Money in Tokyo: Cash, Cards & IC

Cash still matters — even in a cashless-leaning Tokyo

Tokyo has moved a long way toward cashless payment, and many travellers tap an IC card or a card for most of a trip. But the city has not gone fully cashless, and the gaps tend to fall exactly where the best experiences are: a tiny ramen counter with a ticket machine, a family izakaya, a craft stall, a neighbourhood shrine's offering box or charm desk, an old kissaten coffee room, a market vendor. Plenty of these are cash-only. The safe approach is simple — carry a reasonable amount of yen at all times, and treat cards as the convenience rather than the guarantee.

Japan is also a low-crime country where carrying cash is normal and comfortable, so there's little of the anxiety you might feel elsewhere about having notes on you. Withdraw a sensible buffer, keep coins for vending machines and small purchases, and you'll rarely be caught out.

Tokyo Budget & Costs

What a Tokyo trip actually costs day to day — useful for deciding how much cash to carry.

IC cards: the everyday tap

A Suica or PASMO IC card is the single most useful payment tool for a Tokyo trip. Primarily it's a transit card — tap in and out on all trains (JR, Metro, Toei, private lines) and buses, with no fare maths — but it doubles as electronic small change. You can pay with the same tap at convenience stores, vending machines, station kiosks, coin lockers and many shops and cafés. Top it up with cash at station machines whenever it runs low.

Beyond the physical cards, IC cards can be added to a phone's wallet on supported devices, which lets you top up by card and skip the ticket machines entirely. Either way, an IC card removes the friction from both transit and dozens of tiny daily payments — and it pairs neatly with cash for the cash-only spots and a card for the bigger bills.

Note that occasional supply constraints have affected some physical IC cards in the past, with visitor-oriented versions offered as alternatives — so check current availability, but the system itself is the backbone of paying in Tokyo.

• Suica/PASMO: tap for all trains and buses — no fare calculations.
• Same card pays at convenience stores, vending machines, lockers and many shops.
• Top up with cash at station machines; can be added to a phone wallet on supported devices.
• Keep it topped up and treat it as electronic small change alongside cash.

Suica & PASMO Guide

Everything on Tokyo's IC cards — which to get, how to top up, and where they're accepted.

Getting Around Tokyo

How the rail network works — where your IC card does most of its daily work.

Cards and ATMs: what works, where

Credit and debit cards are now widely accepted across Tokyo — at hotels, department stores, chain stores, larger restaurants, ticketed attractions and most mid-range and up venues. Contactless is increasingly common too. But acceptance is not universal: smaller and older establishments may still be cash-only, and 'we take cards' can sometimes exclude certain networks, so never travel on plastic alone.

When you need cash, the reliable move is a convenience-store ATM. Seven Bank (often written 7-Bank) ATMs inside 7-Eleven stores are the gold standard for foreign cards — they're everywhere, operate long hours, offer English menus and accept overseas cards dependably. Japan Post Bank ATMs (in post offices and some stores) are the other reliable network for international cards. Many ordinary Japanese bank-branch ATMs, by contrast, can reject foreign cards or keep limited hours, so head for 7-Bank or Japan Post first.

Check your own bank's foreign-transaction and ATM fees before you travel, and tell your bank you'll be in Japan so a withdrawal isn't blocked. We don't quote fees or limits here because they vary by card and change — verify yours in advance.

• Cards: widely accepted at hotels, department stores, chains and larger restaurants; contactless common — but not universal.
• Best ATMs for foreign cards: Seven Bank (7-Bank) inside 7-Eleven, and Japan Post Bank — both have English menus and reliable acceptance.
• Many Japanese bank-branch ATMs reject foreign cards or close early — use 7-Bank/Japan Post instead.
• Tell your bank you're travelling; check foreign-transaction and ATM fees (verify — they vary).

Money in Tokyo

This guide — the overview of cash, cards and IC for a Tokyo trip.

Tipping, tax-free shopping and budgeting

Tipping is not part of Japanese culture and you do not need to do it — not in restaurants, taxis, hotels or for guides. Service is included and excellent as standard, and a tip can even cause polite confusion or be declined. If you genuinely want to acknowledge exceptional service, the form matters more than the cash; for everyday travel, simply paying the bill is correct and expected.

Tax-free shopping is available to short-term visitors at participating stores — department stores, electronics retailers, drugstores and many others display tax-free signage. You typically need to spend above a set threshold in one store on one day, show your passport, and follow the store's procedure. Thresholds, categories (general goods vs consumables) and the exact process have changed over time, so verify the current rules at the point of sale rather than assuming. Keep your passport handy when shopping.

For budgeting, Tokyo rewards a mixed wallet: an IC card topped up for transit and small buys, a card for hotels and bigger purchases, and a cash buffer for the cash-only gems. Tokyo can be done at many price points — cheap, brilliant food and free shrines and parks sit alongside high-end dining — so set a daily figure and let the IC card and a quick mental tally keep you on track. For a realistic sense of costs, see the budget guide.

• No tipping — service is included; a tip is unnecessary and may confuse.
• Tax-free shopping for tourists above a spending threshold, passport required — verify current thresholds and process in store.
• Mix your wallet: IC card for transit/small buys, card for big bills, cash buffer for cash-only spots.
• Tokyo works at many budgets — set a daily figure and track loosely.

Tokyo Tax-Free Shopping Guide

How tax-free shopping works for tourists — thresholds, the passport process, and which stores participate.

Tokyo Budget & Costs

Realistic daily costs in Tokyo and how to plan a budget across food, transport and sights.

Can I use credit cards everywhere in Tokyo?

No — and this catches many visitors out. Cards are now widely accepted at hotels, department stores, chain stores, larger restaurants and ticketed attractions, and contactless is increasingly common. But acceptance is not universal: smaller and older establishments, tiny restaurants, market stalls, shrines and some izakaya can still be cash-only, and 'we take cards' occasionally excludes certain networks.

The safe approach is to treat cards as a convenience rather than a guarantee. Carry a reasonable amount of yen at all times so a cash-only spot — often where the best experiences are — never leaves you stuck.

How much cash should I carry in Tokyo?

Enough to comfortably cover small, cash-only spots — a ramen counter with a ticket machine, a market stall, a temple charm desk, a neighbourhood izakaya — plus a buffer, while leaning on cards for hotels and bigger bills and an IC card for transit and tiny everyday buys. Japan is a low-crime country where carrying cash is normal and comfortable, so there's little of the anxiety you might feel elsewhere.

We don't quote a figure because it depends on your spending and trip length; the principle is a mixed wallet with a cash buffer always on you. Keep some coins for vending machines and small purchases, and top up at a convenience-store ATM as needed.

Which ATMs in Tokyo accept foreign cards?

The most reliable are Seven Bank (often written 7-Bank) ATMs inside 7-Eleven convenience stores, and Japan Post Bank ATMs in post offices and some stores. Both are widespread, keep long hours, offer English menus and accept overseas cards dependably.

Many ordinary Japanese bank-branch ATMs, by contrast, can reject foreign cards or keep limited hours, so head for 7-Bank or Japan Post first. Tell your bank you'll be in Japan so a withdrawal isn't blocked, and check your own foreign-transaction and ATM fees in advance, since these vary by card.

Do I need to tip in Tokyo?

No. Tipping is not part of Japanese culture, and you do not tip in restaurants, taxis, hotels or for guides. Service is included and offered with care as standard, and leaving extra cash can cause polite confusion — staff may even try to return it to you.

The graceful thank-you is a word and a small nod, not a gratuity. For everyday travel, simply paying the bill is correct and expected.

Can I use a Suica or PASMO IC card to pay in shops?

Yes. Beyond tapping for all trains and buses, a Suica or PASMO IC card doubles as electronic small change: you can pay with the same tap at convenience stores, vending machines, station kiosks, coin lockers and many shops and cafés. Top it up with cash at station machines whenever it runs low.

On supported devices, an IC card can be added to a phone's wallet, letting you top up by card and skip the ticket machines entirely. It pairs neatly with cash for cash-only spots and a card for bigger bills.