IC Card Guide for Travelers

Compare transit IC cards across Asia and Europe — purchase, recharge, refund & tourist tips

🇯🇵

Suica

JR East · Tokyo

Deposit / Card Cost
¥500
Where to Buy
JR stations, Airport kiosks, Convenience stores
How to Recharge
Station machines, Convenience stores, Mobile app (Apple Pay)
Where to Use
Trains, Buses, Convenience stores, Vending machines, Taxis
Convenience Store Payment
Yes
Mobile Support
Yes
Card Expiry
10 years of inactivity
How to Get a Refund
JR East station counter (¥220 fee deducted from balance)
Tourist Version
Welcome Suica (no deposit, 28-day expiry)
Interoperable With
PASMO, ICOCA, All 10 major IC cards
🇯🇵

PASMO

PASMO Co. · Tokyo

Deposit / Card Cost
¥500
Where to Buy
Metro/private railway stations, Bus terminals, Airport
How to Recharge
Station machines, Convenience stores, Mobile app
Where to Use
Trains, Buses, Convenience stores, Vending machines
Convenience Store Payment
Yes
Mobile Support
Yes
Card Expiry
10 years of inactivity
How to Get a Refund
Metro station counter (¥220 fee deducted from balance)
Tourist Version
PASMO Passport (no deposit, 28-day expiry)
Interoperable With
Suica, ICOCA, All 10 major IC cards
🇯🇵

ICOCA

JR West · Osaka/Kansai

Deposit / Card Cost
¥500
Where to Buy
JR West stations, Airport kiosks
How to Recharge
Station machines, Convenience stores
Where to Use
Trains, Buses, Convenience stores, Vending machines
Convenience Store Payment
Yes
Mobile Support
No
Card Expiry
10 years of inactivity
How to Get a Refund
JR West station counter (¥220 fee deducted from balance)
Tourist Version
ICOCA (standard, available to tourists at stations)
Interoperable With
Suica, PASMO, All 10 major IC cards
🇰🇷

T-money

Korea Smart Card Co. · Seoul / Nationwide

Deposit / Card Cost
₩2,500
Where to Buy
Convenience stores, Subway stations, Airport
How to Recharge
Convenience stores, Subway machines, Bank ATMs, Mobile app
Where to Use
Subway, Buses, Taxis, Convenience stores, Vending machines
Convenience Store Payment
Yes
Mobile Support
Yes
Card Expiry
No expiry
How to Get a Refund
Convenience store (balance ≤ ₩20,000) or T-money center
Tourist Version
Korea Tour Card (T-money based, tourist discounts)
Interoperable With
Cashbee (partial)
🇰🇷

Cashbee

EB Card Co. · Daejeon / Regional

Deposit / Card Cost
₩2,500
Where to Buy
Convenience stores, Subway stations
How to Recharge
Convenience stores, Subway machines
Where to Use
Subway, Buses, Convenience stores
Convenience Store Payment
Yes
Mobile Support
No
Card Expiry
No expiry
How to Get a Refund
Convenience store (balance ≤ ₩20,000)
Interoperable With
T-money (partial)
🇹🇼

EasyCard

EasyCard Corporation · Taipei / Nationwide

Deposit / Card Cost
NT$100
Where to Buy
MRT stations, Convenience stores, Airport
How to Recharge
MRT machines, Convenience stores
Where to Use
MRT, Buses, YouBike, Convenience stores, Parking, Ferries
Convenience Store Payment
Yes
Mobile Support
No
Card Expiry
No expiry
How to Get a Refund
MRT station service center (NT$20 fee if used < 5 times or within 3 months)
Tourist Version
EasyCard (standard, available at airport)
🇭🇰

Octopus

Octopus Cards Limited · Hong Kong

Deposit / Card Cost
HK$50
Where to Buy
MTR stations, Airport, Convenience stores
How to Recharge
MTR machines, Convenience stores, Bank transfer, Mobile app
Where to Use
MTR, Buses, Ferries, Trams, Convenience stores, Restaurants, Parking
Convenience Store Payment
Yes
Mobile Support
Yes
Card Expiry
No expiry
How to Get a Refund
MTR station counter (HK$11 fee if card < 3 months old)
Tourist Version
Tourist Octopus (sold at airport, special designs)
🇸🇬

EZ-Link

EZ-Link Pte Ltd · Singapore

Deposit / Card Cost
S$5
Where to Buy
MRT stations, 7-Eleven, Airport
How to Recharge
MRT machines, 7-Eleven, DBS/POSB ATMs, Mobile app
Where to Use
MRT, Buses, Convenience stores, Some taxis
Convenience Store Payment
Yes
Mobile Support
Yes
Card Expiry
5 years of inactivity
How to Get a Refund
TransitLink ticket office (non-refundable card cost of S$5)
Tourist Version
Singapore Tourist Pass (unlimited rides, 1-3 day options)
Interoperable With
NETS FlashPay
🇬🇧

Oyster

Transport for London · London

Deposit / Card Cost
£7
Where to Buy
Tube stations, Airport, Visitor centres, Online
How to Recharge
Tube machines, Oyster online, Convenience stores, Contactless auto-top-up
Where to Use
Tube, Buses, DLR, Overground, Trams, Some river services
Convenience Store Payment
No
Mobile Support
No
Card Expiry
No expiry
How to Get a Refund
Tube station machine (balance ≤ £10) or online (any amount, deposit refunded)
Tourist Version
Visitor Oyster (pre-loaded, special design, no deposit refund)
Interoperable With
Contactless bank cards accepted on same network

Quick Comparison Table

CardCountry / CityDepositConvenience StoreMobileExpiryRefundable
🇯🇵 SuicaTokyo¥500✅✅10 years of inactivity✅
🇯🇵 PASMOTokyo¥500✅✅10 years of inactivity✅
🇯🇵 ICOCAOsaka/Kansai¥500✅❌10 years of inactivity✅
🇰🇷 T-moneySeoul / Nationwide₩2,500✅✅No expiry✅
🇰🇷 CashbeeDaejeon / Regional₩2,500✅❌No expiry✅
🇹🇼 EasyCardTaipei / NationwideNT$100✅❌No expiry✅
🇭🇰 OctopusHong KongHK$50✅✅No expiry✅
🇸🇬 EZ-LinkSingaporeS$5✅✅5 years of inactivity✅
🇬🇧 OysterLondon£7❌❌No expiry✅

General Tips for Travelers

  • 💡Buy your card at the airport on arrival for immediate use on airport transit.
  • 💡Always keep a minimum balance — some systems charge a penalty or block exit if balance is insufficient.
  • 💡Check if your phone supports mobile IC cards (Apple Pay / Google Pay) to skip the physical card entirely.
  • 💡Tourist versions often have limited validity (28 days) but skip the deposit fee.
  • 💡Most IC cards work at convenience stores (7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson) for small purchases.

Frequently Asked Questions

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