There is a ticket machine near the entrance doors of the bus. Make sure you place your IC card onto the IC card reader for about a second. The machine will make a sound to notify you when it has read your card. (It is not necessary to take a numbered ticket.)

Yes, in 2026, all Kyoto city buses and subways take IC cards, including the popular Suica, Pasmo, and Icoca cards. While Icoca is the native card for the Kansai region, the "interoperable" system means you can use your Tokyo-based Suica or your mobile wallet (Apple/Google Pay) for a seamless, high-value experience. When boarding a Kyoto bus, you typically tap your card on the reader by the rear door when you enter, and then tap again at the front door when you exit to pay the fare (though some "flat fare" routes only require a tap at the exit). In 2026, a high-value strategy for tourists is the "Kyoto Bus & Subway Pass," which can also be loaded onto certain IC cards for unlimited travel. This eliminates the need to carry exact change for the standard 230-yen fare, making the bus—which is the backbone of Kyoto's transport system for reaching temples like Kinkaku-ji—a low-stress and highly efficient way to navigate the historic city.