expires, the balance is void and isn't refunded.

Refund: no

TOURIST PASMO

Valid 28 days from purchase. PASMO says value on it isn't refunded, for example when you no longer need the card.

Handling ended

PASMO PASSPORT

No longer sold. PASMO ended all handling of PASMO PASSPORT on 11 October 2024.

Refund: through the app

Suica, PASMO or ICOCA in Apple Wallet

Deleting the card isn't a refund. A refund goes through the card's app to a bank account, less a fee. See the phone section below.

How much do I get back after the ¥220 fee?

The fee is taken from the balance, never from the deposit. The ¥500 deposit always comes back.

Balance ¥1,000
¥1,280 back¥1,000 − ¥220 + ¥500. This is JR East's own example.
Balance ¥150
¥500 backThe ¥150 goes on the fee. Spend it first and you lose nothing.
Balance ¥0
¥500 backNo balance, so no fee to pay.

Our verdict: if your balance is a few hundred yen, spend it down rather than lose up to ¥220 of it to the fee. If there is a lot left, say ¥3,000 or more, a refund costs you only ¥220 and is worth doing, unless you are coming back.

Where can I return my Suica, PASMO or ICOCA?

Suica (JR East)
A JR ticket office (Midori-no-madoguchi) at a JR East stationJR East only takes back the Suica cards it issued. A Suica issued by another company, such as the Tokyo Monorail, goes back to that company.
PASMO
A station or bus counter in the PASMO areaPASMO says some stations and bus counters can't do refunds. Tokyo Metro says PASMO can't be refunded at JR East stations, Narita Airport included.
ICOCA (JR West)
A station in JR West's ICOCA areaThe JR ticket office (Midori-no-madoguchi), a Midori ticket machine Plus, or a pink ticket machine (unregistered cards only). The machines can't always do it, and the pink machine can't refund ¥10,000 or more.
ICOCA refund hours
Not between 0:50 and 5:00JR West's rule, whatever the station's own hours.

Can I return a Suica at a JR West station, or an ICOCA in Tokyo? No. JR East says that outside its own area, Suica can be used for fares but not sold or refunded. JR West handles ICOCA refunds at stations in its own ICOCA area.

At the airport. Narita Airport's JR stations are JR East, so a JR East Suica can be returned at the JR ticket office there after your last ride. Haneda is served by the Tokyo Monorail and Keikyu, so return a JR East Suica at a JR East station before you head out. In Kansai, Kansai Airport Station is a JR West station with a JR ticket office. Ticket offices keep set hours, so check them at the station. Routes: Narita, Haneda, Kansai Airport.

How do I use up the last of my Suica balance?

  1. Pay at a convenience store If the balance doesn't cover the bill, ask to pay the rest in cash. FamilyMart says you can pay an e-money shortfall in cash. JR East says only some shops let you combine Suica and cash, so ask at the till first.
  2. Put it towards a train ticket JR East says you can buy a ticket at a ticket machine with your Suica balance and cash together.
  3. Short at the exit gate? Top up only the difference If the balance runs out mid-trip, JR East says to use the fare adjustment machine to top up, or to add just the shortfall. That leaves the card at or near ¥0.
  4. Then return the card With a regular card at ¥0, you get the full ¥500 deposit back.
    Shopping before you fly? Tax-free purchases have their own rules at the airport.
    Tax-free shopping →

Two limits from JR East: you can't pay with two Suica cards in one payment, and you can't combine a Suica with another IC card such as PASMO or ICOCA in one payment.

Should I keep my Suica for my next trip?

If you expect to come back, yes. The ¥500 deposit and the balance stay on the card, and you skip buying a card next time. The only rule is the 10-year one.

Suica
Invalid after 10 years with no useJR East counts from the day after you last used, topped up or replaced it.
PASMO
Expires after 10 years with no use or top-upPASMO's card rules, article 12.
ICOCA
Can be cancelled after 10 years with no use or top-upJR West's IC card rules, article 14.
Welcome Suica, TOURIST PASMO
No: 28 days onlySpend them before you fly.
JR East warns that a Suica left unused for a long time may not work at the gate even with enough balance. If that happens, ask the staff at a station in the Suica area.
Japan eSIM for next time on Klook ↗

What about Suica, PASMO or ICOCA in Apple Wallet?

Deleting the card from Wallet is not a refund. A refund goes through the card's own app, and the money is paid into a bank account. The Suica refund only pays into a bank account in Japan. If you'll be back, keeping the card on the phone for the next trip is simpler.

Suica in Apple Wallet
Suica app or member website, ¥220 feeJR East: you must be a registered member, the money goes to a bank account in Japan 2 weeks to 1 month later, and refunds run 5:00–23:45 only.
PASMO in Apple Wallet
PASMO app or member website, ¥210 feePaid to the bank account you enter, about 2–4 weeks later. Not possible inside the ticket gates. If the balance is below the fee, nothing comes back.
ICOCA in Apple Wallet
ICOCA app or member website, ¥220 feeNot possible in Wallet itself, or inside the ticket gates. Paid to the bank account you enter, about 2–6 weeks later. If the balance is below the fee, nothing comes back.
Welcome Suica Mobile
No refundThe balance is void after 180 days.
Plastic card you moved into Wallet
Deposit already added to the balanceApple says the deposit goes onto the Wallet balance when you transfer a physical card.

New phone before the next trip? Apple says that when you remove a transit card, the balance is stored and can be added to an iPhone signed in with the same Apple Account: in Wallet, tap Add and pick the card. The old phone must be nearby and online, and you can't move a card in the middle of a journey. For Welcome Suica Mobile, JR East's procedures page has a guide to moving it to a new iPhone.

What if…?

…my Welcome Suica still has ¥1,000 on it?

There's no refund, so spend it at a convenience store or on your last train before the 28 days run out.

…I'm flying from Haneda with a JR East Suica?

Return it at a JR East station on the way, then pay for the monorail or Keikyu with a ticket or another card. Or keep the Suica for next time.

…I picked up a Suica in Tokyo and I'm leaving from Kansai Airport?

JR West stations don't refund Suica. Spend the balance down and keep the card, as the ¥500 deposit stays on it.

Kansai Airport to Osaka →

…I can't buy a regular Suica or PASMO next time?

Regular unregistered Suica and PASMO cards went back on sale on 1 March 2025 after being suspended in 2023. On 9 November 2026 we found no new suspension notice on JR East's or PASMO's pages. JR East sells Welcome Suica, in principle, one per person.

…I'm still choosing between an IC card and a pass for the next trip?

We did the sums in IC card or pass?.

What we checked

Official pages checked on 9 November 2026

JR East's Suica pages refuse automated access, so we read their text in search listings: regular Suica refund at JR East ticket offices, ¥500 deposit back, ¥220 fee from the balance (example: ¥1,000 balance, ¥1,280 back); JR East takes back only the Suica it issued; a Suica unused for 10 years becomes invalid; Welcome Suica 28 days and Welcome Suica for extended use 180 days, both with no refunds; Welcome Suica Mobile 180 days, balance not refunded.

JR East FAQ (jreastfaq.jreast.co.jp): Suica and cash together at some shops; Suica balance and cash together for a ticket at a ticket machine; shortfall top-up at the fare adjustment machine; no paying with two IC cards at once; Suica not sold or refunded in other companies' areas. JR East Apple Pay Suica FAQ: refund through the Suica app or member site, ¥220 fee, to a bank account in Japan, 5:00–23:45.

JR West ICOCA refund page: balance − ¥220 + ¥500 deposit; refunds at stations in the JR West ICOCA area, at the ticket office, a Midori ticket machine Plus or a pink machine (unregistered cards, under ¥10,000); not 0:50–5:00. JR West Apple Pay ICOCA pages: no refund in Wallet; refund through the ICOCA app or member site, ¥220 fee, 2–6 weeks. JR West IC card rules, article 14 (10 years).

PASMO card rules (articles 11, 12 and 24): ¥220 fee, deposit returned, 10-year expiry. PASMO refund page and Apple Pay PASMO refund page (¥210 fee). TOURIST PASMO page: 28 days, value not refunded. PASMO PASSPORT notice of 4 October 2024. Tokyo Metro FAQ: PASMO not refunded at JR East stations.

Apple Support (transit cards in Japan): removed cards keep their balance for transfer; a physical card's deposit is added to the Wallet balance. FamilyMart FAQ: shortfall can be paid in cash.

Found something that has changed? Tell us on the contact page.

Heading to the airport

Card handed in or put away for next time? Then the last job is getting to the airport. Book the train or bus, or send the big suitcase ahead and travel light.

Narita

Skyliner

Keisei's reserved-seat train to Narita. Compare the price on the booking page with Keisei's official fare before you buy.

Skyliner on Klook ↗Skyliner on KKday ↗
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Narita or Haneda

Airport Limousine Bus

A coach from many hotels and stations, handy with big suitcases.

Narita bus on Klook ↗Haneda bus on Klook ↗Limousine Bus on KKday ↗
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Travel light

Luggage delivery

Send your suitcase from the hotel to the airport.

Luggage delivery on Klook ↗How it works →
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Departure day checklist →Suica for visitors →ICOCA for visitors →