Losing an IC card in Japan does not have one universal solution. The Suica or PASMO name is not enough to choose the recovery route. You must identify whether it is unregistered, personalized, made for visitors, or stored on a phone or watch.
A registered physical card may be suspended and reissued. An unregistered physical card normally cannot. A physical Welcome Suica and Welcome Suica Mobile also have different recovery procedures.
Use the card-type table below before buying another card or assuming the balance is gone.
- Quick answer
- First, identify which card you lost
- If you lost a registered physical Suica
- If you lost a Personalized PASMO
- Physical Welcome Suica and TOURIST PASMO are different
- If the phone or watch containing the card is lost
- What to do if you are inside the ticket gates
- Immediate Plan B: keep moving without the missing card
- Search for the physical card separately
- A five-minute prevention checklist
- FAQ
- Can an unregistered Suica be reissued if lost?
- Can My Suica or a Suica commuter pass be reissued?
- Can a Blank PASMO be reissued?
- Can TOURIST PASMO be reissued or refunded?
- Can a physical Welcome Suica be reissued?
- What should I do if the missing Suica is on my iPhone?
- What happens if I find the card after suspension?
- What if I lose the card between entering and exiting a station?
Quick answer
- If you are still inside a ticket gate, speak to station staff before trying to exit. Explain that the IC card used to enter has been lost. Follow the operator's instructions and be ready to settle the applicable fare.
- Identify the card type. Look at a photo, purchase receipt, Wallet entry, reference paper, or the registration details you used when buying it.
- Report a registered card immediately. My Suica, a Suica commuter pass, Personalized PASMO and PASMO commuter passes can generally be suspended and reissued when the registered identity can be verified.
- Do not expect loss reissue for an unregistered physical card. Unregistered Suica, Blank PASMO, physical Welcome Suica and TOURIST PASMO do not have the same loss-reissue protection.
- Use the official mobile procedure for a phone or watch. Do not treat a missing device like a missing plastic card. The correct steps depend on the mobile product, account and operating system.
- Use cash or a paper ticket until recovery is complete. A reissue may not restore stored fare on the same day.
Information checked August 3, 2026. IC-card products, fees, support routes and availability can change. The issuing operator's live instructions control.
First, identify which card you lost
This is the fastest way to choose the correct action.
| Lost item | Loss reissue? | First action | What happens to stored value? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unregistered physical Suica | No | Ask the station or lost-property office whether it was found; use another fare method | It cannot be transferred through Suica's loss-reissue system |
| My Suica or Suica commuter pass | Generally yes | Report it at a participating staffed station or office and show ID matching the registration | JR East protects the balance remaining when suspension is completed |
| Blank PASMO | No | Ask the relevant operator's lost-property office; use another fare method | It cannot be transferred through PASMO's loss-reissue process |
| Personalized PASMO or PASMO commuter pass | Generally yes | Visit a nearby participating station or bus operator office with official ID | The registered card can be suspended and reissued under PASMO rules |
| Physical Welcome Suica | No | Search through the relevant operator or police lost-property route; use a replacement fare method | No loss reissue; remaining value is not recoverable through reissue |
| TOURIST PASMO | No | Search through the relevant operator or police lost-property route; use a replacement fare method | No loss reissue; its stored value is not refundable |
| Welcome Suica Mobile on a lost iPhone or Apple Watch | Yes, through its device-loss process | Contact Welcome Suica Mobile support to suspend it, then follow the iCloud/Wallet and re-registration steps | Reconfiguration is available after the official waiting period |
| Other Mobile Suica or Mobile PASMO | Often recoverable when the required account information exists | Use the product's member menu, support center or platform procedure immediately | Timing and eligibility depend on the product, account and operating system |
The words registered, personalized and mobile matter more than the card color. If you are unsure, do not guess. Show station staff any receipt, screenshot, card number or account information you still have.
If you lost a registered physical Suica
JR East allows loss reissue for My Suica and Suica commuter passes when the card and customer can be identified.
Start at a staffed station or office that handles Suica/PASMO-area procedures. Bring:
- a passport or other official identification;
- the exact name, date of birth and gender registered to the card;
- the registered telephone number, if known;
- the Suica card number beginning with
JE, if you recorded it; and - any purchase receipt or commuter-pass information that helps identify the card.
JR East first identifies the card and starts suspension. The official rules say the balance is protected at the point the suspension is completed, not necessarily at the moment you first notice the loss.
Under JR East's published IC-card rules, the current charge is:
- ¥520 reissue handling fee, paid in cash; plus
- ¥500 deposit for the replacement card.
The replacement is available from the following day after suspension and must be collected within the official 14-day period. Bring official ID again when collecting it.
Once suspension is completed, the old card cannot be used again. If you later find it, take it to a JR East ticket office. JR East says the ¥500 deposit may be returned after identity verification, but the stopped card itself does not become your active card again.
If you lost a Personalized PASMO
PASMO's official card guide uses a similar distinction.
- Blank PASMO: cannot be reissued after loss.
- Personalized PASMO: can be reissued when the registered user is verified.
- PASMO commuter pass: can be reissued, although the issuing operator may control some commuter-pass procedures.
Follow PASMO's lost-card procedure at a nearby participating station or bus operator office. Bring official identification that matches the name and other personal details registered to the card.
PASMO's rules require a reissue-control slip and collection within the stated period. The published loss-reissue cost is a ¥520 handling fee plus the ¥500 deposit for the replacement card. Once the lost card has been suspended, that action cannot be canceled and the old card cannot be used again.
Do not confuse a Blank PASMO with a damaged PASMO. A damaged blank card can sometimes be replaced when the physical card is presented and its number can be read. That is different from losing the card completely.
Physical Welcome Suica and TOURIST PASMO are different
Visitor cards are convenient because they do not require the same deposit and registration process as a normal personalized card. The tradeoff is weaker recovery after loss.
Physical Welcome Suica
JR East's Welcome Suica rules do not provide loss reissue for the physical card. If it is lost, the balance cannot be moved to a replacement through the loss-reissue system.
You can still report the card as lost property to the railway, shop, hotel, taxi company or police office connected to the place where it disappeared. Finding the physical card is different from reissuing it.
TOURIST PASMO
PASMO states that TOURIST PASMO cannot be reissued if lost. It also states that value loaded onto TOURIST PASMO is not refundable.
Keep its reference paper separate from the card. The paper can help identify the product and its validity, but it does not turn an unrecoverable lost card into a reissuable one.
If the phone or watch containing the card is lost
Act quickly because a missing mobile device can expose more than the transit balance. Secure the device and payment account as well as the IC card.
Welcome Suica Mobile
JR East's English procedure says to:
- contact the Welcome Suica Mobile Support Center to suspend the Suica;
- sign in to iCloud from another device and remove the Suica from the lost device, or ask Apple support for help; and
- after 5:00 a.m. Japan time the following day, configure the Suica on a replacement device, as stated in the official lost-device FAQ.
The physical card's no-reissue rule therefore does not apply to Welcome Suica Mobile. They are separate products with separate procedures.
Other Mobile Suica products
JR East provides different routes for card-type Suica, Mobile Suica and Apple Pay Suica. A registered user may request suspension and reissue through the member menu, support center or the management system used by the relevant app.
The stored-fare balance may not become available until the next service day. Reissue can also invalidate the old Suica identification number, which may require separate action for services linked to that number.
Mobile PASMO and PASMO on Apple Pay
PASMO's mobile rules allow reissue registration through the relevant member menu, support center or Apple management route when the required identity and account conditions are met. The mobile reissue rule states that no handling fee is charged for that procedure.
The safest approach is to start from the exact product's official support page. PASMO's mobile terms cover the account and support route for Mobile PASMO and PASMO on Apple Pay. Do not follow instructions for a physical PASMO if the missing item is an iPhone or Apple Watch.
What to do if you are inside the ticket gates
Do not push through a gate or tap another person's card.
Go to the staffed gate and say:
I entered with an IC card, but I lost it before exiting.
If useful, show this Japanese sentence:
ICカードで入場しましたが、カードをなくしました。
The operator will determine how to close the journey and what fare must be paid. The answer can depend on the route, entry record and available evidence. A phone screenshot or remembered balance is not a substitute for the operator's decision.
Keep any paper receipt staff issue. It may help explain what happened when you later report or reissue the card.
Immediate Plan B: keep moving without the missing card
Recovery and today's journey are separate problems. Solve today's fare first.
Use this order:
- Carry enough cash for a paper ticket. Most staffed stations and ticket machines provide a cash purchase route, although machine functions differ.
- Buy a paper ticket for the next journey. This avoids waiting for a reissue that may not restore stored fare until the next day.
- Ask whether a replacement compatible IC card is currently available. Product and station availability can change, so do not build the whole fallback around one card being in stock.
- Use another mobile IC card if you still control a compatible device and payment method. Do not lock yourself out of the lost-device recovery account.
- Keep a second payment method separate from the IC card. A small cash reserve and a credit or debit card reduce the risk of one lost wallet stopping the entire trip.
For cash and ATM basics, use Cash in Japan: Yen Notes, Coins & Foreign-Card ATMs. If an overseas card also fails, follow ATM Card Declined in Japan? Cash Plan B.
Search for the physical card separately
Suspension protects an eligible registered card. It does not search the train, station, restaurant or taxi where the card may have been left.
Contact the place connected to the loss:
- railway operator for a station or train;
- bus operator for a bus;
- shop, restaurant or hotel for an indoor loss;
- taxi company when you have the receipt or vehicle details; or
- police lost-property service when the location is unclear or the item has already moved into the police system.
If the lost card was inside a wallet, treat the wallet, bank cards and identity documents as separate risks. Stop payment cards through their issuers and report important documents through the proper channels.
The broader process is covered in Tokyo Lost Property Guide for Tourists.
A five-minute prevention checklist
Before the next trip:
- photograph the back of a registered physical card and store the image securely;
- keep the card number separate from the card;
- register accurate name and birth information when choosing a personalized product;
- do not load more stored value than you are comfortable losing on an unregistered visitor card;
- keep a small cash reserve outside the card wallet;
- confirm the account and support route for a mobile card; and
- enable the device-security and recovery functions provided by your phone platform.
For choosing a card before a trip, read Suica or PASMO in 2026? What Tourists Should Buy.
FAQ
Can an unregistered Suica be reissued if lost?
No. JR East's IC-card rules exclude unregistered Suica from loss reissue and suspension. You may still search for the physical card through the relevant lost-property route, but its balance cannot be transferred through the loss-reissue system.
Can My Suica or a Suica commuter pass be reissued?
Generally yes, when JR East can identify the registered card and the applicant shows matching official ID. The published cost is a ¥520 handling fee plus a ¥500 replacement-card deposit. Collection is from the following day and within the official collection period.
Can a Blank PASMO be reissued?
No. PASMO states that a Blank PASMO cannot be reissued after loss. A Personalized PASMO or PASMO commuter pass has a separate reissue route.
Can TOURIST PASMO be reissued or refunded?
No. PASMO states that TOURIST PASMO cannot be reissued if lost and that loaded value is not refundable.
Can a physical Welcome Suica be reissued?
No. Physical Welcome Suica is not eligible for loss reissue. Welcome Suica Mobile has a different lost-device suspension and re-registration procedure.
What should I do if the missing Suica is on my iPhone?
Use the procedure for the exact mobile product. Welcome Suica Mobile users should contact its support center to suspend the Suica, remove it from the lost device through the official account route, and reconfigure it on a new device after the stated waiting period.
What happens if I find the card after suspension?
Do not try to use it. Suspension and reissue cannot simply be canceled, and the old card is no longer the active card. For a found registered Suica, JR East says to take it to a ticket office with official ID; the deposit may be returned.
What if I lose the card between entering and exiting a station?
Go to the staffed gate and explain that you entered with the missing IC card. Do not force the gate or use somebody else's card. Follow the operator's instructions for fare settlement and keep any receipt provided.
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