Suica (Japanese: スイカ, romanized: Suika) is a prepaid rechargeable contactless smart card and electronic money system used as a fare card on train lines and other public transport systems in Japan, launched on November 18, 2001, by JR East.

[11] While Suica's primary usage is as a fare card for public transportation, it can also be used as electronic money for general purchases.

Cards may also be charged at at fare adjustment machines within any station's ticket gates, i.e. inside the fare-paid zone.

On June 8, 2023, railway operators including JR East announced a temporary suspension of sales of unregistered cards, which do not display the customer's name, due to the 2020–2023 global chip shortage.

[28][29] As of March 2024, sales of the card remain officially suspended "for the time being",[30] but since January 2024 have been available in limited quantities to foreign tourists at customer service centers.

Various types of these "affiliate cards" exist, including at least one available through JR and View, and others such as the Bic Camera Suica.

[35] JR East request customers always carry with them a reference sheet, or receipt, to accompany the card.

[citation needed] Consequently, JR East began an awareness campaign in March 2007 to discourage commuters from storing multiple cards together.

[citation needed] The card incorporates a contactless Near Field Communication (NFC) technology developed by Sony called FeliCa.

Through collaboration with JR East, passengers can use Suica wherever PASMO cards are accepted to ride any railway or bus in the Tokyo metropolitan area.

As a result, beginning in 2013, Suica has full interoperability with Kitaca, PASMO, TOICA, manaca, ICOCA, PiTaPa, SUGOCA, nimoca, and Hayakaken IC cards.

An enhancement for 2007 allowed for Suica charges to be added directly to the phone bill, eliminating the requirement to constantly add to and monitor the remaining balance.

On May 23, 2011, JR announced[41] debut of Mobile Suica app for Android Smartphones supporting Osaifu-Keitai.

A limited e-money-only application called "Easy Mobile Suica" (which does not require a credit card) was also launched in late October 2006.

[42] This functionality was limited to devices purchased in Japan which included FeliCa support: iPhone 7 (model A1779 and A1785) and Apple Watch Series 2.

[43] iOS 15 introduced new Wallet app improvements and a dedicated category for adding Suica and other transit cards regardless of the device region setting.

[46] This functionality is limited to Android devices that have their Google Account's region set to Japan and which support Osaifu-Keitai, i.e. the phone must have been purchased in Japan, or be rooted (and have a FeliCa chip, as modern Google Pixel phones do) to enable this feature.