Review of Operations Suica The Functions and Convenience of Suica in which customers can use IC passen- JR East expanded an automatic charging Evolve Rapidly ger tickets. service previously only available for View JR East introduced Suica as a next- At the same time, JR East has been Card with Suica—which automatically generation fare collection system based expanding the usage area for Suica elec- charges Suica if the charge balance is on IC cards on November 18, 2001. Fur- tronic money by extending the usability below a certain amount when a customer ther, in order to capitalize on the potential of Suica beyond stores in railway stations passes the IC card over an automatic of Suica as a means of settling transac- to encompass convenience stores and ticket gate—to include other types of tions for small sums, JR East began shopping centers. Also, in the same way Suica, such as Mobile Suica, My Suica Suica electronic money services from that it has done with railways, JR East (registered type Suica), and Suica Com- March 22, 2004. has been steadily extending the mutual muter Pass. In addition to the usability of Suica on use of Suica as electronic money. As a Similarly, JR East increased the railways within the JR East service area— result of those efforts, Suica electronic types of Suica included in the Suica the Tokyo metropolitan area, Sendai, and money is usable at approximately 89,350 Point Club, which awards users with Niigata—the beginning of mutual use locations and accounts for approximately points usable for charging Suica when with PASMO in 2007 made Suica usable 1.74 million transactions daily as of March they use electronic money at designated on most railways and bus services in the 31, 2010. stores. Also, July 2009 saw the launch Tokyo metropolitan area. Moreover, as Also, JR East provides the Mobile of a Suica Internet service that allows of March 31, 2010, Suica is usable in all Suica service, which enables customers the charging and settlement of Suica of Japan’s major cities thanks to mutual to use IC-enabled mobile phones com- via personal computers. use with West Japan Railway Company’s patible with Suica not only to charge Going forward, JR East will take on ICOCA, Central Japan Railway Company’s Suica but also to purchase and use the challenge of new businesses based TOICA, Hokkaido Railway Company’s commuter passes and Shinkansen on Suica information and elevate Suica Kitaca, Kyushu Railway Company’s SUG- limited express tickets. Further, JR East business to general information technol- OCA, Nishi-Nippon Railroad’s nimoca, is developing a lineup of Suica services ogy business. and Fukuoka Transportation Bureau’s that cater to a wide range of customer HAYAKAKEN. Further, JR East is planning needs, such as the View Card with Suica, mutual use with manaca, which Nagoya which integrates Suica and View Card Transportation Bureau, Nagoya Railroad, functions, and multifunctional Suica IC and so on plan to introduce. JR East cards, which incorporate Suica, cash intends to continue increasing the areas cards, and other functions. In addition, Number of Daily Suica Electronic Money Transactions and Suica Compatible Stores Thousands Stores in Which Suica Can Be Used (left) Number of Daily Suica Electronic Money Transactions (right) 100 2,000 2008/04: 1 million transactions per day 2007/03: Suica/PASMO mutual use began 0 0 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 036 East Japan Railway Company.