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One IC card per person? 2017/3/21 02:15
Can the same IC card be used to pay the bus or subway fare for more than one person traveling together, or does each individual need their own card?

Thanks
by mafepero  

Re: One IC card per person? 2017/3/21 10:35
Some buses with fixed fare can take multiple passengers using only one card, but that would be an exception rather than the norm. The only time I did that in Tokyo, I had to tell the driver how many passengers I want to pay for, as I boarded the bus.
by Matayoshi99 (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: One IC card per person? 2017/3/21 11:37
Not on subway, as fare is origin-destination based. When you tap your card, the card reader will read where you got on and where you got off in order to subtract the correct amount from your card. If you try to tap it more than once at the entry or exit, the reader will be confused.
by Anon (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: One IC card per person? 2017/3/21 12:18
Even when plural passengers travel together, each member separately holds one card and touches it to a reader-writer device, where the number of passengers is not counted.

You can allocate the e-money stored on one IC card
when you make a fare adjustment for another passenger who is not using an IC card for his/her ride (as in the case mentioned by Matayoshi99)
and when you purchase paper basic-fare tickets for plural passengers at a ticket vending machine.

by omotenashi rate this post as useful

Re: One IC card per person? 2017/3/21 13:34
You usually can on buses as it's a fixed fare, you get on, tell the driver how many passengers and then you get off at whatever stop you want. It's not possible for trains, as the fare you pay is based on the station you enter and the station you leave, it can't track multiple people, so each person would need their own IC card if you wanted to be efficient. You could if you wanted to be slow buy the least expensive ticket for the train outside the station, and then when you get off and are about to exit there will be another ticket machine to pay the balance of the trip. You can use the IC card to do this with multiple tickets.
by PsyGuy rate this post as useful

Re: One IC card per person? 2017/3/21 14:40
One card per person like the OPUS card from your home town.

You can game the system on fixed fare services like some buses and trams. But I think it becomes more hassle that it is worth in an attempt to save 220 yen per person.
by hakata14 (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: One IC card per person? 2017/3/21 14:49
I can't disagree with that.
by PsyGuy rate this post as useful

Easier to buy per person 2017/3/21 15:08
The common IC transportation card is not an "ID" card, so you can use one card, for example, to buy tickets for your whole family at the ticket vending machine. You can also tap again and again on fixed-fare transportation, like buses in Tokyo, so that your whole family can board on one card.

But it's much easier to purchase one card for each person, unless you're accompanying someone like a toddler who has trouble using his/her own card by him/herself. You can use your cards to shop at, say, convenience stores to use all the money left in your card.

However, note that there are exceptions. For example, cards like "child's SUICA" are only available for that specific user. Interestingly, it doesn't say so on the English version of their official website, but it does on the Japanese version.
https://www.jreast.co.jp/e/pass/suica.html
by Uco rate this post as useful

Re: One IC card per person? 2017/3/21 17:47
No need each travelers card but will be "inconveninent" exactlly.

For train :
You can purchase regular "paper" ticket(s) for another traveler(s)
by yr IC card charge/SF(stored fare) at regular ticket vending machine like this.
https://youtu.be/5UMNc1F3JYQ (Touch "English" button first)
(paper ticket : insert ticket gate/don't forget picking up the out ticket when entering)
https://c-lj.gnst.jp/public/article/detail/a/00/00/a0000195/img/ja/a00...
https://youtu.be/s2H3Mqbk-u4
(IC card : just touching the ticket gate)
https://www.jreast.co.jp/suica/whats/img/merit/image_01.jpg
https://youtu.be/SV9VYpJZ4Oo

If dep fr no ticket vending machine station in rural,
get the paper ticket at station (no need payment)
https://youtu.be/zL3PZbLNdSI
or when train getting in(One-man car/ワンマンカー = conductorless train train),
https://www.jr-morioka.com/info/onemancar.html
https://youtu.be/fVXn0fZR060
payment will be later by yr IC card to conductor(if coming)
or at get off station(to ticket gate staff)/train driver(One-man train).

For bus :
1) Fixed/Flat rate : (front door in, mid/rear door out)
Say "travelers number" to bus driver with showing IC card when entering.
No need touching when getting off.
2) Not Fixed/Flat rate : (mid/rear door in, front door out)
Get the "boarding ticket" when getting in,
https://www.hakone-tozanbus.co.jp/english/guidance/index.html
say "travelers number" to bus driver with showing IC card when getting off.

If would like to say in Japanese,
"xxx人分で、お願いします。/xxx-nin-bun de, Onegai-shimasu."
https://youtu.be/Or8dxixpqoQ
If family or with children,
"おとな/Otona xxx人、こども/Kodomo xxx人分で、お願いします。
(おとな/こども : adult/child)
by Leno (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: One IC card per person? 2017/3/22 02:06
Thanks to all who replied. Just to clarify, it was never my intention to cheat the system; I just thought that it would be easier to have one card instead of four, but it sounds like that is not the case.
by mafepero rate this post as useful

Re: One IC card per person? 2017/3/22 08:39
I don't think that anyone thought you were trying to cheat the system, by the way.
by Uco rate this post as useful

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