Blog - Mobile Suica
Mobile Suica
One thing I was looking forward to with my new phone is to be able to use Mobile Suica! This uses an IC chip located in the phone to replace a conventional Suica IC card used to ride JR trains. Like the card, the chip can contain commuter pass and prepaid data.
I had a bit of trouble getting started with the service. I could register to the service with no problem, but when trying to add my Suica commuter pass to it I kept getting an error saying that my member data didn't match the data on the commuter pass card (「会員情報と定期券購入時の情報が一致しないため」). I suspected that it was the order of my name (inverted last name and first name) so I tried switching them, but that didn't work either.
So I ended up calling the customer support (usefully open everyday until 2am!!) which helped me figure out that it's because my name was written in rōmaji (alphabet) on my card, and the system will only match katakana! The next step was to go to a station's みどりの窓口 (midori no madoguchi or "green counter") and get my name corrected to katakana on the card. Then I was able to proceed with no problem at all.
This means that anyone who input their name in rōmaji when buying their commuter pass the first time will have to go through the same procedure. They really should have made their system work for alphabet also to avoid this.
Anyway now I can beep my way through JR gates with my keitai, and it's a lot of fun. :) I can also renew my commuter pass or charge my Suica anywhere right on my phone! No more waiting in line!
What sounds less fun is that, according to JR's FAQs (such as here and here), if your keitai has run out of power you can't use your Mobile Suica! However, according to some reports (like this one), it seems like it should always work as long as your phone's backup battery is not dead (if it is, you'd also lose the date and time and other data on the phone). Either way it's recommended to keep your phone fully charged when planning to use Mobile Suica.
Next time I have time to stop at a JR gate, I'll get back my ¥500 deposit by giving back my now non-functional IC card. Now I'm just looking forward to PASMO!
Posted on January 24, 2007 at 12:11 | Tweet
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Patrick, you should also sign up for DCMX and EDY. DCMX is being used in more and more in taxis and convenient stores and is very useful because you don't need to charge it. It shows up in your phone bill. EDY will be integrated with SUICA sometime this year.
Posted by Roy on January 24, 2007 at 13:47
DCMX sounds somewhat useful! But isn't signing up like getting a new credit card?
I have yet to use any of these touch-and-pay services, but I could see myself at least using one to pay for small stuff at the conbini and such.
Good news about Edy merging with Suica! I'd love to see all these similar services blended into one.
Posted by Patrick on January 24, 2007 at 14:05
>>Good news about Edy merging with Suica! I'd love to see all these similar services blended into one.<<
...and some day your mobile will contain your medicine data, passports, driver license, green card, money, metro pass, access to your PC, bank account, all your backups from the PC, all your movies and music, the keys to your office, house and car and much, much more. If you the forget your pin code you are doomed ;-) Perhaps we will call these people living in the woods trying to remember their pin codes "temporary deMobileLized" :-)
Posted by Markus Kreisel on January 25, 2007 at 02:58
Or maybe "immobilized" would be good too. :)
Posted by Patrick on January 25, 2007 at 10:14
There are various levels of DCMX. The basic one is just 20,000yen and that gets charged to your phone bill. They have the higher level service where you can specify a credit card that you already own or apply for the DCMX one which has a 200000yen limit. You get a regular credit card as well. It might be a good way for "high risk" foreigners to get a first credit card here.
Posted by Roy on January 29, 2007 at 08:35
I've used the Mobile Suica on my Softbank 910SH with a dead battery on a couple occasions with no problem. Also, I don't want to spend too freely and my teiki is JR -> Subway so I do the combini charging method, which is only a slight pain in the ass.
Posted by joey on January 29, 2007 at 13:54
Roy, I'm tempted to try out DCMX Mini now!
Joey, thanks for confirming about the dead battery! I've been a bit nervous about it so far and have yet to experience it myself.
Btw, I was curious about the Easy Mobile Suica. Is going to the conbini really the only way to charge it? What if before exiting after a ride you realize that you don't have enough credit left?
Posted by Patrick on January 29, 2007 at 14:21
I don't know any way besides going to the combini, although I dont understand quite a bit of japanese involved in setting it up and all the rules and such.
I guess if you dont have the fare youve got to go to the station attendant and hand them your phone. I guess it could get complicated at some of the unattended subway exits once the Pasmo service comes out.
Posted by joey on January 30, 2007 at 11:18
You can charge it via a bank transfer which you can set up with SMBC, Mizuho, and MUFJ (if you're with Shinsei, you're outta luck)
I tried to set up the bank transfer, but i input a level 2 pin wrong and now it's all fucked up, and I can't re register anymore. How freaking lame. Looks like I'm gunna have to call SMBC about it.
Posted by Klintis on February 26, 2007 at 14:39
As an update, my girlfriend tried to use her 910SH with NO battery inside and it did not work.
Posted by joey on April 3, 2007 at 09:55
Well a battery is definitely necessary, but an empty battery (not enough power for the phone's functions) is different than no battery at all. The question is, how long will the IC card work after the phone says the battery is empty?
Posted by Patrick on April 3, 2007 at 09:59