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Apple Pay Now Live in Japan
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It says your phone cant work with Apple pay. But if you pair with an Apple watch that can use Apple Pay it can work.I have a europesn iphone , a japan itune account. My main icloud account is french. I chNged the region to japan . I downloaded the suica app . I thought you could ilat least create a suica card. But i have this message ... any help?
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I've only seen one machine that didnt have you slide your suica into a card slot to charge it. Maybe it works on that kind, but I'm guessing you have to charge with Apple Pay or add a payment card to the suica app.
Also so far iPhone has worked perfectly as my Suica card the last two days including being charged twice. Already turned in my plastic Suica card!
So day 2 with Apple Pay in Japan. Finally managed to add my Suica yesterday morning and confirmed good. Unfortunately, not all Amex cards are supported - definitely mine isn't and that's a PITA 'cos I have no way of charging my Suica now.
Meanwhile PASMO is not support too.
Meanwhile PASMO is not support too.
My Amex is Japanese issued. But yes one needs a Japanese credit card/debit card, not to mention Japanese iPhone 7 for Suica to work.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206638
What was somewhat frustrating for me was at the iPhone announcement in Sept, I believe Amex was listed as accepted which was why I went specifically for a Japanese iPhone so that I could top my Suica via the Amex on Apple Pay. Now I have Suica with remaining credits can be used, but can't be topped up. I'm not switching banks just for this.
I see. Will you be able to confirm sometime when you happen to reload on the machine if it does work like the card.
The only cons for me about using the suica is that it doesn't require your fingerprint every tap.
A couple of question marks for me, as I am living in Japan with a Japanese iPhone 7 Plus...
1) I watched a Japanese YouTube video where the poster claimed that once you pair/add/etc your Suica card to your iPhone, you can NOT use the physical card anymore. I can think of a few ways this would be a big problem here if true, but perhaps the most costly and highly possible...if you were to enter a train station and scan thru the gate with your iPhone, you are not charged upon entry. If your phone were to die before you get to your desired location and scan out/pay, you essentially lose any proof of which station you entered from, therefore the staff will be required to charge you as if you entered from the very first, starting point of the train line. So what may have been a ¥420 charge now ends up costing you ¥1400.
2) Within the last year or two (forget exactly when), all the major train passes of Japan (Suica, Passmo, Icoca, Pitapa, Toica, Manaca, Kitaka, Sugoca, Nimoca) will work if traveling to/from the same area and in stores, they are all accepted if one is. But not sure if this is the case with Apple Pay i.e. will the iPhone still recognize all or most of them or literally on Suica (it's all the same tech, but different branding name, so maybe YES)?
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The noisy shutter is the pervert alarm, which an issue specific to Japanese perverts.
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Shops, stores, etc that take Suica/Passmo/Others will always have either a sign/sticker somewhere on the outside of the entrance door or at the cash register. And it offered as payment in all sorts of places and locations, including those where there are no stations close by. Convenience stores are an almost 100% guarantee all over the country. Sometimes it seems an obvious location should accept and don't, and vice versa.
I think the recharging is the PITA part. With the physical card, and cash in hand, I can easily recharge at a station. I don't want to recharge using my credit card. I find that more inconvenient than using cash. And since it seems your Suica card becomes worthless after synced to your iPhone, I assume you can't use the card to recharge?
1) I watched a Japanese YouTube video where the poster claimed that once you pair/add/etc your Suica card to your iPhone, you can NOT use the physical card anymore. I can think of a few ways this would be a big problem here if true, but perhaps the most costly and highly possible...if you were to enter a train station and scan thru the gate with your iPhone, you are not charged upon entry. If your phone were to die before you get to your desired location and scan out/pay, you essentially lose any proof of which station you entered from, therefore the staff will be required to charge you as if you entered from the very first, starting point of the train line. So what may have been a ¥420 charge now ends up costing you ¥1400.
2) Within the last year or two (forget exactly when), all the major train passes of Japan (Suica, Passmo, Icoca, Pitapa, Toica, Manaca, Kitaka, Sugoca, Nimoca) will work if traveling to/from the same area and in stores, they are all accepted if one is. But not sure if this is the case with Apple Pay i.e. will the iPhone still recognize all or most of them or literally on Suica (it's all the same tech, but different branding name, so maybe YES)?
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The noisy shutter is the pervert alarm, which an issue specific to Japanese perverts.
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Shops, stores, etc that take Suica/Passmo/Others will always have either a sign/sticker somewhere on the outside of the entrance door or at the cash register. And it offered as payment in all sorts of places and locations, including those where there are no stations close by. Convenience stores are an almost 100% guarantee all over the country. Sometimes it seems an obvious location should accept and don't, and vice versa.
I think the recharging is the PITA part. With the physical card, and cash in hand, I can easily recharge at a station. I don't want to recharge using my credit card. I find that more inconvenient than using cash. And since it seems your Suica card becomes worthless after synced to your iPhone, I assume you can't use the card to recharge?
1) correct it disables the card. After transfer to your iPhone the physical Suica is rendered useless. If you try to stick that card into the recharge ATM, it'll spit your card back out.
Your hypothetical proposal holds true if you were to lose your physical card/ticket too (to your proposed flat battery). In practical experiences though (of lost tickets), the station guard normally asks where you came from & charge you from your source. I've never had to pay the maximum fee.
2) I've used my iPhone Suica in the private subways that are for Pasmo. No problems there. Charging the Suica is a problem if you don't have a debit or credit card registered under Apple Pay. Also I don't know how one charges up the iPhone Suica via teiki (where the company pays for your home/office discounted route).
Your hypothetical proposal holds true if you were to lose your physical card/ticket too (to your proposed flat battery). In practical experiences though (of lost tickets), the station guard normally asks where you came from & charge you from your source. I've never had to pay the maximum fee.
2) I've used my iPhone Suica in the private subways that are for Pasmo. No problems there. Charging the Suica is a problem if you don't have a debit or credit card registered under Apple Pay. Also I don't know how one charges up the iPhone Suica via teiki (where the company pays for your home/office discounted route).
I think with the Apple Watch Series 2 even if your battery dies you can use Suica payments - remember if you had a physical card that doesn't have batteries either so no reason to think the iPhone needs to have a charge for it to work.
I've charged my Suica using non-JP credit cards in Apple Pay - just change your iPhone's region to wherever your credit card was issued, add the card, and switch back to your preferred region.
Also, you can charge a Suica (card, or iPhone) at newer JR ticket machines as you no longer have to insert the card - they now have a small tray which you place the card or phone upon. You can also charge at convenience stores. Just tell the staff you want to charge your Suica and they'll do it for you at the register.
I do have a question though - what happens if you get a new/replacement iPhone and don't/can't restore from a backup? How would you re-add your Suica? Especially if it's a commuter pass, I think that could be a problem.
Also, you can charge a Suica (card, or iPhone) at newer JR ticket machines as you no longer have to insert the card - they now have a small tray which you place the card or phone upon. You can also charge at convenience stores. Just tell the staff you want to charge your Suica and they'll do it for you at the register.
I do have a question though - what happens if you get a new/replacement iPhone and don't/can't restore from a backup? How would you re-add your Suica? Especially if it's a commuter pass, I think that could be a problem.
This is the answer I've been looking for!I've charged my Suica using non-JP credit cards in Apple Pay - just change your iPhone's region to wherever your credit card was issued, add the card, and switch back to your preferred region.
Also, you can charge a Suica (card, or iPhone) at newer JR ticket machines as you no longer have to insert the card - they now have a small tray which you place the card or phone upon. You can also charge at convenience stores. Just tell the staff you want to charge your Suica and they'll do it for you at the register.
I do have a question though - what happens if you get a new/replacement iPhone and don't/can't restore from a backup? How would you re-add your Suica? Especially if it's a commuter pass, I think that could be a problem.
And yeah I wonder why Japan is still using the insert card reloading station.
Even Taiwan has this tray to just put your card to reload.
You do realize that other phones have had suica/ FeliCa support for over a decade now right? My JET friends had it their domino / AU phones back in 2006! This is all ironed out. I sure they will set up a furikomi system soon enough too.
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Pervs ruining it for everyone!
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Yea but it also means. Trying to take a picture of your cat being cute in the morning before your SO is up is impossible. Taking a picture of wild life is a one shot overdeal. Taking a picture of a "Engrish" sign in a bathroom can be awkward when you realize everyone thinks your taking pictures of other things.
The worst part is..... The sound comes out the speaker which can just be cover with your pinky finger. (Which is what the pervs do.) Also they just buy digital cameras because they make no sound and have that sweet sweet zoom.
The way to check is if you change your phone's region to JAPAN, then head to Apple Pay, select the plus, then next - it should give you the option to add a Suica card (if it doesn't - then you won't be able to it to Apple Pay, meaning you won't be able to add it to the watch).
If you have an existing Suica card and are giving the choice to add it, then you can try that -- alternatively you can download the Suica app to create a new card (it's in Japanese but is fairly easy) you can create a card for free, with basic info, and add it to Apple Pay directly from the app -- to top up Suica you can only do this within Apple Pay from another credit/debit/prepaid card added to Apple Pay.
I have a Japanese phone but series 0 watch. It tried to add to my watch but said it couldn't. Theoretically it should be able to add to your phone IF you have a compatible watch already paired - I'm not sure if it would work otherwise.
Also bear in mind that once a card is added to Apple Pay from a physical Suica card, the physical Suica card becomes void and cannot be used.
(I found this annoying because if your phone dies, or you forget it but have your wallet, then you are screwed. You cannot have a card as a back up unless you have separate one as a back up - which I do)
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Not true. The device has to be Japanese but the card does not.
As long as your bank allows international use without restrictions then it's ok.
For some banks you have to be in your home country to add it to the devices though.
For example I have a U.K. credit card with Barclays - I had no issues adding it to my phone, iPad, and watch (all bought in Japan and I live in Japan )
However, I tried to add my HSBC debit card and was told to call them - they told me I have to add the card while in the U.K. and once added I can use anywhere (including Japan).
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No. iTunes cards only work for apps, music, books etc.
In Japan some places sell prepaid VISA cards. You top them up via auto top up/ ATM transfer / or via an app -- not all Japanese people have credit or debit cards (it's still very much a cash only country)... these cards are like a cash debit card that allow people to use them for online purchases etc.
I'm with SoftBank, so I got one through them - it was a lot easier than me signing up for a credit card or changing bank accounts (banks are often local, but I'm with an account through the post office so it's national)
I can also use the prepaid card on Apple Pay to make purchases.
Going back to the iTunes card - these are region locked. So you can only add money to a U.K. Apple ID with a U.K. iTunes card.
(For me I have my U.K. account linked to my U.K. credot card, and my Japanese account I use store bought Japanese ID cards.
If I'm getting an iTunes gift card for a birthday, then I usually get an online gift card sent to me)
Do you have sample stations where they have a touch-based machine to re-charge the Suica? The JP Amex doesn't seem to be an accepted card yet - nor my intl credit cards (not even in the local country - different matter altogether).Also, you can charge a Suica (card, or iPhone) at newer JR ticket machines as you no longer have to insert the card - they now have a small tray which you place the card or phone upon. You can also charge at convenience stores. Just tell the staff you want to charge your Suica and they'll do it for you at the register.
Good tip on trying to charge @ combini. I'll give that a shot.
The machines at Tachikawa station are new, and have an RFID tray where you can charge the phone. I had to put the Suica into service mode to do it, but it did work.
If they have them in Tachikawa, I sure hope they'll have them in central Tokyo (e.g. Tokyo Station or major Shibuya/Shinjuku-type stops)!
Thanks for the tip!
So I tried to renew my commuter pass using a credit card that doesn't work with Apple Pay. They were unable to do it at the station ticket office as they don't actually have any card/RFID readers there - only machine that print on Suica cards and read them while doing so. The solution (which I had to suggest as the guy was utterly dumbfounded by the situation) was to buy a new Suica card commuter pass which I now have to transfer to my iPhone. I wonder if I can use the balance on last month's card to charge up the new card (using Apple Pay, I mean)?
Unsurprisingly, it seems JR is not equipped to deal with this technology after all.
The solution (which I had to suggest as the guy was utterly dumbfounded by the situation) was to buy a new Suica card commuter pass which I now have to transfer to my iPhone. I wonder if I can use the balance on last month's card to charge up the new card (using Apple Pay, I mean)?Unsurprisingly, it seems JR is not equipped to deal with this technology after all.
Not to split hairs, but it's not legally required here. Also, live pictures are great, but don't help when you're taking a screenshot on a train, etc ...Legally required; but silent with live picture ...
ok; encouraged by the society ... and followed via group pressure ... I'm actually fine with the sound as some people just can't behave. Just wish it would be not the case when I do a regular screenshot of my screen.
Totally agree. But once I've had this 7+ for sixth months I'll have it unlocked, then get a replacement phone (AppleCare) ... I'll activate the new phone with a Singapore SIM, and then my phone will never make that annoying sound again.
Yes, I think it can be doneSo I tried to renew my commuter pass using a credit card that doesn't work with Apple Pay. They were unable to do it at the station ticket office as they don't actually have any card/RFID readers there - only machine that print on Suica cards and read them while doing so.
Why do you say "unsurprisingly"? JR operates perhaps the most efficient, punctual and technologically sophisticated rail service in the world. These minor issues with Apple Pay undoubtedly be resolved quite soon.
Technologically sophisticated aside from the fact that, despite having FeliCa technology available on mobile phone for YEARS, they still haven't equipped ticket offices at the world's busiest train stations (in terms of daily passenger volume) with simple card READERS as opposed to complex machines that print commuter pass details on inserted cards ... ? Yeah. That's what I meant. Common f***ing sense.
Sorry, trying to understand this. So you're saying if I have a Japanese unlocked iPhone 7, I do a factory reset on it and activate it with a foreign SIM, then change the SIM to my regular Japanese SIM, I could bypass the photo shutter?