# Travelcard for Metro



## Raffish_Chapish (Jul 2, 2014)

Hi,

Where can I get a travelcard from on the metro so I don't have to keep buying paper tickets?

Is there something like an Oyster card in London where you charge it up with funds?

Best

RC


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## larabell (Sep 10, 2007)

I assume you mean long-term (as opposed to a 1-day pass). On JR it's called Suica (Suica | Fares & Passes | JR-EAST) and on the metro and private trains/busses it's called a Pasmo (PASMO). The two are interchangeable (there are also similar cards in other major cities and those are now interchangeable as well). Your best bet is to stop in at a JR Green Window or the station office in a large-ish subway station and buy the card. You can then charge it up at the ticket machines displaying the card logo.

The card itself requires a 500 yen deposit, which you get back if you ever turn the card in. But, as with most things in Japan, there's a catch. If you have money left on the card when you turn it in, there's a 300-some yen fee to get the money back out. So if you ever don't need the card, either sell it to someone else or drain it dry before turning it in.

Most medium- and high-end cell phones sold in Japan have the chip built in. You activate it with an app and charge it with a credit card (though you can also charge it with cash on a bus). If you go that route, I'd advise finding someone who reads Japanese to set it up, as the app is entirely in Japanese. But it's one less plastic card to carry around if you already have a compatible phone.


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## Raffish_Chapish (Jul 2, 2014)

Thanks Larabell, 

I think I'll get a card as I'm hoping to keep my old phone. 

My company said they would repay my commuting costs - apparently this is normal - so shall I just ask for a receipt on how much I add to the card?

Best - Dan


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## larabell (Sep 10, 2007)

You could do that but once you've decided on a place to live, you should be able to simply tell the company and they'll do the math. Most companies, when they say "commutation expense", mean they'll pay for a 3-month or 6-month pass between your home station and the station closest to the office (assuming you come to the office every day). There are tables and computer programs your HR or finance people can use to figure out the right amount without receipts.

If you visit various places as opposed to coming to the office every day, receipts are normal. But check with the company first... you can use the money on the card for personal travel as well so some companies still require you to fill out a form detailing where you went and why and they may only reimburse for business use.

One of the advantages of using a Suica/Pasmo is that you can buy a reader and software to read the card's history to help you fill out any expense forms you need to fill out. For domestic trips (ie: within Japan), you may not need receipts -- again, there are published tables and computer programs to help your company determine the right fare for any given trip.

One more thing... if you're commuting via the same route at least half of the working days in any given month, you're better off signing up for a commuter pass. That can be added to your Suica/Pasmo card as well. With a commuter pass, you can get on or off at either end of your designated route, or anywhere in between, as many times as you like for the duration of the pass (1, 3, or 6 months). And the commuter pass, when hooked to your Suica/Pasmo, can be renewed at the machines without having to visit a real person (though I'm not sure you can sign up for the original pass on the machine).


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