How do I get a refund or use the leftover balance on my Suica card?

Learn how returning a Suica works, what the 220 yen fee and 500 yen deposit mean, which visitor cards cannot be refunded, and easy ways to spend the rest.

Published October 20, 2026 at 6:16 PM JST | By Tokyo Paul

Quick answer: A standard Suica can be returned at a JR East station for a refund of the remaining balance plus the 500 yen deposit, minus a 220 yen handling fee taken from the balance. Visitor-only cards such as Welcome Suica generally cannot be refunded. If a refund is not worth the trip, the leftover balance can be spent at shops and vending machines.

How a standard Suica refund works

JR East's English page explains the basic rule. When you return a Suica, you get back the 500 yen deposit that was included in the purchase price, along with the remaining balance, and a 220 yen handling fee is deducted from the balance. The page gives examples: a card with a 1,000 yen balance returns 1,280 yen, a card with a 100 yen balance returns 500 yen, and an empty card returns 500 yen.

The detail in the last two examples is helpful. The full deposit is returned even when the balance is too small to cover the fee, so the handling charge never reduces the deposit. In effect, a card with less than 220 yen on it returns exactly 500 yen, which makes returning a nearly empty card still worthwhile if you are at a station anyway.

Where to return the card

JR East says that cards issued by JR East can be returned only at JR East stations. In practice, that means a station in the East Japan area, such as the Tokyo region, where JR East operates. A Suica cannot be returned at a station run by another company under this rule, so plan the return for before you leave the JR East area.

Cards from other issuers, such as the one sold by Tokyo Monorail, must be returned through that issuer instead. The page does not give a station counter procedure in detail, so go to a staffed ticket office or ask station staff where to process a Suica return, and bring the card. Counter hours vary by station, so allow some spare time.

What about Pasmo and other cards

Other cards have their own rules. The Pasmo page says a refund returns the stored balance plus a 500 yen deposit, and a card with a zero balance returns only the deposit. A stored balance cannot be refunded alone, and Pasmo's page notes that a no-fee refund for an accidental top-up is limited to the same day, at the same station and only if the value is unused.

Welcome Suica is different. JR East describes it as a 28-day card for visitors with no deposit, and visitor-only cards generally do not refund unused value, so check JR East's current terms before assuming a refund is possible. Pasmo's visitor page says its visitor-only card is no longer sold, so a visitor who buys a regular Pasmo follows the normal refund rule above. For a visitor-only card, planning to spend the balance is the right approach.

Spending the leftover balance

Because a refund takes a trip to a staffed counter, many visitors choose to use up the balance. A card can pay for items at convenience stores, vending machines and many shops in station buildings, as JR East's page notes for Suica. Buying a drink, a snack or a souvenir at the airport or a station shop is a quick way to reduce a small balance.

A practical method is to check the balance at a ticket machine or at a gate display on your last day, then plan a final purchase just under that amount. Some stores allow a purchase to be split between the card and cash when the balance does not cover the whole price, but the store's policy decides, so ask the staff before the cashier scans the items.

Who should refund and who should spend

A refund is worth considering for a standard card with a larger balance, since the fee is fixed at 220 yen. A card with 5,000 yen left, for example, returns far more than it costs in handling. A card with only a few hundred yen is a better candidate for a quick purchase, unless you also want the 500 yen deposit back.

If you may return to Japan within a few years, keeping the card is a sensible option. JR East states that a card unused for ten years becomes invalid, so a card kept for a repeat visit within that time can be used again. Families may want to keep children's cards for the same reason. Visitors leaving for good should plan the return before the last day.

Common mistakes

One mistake is going to the airport with a card that must be returned at a station in the city. Check which station offers the return, and allow time before check-in. Another is forgetting that lost cards cannot be reissued, so a lost card also means a lost balance. A third is assuming visitor cards can be refunded in the same way as standard cards.

A fourth mistake is spending nothing and discovering on the last day that the balance is stranded. Top up in small amounts toward the end of the trip, using the 500 yen steps offered at machines, so there is little left over.

Planning tips and next steps

Before departure, check the card type printed on the card or shown in the purchase record, then find the issuer's official English page for return rules. Decide whether you will keep the card, spend it, or return it. Allow time at the station if you choose to return it, and bring the card itself. It is also worth writing down the date you last topped up and the amount left, so that you can compare it with the figure shown at the machine, and keeping any receipt printed by the machine until the refund is complete.

Refund procedures, fees and counter locations can change, so confirm them on the issuer's page before you go. This guide shares general information; rules change, so confirm details with the official agency or provider before you act. If you are unsure, ask at a staffed ticket office near the end of your trip, when you can still change plans.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a Suica be refunded at the airport?

It depends on the airport station and who issued the card. JR East states that its cards can be returned only at JR East stations, and the page does not list airports. Check with the staff or the official page for the station you plan to use, and avoid leaving the return to the last moment before your flight.

Is the 500 yen deposit always returned?

For a standard Suica returned under the normal procedure, yes. JR East says the full deposit is returned even if the balance cannot cover the 220 yen fee. This does not apply to visitor cards, which have no deposit, and it does not apply to cards that are lost, since lost cards cannot be reissued.

What happens to an unused balance on a mobile card?

For Welcome Suica Mobile, JR East says the remaining balance is non-refundable and expires at the end of the 180 day validity period. That makes it sensible to top up in small amounts and to use the money on trains, buses and shop purchases before the card expires.

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