Wondering how much is left on your Suica card before the gate beeps? You can check the balance instantly by tapping the card to your phone with a free NFC reader app, no station visit required.
The simplest method during a trip is the free IC card reader app from nfcjp.com. You open the app, tap your physical Suica, Pasmo or ICOCA on the back of your phone and the balance appears in about a second.
There is no account, no top up and no internet needed. The card data is read locally on your device.
Quick answers to common questions.
No. The app reads the balance directly from the card over NFC, so it works in airplane mode too.
Yes. Tourist IC cards use the same chip as regular cards and are fully supported.
No. It only reads the balance and recent transactions. Top ups still happen at station machines or konbini.
Keep exploring Japan Rail Pass topics relevant to your trip.