Easy: Use a prepaid transport card (like a Welcome Suica or Pasmo Passport) instead of a train ticket. From Narita, the card will cover your basic fare on the Narita Express or Keisei Skyliner into town and you can buy a reserved seat/express ticket with cash on the platform.

You can use a Pasmo card (including the digital version on your iPhone/Android) to pay for the base fare portion of the Narita Express (N'EX) journey, but you cannot use it alone to board the train. The Narita Express is a "Limited Express" service, which requires two separate payments: the basic transportation fare and a Limited Express Reserved Seat Ticket. While you can tap your Pasmo card at the ticket gates to cover the base fare, you must still purchase the supplemental reserved seat ticket from a vending machine, a ticket office, or the "JR-East Train Reservation" website before boarding. In 2026, many travelers prefer to buy a "bundle" ticket or use the "N'EX Tokyo Round Trip Ticket" for better value. If you are caught on the N'EX with only a Pasmo tap and no reserved seat ticket, the conductor will require you to pay the surcharge on board, often at a higher price. Therefore, the Pasmo card serves as your "entry" to the station, but the seat reservation is a mandatory secondary requirement.