Pasmo (パスモ, Pasumo, stylized as PASMO) is a rechargeable contactless smart card electronic money system. It is primarily used for public transport in Tokyo, Japan, where it was introduced on 18 March 2007. Pasmo can also be used as a payment card for vending machines and stores. In 2013, Pasmo became usable in all major cities across Japan as part of the Nationwide Mutual Usage Service.[3]

PASMO
LocationUsable nationwide
Distributed in the Greater Tokyo Area
LaunchedMarch 18, 2007
Technology
ManagerPASMO Co., Ltd.[1]
CurrencyJapanese yen (¥20,000 maximum load)
Stored-valuePay as you go
Credit expiryTen years after last use[2]
Retailed
Variants
  • PASMO
  • PASMO PASSPORT
Websitewww.pasmo.co.jp
PASMO Card (reverse)
Pasmo-compatible ticket gates at Otorii Station (Keikyu Line)
KANACHU bus touch sensor for Suica and Pasmo IC cards next to the driver's seat and fare box

Pasmo is a development of the Passnet system used by many non-JR railway lines in the Greater Tokyo Area. The system offers interoperability with the JR East Suica system, as well as integrating private bus companies into the former Passnet network.

The technology is based on an RFID technology developed by Sony known as FeliCa. As of April 2009, there are over 11 million cards in circulation.[4]

Companies and organizations accepting Pasmo

edit

Railways

edit

Most railway operators introduced the system simultaneously when Pasmo started.

Buses and tramways

edit

Bus and tramway operators have been introducing Pasmo readers on their systems gradually.

Popularity

edit

On April 11, 2007, it was announced that sales of Pasmo fare cards would be limited to commuter rail pass purchases until August due to extremely high demand. It was originally predicted that approximately 2 million Pasmo cards would be sold in the first month, but actual sales numbers totaled approximately about 3 million. Due to depleting stock, regular Pasmo card sales were suspended and only commuter passes were sold. Sales resumed on September 10, 2007.[5]

Mobile devices

edit

A version for mobile phones known as Mobile Pasmo (モバイルPASMO, Mobairu Pasumo), which uses Mobile FeliCa and Osaifu-Keitai functionality, was launched in March 2020.[6]

Interoperation

edit
 
Interoperation map

Through collaboration with JR East, passengers became able to use Pasmo interchangeably with Suica to ride nearly any railway, metro, or bus in the Tokyo metropolitan area in 2007. Transit systems/lines outside the Pasmo system but usable with the Pasmo card included JR East lines in the Kanto, Niigata and Sendai area, the Tokyo Monorail, Saitama New Urban Transit (New Shuttle), Sendai Airport Transit, Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit (Rinkai Line), and JR Bus Kanto (local buses in the Mito area).

In 2013, interoperation was extended country-wide, and Pasmo became usable across Japan as part of the Nationwide Mutual Usage Service.[7]

In July 22, 2014, Nintendo added support for Suica and Pasmo in the Nintendo eShop through the NFC function of the Wii U GamePad[8] and the New Nintendo 3DS.[9] The service was discontinued in January 18, 2022.[10]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "Company Profile". PASMO. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  2. ^ "Rules for Using PASMO". PASMO. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  3. ^ Ito, Etsuro (October 2013). "Launch of Nationwide Interoperable Transport System IC Cards" (PDF). East Japan Railway Culture Foundation. Japan Railway & Transport Review. pp. 6–15. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  4. ^ "Suica, Pasmoの合計発売枚数が" [The total number of Suica and PASMO sold] (PDF) (in Japanese). April 13, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 24, 2009. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  5. ^ "Pasmo fare card selling out too fast". The Japan Times. April 12, 2007. Archived from the original on May 19, 2008. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  6. ^ "モバイルPASMO". PASMO (in Japanese). Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  7. ^ Ito, Etsuro (October 2013). "Launch of Nationwide Interoperable Transport System IC Cards" (PDF). East Japan Railway Culture Foundation. Japan Railway & Transport Review. pp. 6–15. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  8. ^ "交通系電子マネーを使ってWii Uのチャージに挑戦、手軽さが魅力的". インサイド (in Japanese). July 22, 2014. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  9. ^ "Nintendo Shows Off NFC eShop Payments for New Nintendo 3DS in Japan". Nintendo Life. December 9, 2014. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  10. ^ "ニンテンドー3DSシリーズおよびWii U内のニンテンドーeショップにおけるクレジットカードと交通系電子マネーのご利用取扱い終了について" [Regarding the termination of use of credit cards and transportation electronic money at the Nintendo 3DS series and the Nintendo eShop in Wii U]. nintendo.co.jp (in Japanese). July 20, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
edit