How to use PASMO. Simply touch your PASMO to the reader on the ticket gate to ride the train. Simply touch your PASMO to the reader inside the bus to pay the fare. PASMO can be used for easy electronic payments so there is no need to count out coins.

Using a PASMO card in Tokyo is one of the easiest ways to navigate the city's complex transit and retail landscape in 2026. To use it for travel, simply tap your physical card or smartphone (if using Mobile PASMO) against the blue IC reader at the ticket gates when entering a station and again when exiting; the correct fare is automatically deducted. For buses, you typically tap near the driver upon boarding or at both the entrance and exit depending on the route's fare system. Beyond transit, PASMO is widely accepted for "cashless" payments at convenience stores like 7-Eleven or Lawson, vending machines, and even many retail shops; just say "IC de onegaishimasu" (With IC, please) to the cashier. To top up your balance, you can use the pink-branded ticket machines at any station or add funds at a convenience store counter. While physical card sales faced shortages in recent years, Mobile PASMO on iPhone is now the standard for tourists, as it allows for instant refills through Apple Wallet. Remember that PASMO is interchangeable with Suica, so you can use either card across almost all rail and bus networks in Japan.