Cash, Cards and IC Cards in Japan: How to Pay in 2026

Japan has become much more card-friendly in recent years, but cash has not disappeared. The easiest setup is a mix: a payment card, some yen in your wallet and an IC card or phone wallet for trains.

Do you still need cash in Japan?

Yes, a little. Big cities now take cards almost everywhere you will shop or stay, but many small restaurants, temples, shrines, festival stalls and rural guesthouses are still cash only.

• Carry around 10,000 to 20,000 yen for a typical day of sightseeing.
• Keep coins handy for lockers, shrine offerings and vending machines.
• Japan is very safe, but carrying cash is normal, so you will not stand out.

Where to get yen

• Convenience store ATMs: 7-Eleven ATMs are the most reliable for foreign cards, and Lawson and FamilyMart machines usually work too. Many are open 24 hours.
• Japan Post ATMs: found at post offices and some stations, with English menus.
• Airport ATMs and exchange: handy on arrival, though exchange counters give weaker rates than ATMs.
• Bank fees: your home bank may charge a fee, and the ATM may add its own. Check before you travel.

Our tip: If an ATM offers to convert the withdrawal into your home currency, choose to be charged in yen. The conversion rate offered is usually worse.

Paying by card

Visa and Mastercard are accepted most widely, followed by JCB, American Express and UnionPay. Contactless tap to pay is now common at chains and convenience stores.

Smaller places sometimes have a minimum spend or simply a sign saying cash only, so ask before you order.

IC cards: Suica, PASMO and ICOCA

IC cards are rechargeable cards you tap on the ticket gate. They work on trains, subways and buses across most of Japan, and in convenience stores, vending machines and many shops.

Android phones bought outside Japan usually lack the chip needed for mobile IC cards, so Android users should get a physical card.

Our tip: Top up at any station ticket machine or convenience store. Physical cards are usually topped up with cash.

Step by step: Suica, PASMO or ICOCA on your phone

iPhone and Apple Watch

1. Open the Wallet app and tap the + button.
2. Choose Transit Card, then Suica, PASMO or ICOCA. You can do this before you fly.
3. Enter an amount to load (from ¥1,000) and pay with a card in Apple Pay.
4. Set it as your Express Transit card (Settings, then Wallet and Apple Pay). You can then tap through ticket gates without unlocking your phone or using Face ID.
5. Top up in the Wallet app, or with cash at any station ticket machine (choose "Charge" and hold your phone on the reader) or at a convenience store till.

This works on iPhone 8 or later and Apple Watch Series 3 or later. Some cards issued outside Japan are declined for top-ups in Wallet. If yours is, top up with cash at a station machine or convenience store instead. The Welcome Suica Mobile app is another iPhone option made for visitors: its Suica lasts 180 days and any balance left is not refunded.

Android

Most Android phones sold outside Japan cannot add Suica, because they lack the Japanese FeliCa chip. A few newer models are starting to support it, so check whether Google Wallet offers Suica on your phone before you go. If it does not, buy a physical card such as Welcome Suica at the airport.

Tapping a credit card on trains

Some train and bus companies now let you tap a contactless Visa or Mastercard at the gate, especially in Kansai, parts of Tokyo and Kyushu. It is spreading but not yet everywhere.

It usually covers ordinary fares only, not limited express trains, airport express trains or the shinkansen. An IC card is still the simplest way to get around.

Tax-free shopping from November 2026

Japan changed its tax-free system on 1 November 2026. Shops now charge the full price including the 10 percent consumption tax, and you claim the tax back when you leave Japan.

• Spend at least 5,000 yen before tax at the same shop on the same day, and show your passport.
• Take the goods out of Japan within 90 days of purchase, and carry them with you.
• At the airport, before check-in, complete the customs procedure at a terminal or through Visit Japan Web.
• Then claim your refund using the method the shop gave you.
• If you bought several items together, all of them must be with you, or the whole purchase loses its refund.

Tipping and money manners

There is no tipping in Japan. Good service is expected, and leaving money on the table can cause staff to run after you to return it.

Place cash or your card on the small tray at the counter rather than handing it over directly. Staff will return your change on the same tray.

We check this guide regularly. Prices, rules and services in Japan can change, so confirm with the official sources below before you travel. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.