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IC card refunds: how to get money back on Suica and others

Return a JR East Suica at a JR East station: you get the balance minus a 220 yen fee, plus the 500 yen deposit. Welcome Suica cannot be refunded, whatever the validity period or the remaining balance on the card.

Updated

Suica

Refund
Return a JR East Suica at a JR East station: you get the balance minus a 220 yen fee, plus the 500 yen deposit.
Expiry
A Suica card becomes invalid if it is not used for 10 years.
Expiry
A child Suica has an expiry date: it is valid until 31 March of the year the child graduates from elementary school and cannot be used after that.
If you lose it
A lost My Suica (registered) card or Suica commuter pass can be reissued: JR East stops the lost card and issues a new one, guaranteeing the balance or the commuter pass section.

PASMO

Expiry
A PASMO becomes invalid if it is not exchanged, used or topped up for 10 years, counted from the day after the last such use.
Expiry
Tokyo Metro says a PASMO card has no valid period, but a card that is not used for 10 years becomes void.
Refund
A PASMO you no longer need can be refunded if you return the card. The stored balance cannot be refunded on its own, and the 500 yen deposit is refunded with it.
Refund
PASMO's rules say refunding the balance costs a 220 yen fee per card (if the balance is under 220 yen, the whole balance is the fee), and the deposit is returned together.
Refund
Some stations and bus counters cannot refund a PASMO, and for any PASMO other than a blank one you must show an official ID such as a driver's license.
If you lose it
A lost personalized PASMO card or commuter pass can be reissued: visit a nearby station or bus operator office.
If you lose it
PASMO's rules say reissuing a lost personalized PASMO costs a 520 yen reissue fee plus a 500 yen deposit, paid in cash.

ICOCA

Refund
JR West's ICOCA terms say a customer who no longer needs an ICOCA can claim back the balance, and a fee of 220 yen per card is charged.
Refund
If the refund amount, including the card balance, is no more than the refund fee, only the 500 yen deposit is returned. JR West handles ICOCA refunds at stations inside the JR West ICOCA area.
Expiry
JR West's ICOCA terms say that if none of card exchange, use or top-up of the balance, or commuter pass renewal happens for 10 years, JR West may invalidate the ICOCA in cases it has specially decided. The balance and deposit of an invalidated ICOCA cannot be claimed back.
If you lose it
Nankai's English page lists features of ICOCA as a card that anyone can use and that cannot be reissued when lost.
If you lose it
Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau's page says a lost ICOCA, or one that stops working because of a fault, can be reissued, but a lost unnamed ICOCA cannot be reissued.
Refund
Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau says an ICOCA or Children's ICOCA that is no longer needed can be refunded at its commuter pass offices. If the refund amount is no more than the 220 yen refund fee, only the deposit is returned.

Welcome Suica

Refund
Welcome Suica cannot be refunded, whatever the validity period or the remaining balance on the card.
Refund
If the card itself is faulty, JR EAST refunds the balance at a JR EAST Ticket Office (Midori-no-madoguchi) in a Suica area, from the day after the application until 14 days after the validity period ends; bring the faulty card and the certificate.
Expiry
The validity period is 28 days including the date of purchase, and the GOOD THRU date on the back of the card is not the expiration date.
If you lose it
A lost Welcome Suica card cannot be reissued.

TOURIST PASMO

Expiry
TOURIST PASMO is valid for 28 days from the date of purchase.
Refund
Value added to TOURIST PASMO is not refunded, even if you no longer need the card.
If you lose it
TOURIST PASMO cannot be reissued if it is lost.

Kitaca

Refund
A Kitaca can be refunded for a handling fee of 220 yen.
If you lose it
A registered Kitaca and a Kitaca commuter pass can be reissued if lost. Reissue costs a 520 yen handling fee and a 500 yen deposit.

TOICA

Refund
A TOICA is refunded at a TOICA ticket office. Registered and disabled-user TOICA are not refunded at Aichi Loop Railway.
Refund
Buying, refunding and reissuing a TOICA are not handled in the areas of other companies.
If you lose it
A lost registered, child or disabled-user TOICA is reissued for a 520 yen fee plus a new 500 yen deposit, 1,020 yen in cash in total. An unregistered TOICA cannot be reissued.

manaca

Refund
At a manaca counter, a manaca is refunded as the balance minus a 220 yen card refund fee, plus the 500 yen deposit. That fee is for Nagoya Railroad, Meitetsu Bus and Toyohashi Railroad; other operators may charge a different amount.
If you lose it
A non-registered manaca can be used by anyone but cannot be reissued if lost. A registered manaca can be reissued if you register your name, gender, date of birth and phone number.
Expiry
The expiry date given for the child manaca is March 31 of the fiscal year in which the named person turns 12. After that it can be changed to an adult manaca.

SUGOCA

Expiry
A SUGOMON PASS can be used over and over by recharging, and it has no expiration limit.
Refund
A SUGOMON PASS is refunded at the JR Hakata Station or JR Kumamoto Station ticket office for a handling fee of 220 yen. If the balance is under 220 yen, only the 500 yen deposit is refunded.
If you lose it
A lost SUGOMON PASS will not be reissued.
Refund
A SUGOCA is refunded only at a JR Kyushu ticket office (Midori-no-madoguchi) inside the SUGOCA area, not at ticket gates, fare adjustment offices or in other IC card areas. If the balance is 220 yen or less, only the 500 yen deposit is returned.
Refund
In other IC card areas, some services such as selling passes, refunds and reissue applications for a lost card are not handled.
If you lose it
A lost registered SUGOCA, SUGOCA commuter pass or disabled-user SUGOCA is reissued from the next day at a JR Kyushu SUGOCA-area station, for a 520 yen fee plus a new 500 yen deposit, 1,020 yen in cash in total.

nimoca

Refund
At a station counter or bus office that handles nimoca, a nimoca is refunded as the balance minus a 220 yen fee, plus the 500 yen deposit. The card is collected.
Refund
A nimoca refund costs a 220 yen fee. Refunds are not available at the Fukuoka Airport International Terminal bus counter.
Refund
Outside the nimoca area, reissue of a lost or broken nimoca and refunds of the card are handled only by the company that issued the card.

Hayakaken

Refund
At a subway station window or a commuter pass counter, a Hayakaken is refunded as the balance minus a 220 yen fee, plus the 500 yen deposit. The card is collected.
Refund
A refund of a Hayakaken, including a commuter pass on it, cannot be made in the nationwide mutual-use service areas.
If you lose it
A registered Hayakaken can be reissued if lost, but an unregistered one cannot. Reissue costs 520 yen plus a new 500 yen deposit, 1,020 yen in cash in total.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get a refund on Suica?

Return a JR East Suica at a JR East station: you get the balance minus a 220 yen fee, plus the 500 yen deposit. A Suica card becomes invalid if it is not used for 10 years.

How do I get a refund on PASMO?

A PASMO becomes invalid if it is not exchanged, used or topped up for 10 years, counted from the day after the last such use. Tokyo Metro says a PASMO card has no valid period, but a card that is not used for 10 years becomes void.

How do I get a refund on ICOCA?

JR West's ICOCA terms say a customer who no longer needs an ICOCA can claim back the balance, and a fee of 220 yen per card is charged. If the refund amount, including the card balance, is no more than the refund fee, only the 500 yen deposit is returned. JR West handles ICOCA refunds at stations inside the JR West ICOCA area.

How do I get a refund on Welcome Suica?

Welcome Suica cannot be refunded, whatever the validity period or the remaining balance on the card. If the card itself is faulty, JR EAST refunds the balance at a JR EAST Ticket Office (Midori-no-madoguchi) in a Suica area, from the day after the application until 14 days after the validity period ends; bring the faulty card and the certificate.

How do I get a refund on TOURIST PASMO?

TOURIST PASMO is valid for 28 days from the date of purchase. Value added to TOURIST PASMO is not refunded, even if you no longer need the card.

How do I get a refund on Kitaca?

A Kitaca can be refunded for a handling fee of 220 yen. A registered Kitaca and a Kitaca commuter pass can be reissued if lost. Reissue costs a 520 yen handling fee and a 500 yen deposit.

Sources for this page

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Compiled by Japan Japan !! · Updated October 5, 2026