How To Use Your Credit Card On Trains In Kansai (Kyoto And Osaka etc): Tap-To-Ride Guide For Travelers

You can tap-to-ride at the ticket gates of most private train lines in Kansai. No lines and no worrying about tickets: Just tap your card on the card reader in the ticket gate and get on the train. See below for all the details and map of all the tap-to-ride routes in Kansai.

The Takeaway

• Contactless payment or tap-to-ride is now possible on most private rail lines in Kansai, including the Hankyu, Keihan and Kintetsu lines, as well as lines serving Kansai and Osaka (Itami) airports.
• Tap-to-ride means you simply tap your credit card on the special card reader in the ticket gate when you enter the train system and tap again on the card reader when you leave.
• Note that JR does not presently allow tap-to-ride with credit cards, but you can use IC cards for all JR lines (and, of course, all private lines).
• Note that some debit cards also work for tap-to-ride.
• Also note that tap-to-ride does not allow you to sit in reserved seats or on special luxury trains, but these are relatively rare. Most limited express (tokkyu) trains and all regular trains have unreserved cars.
• For most people, a standard IC card (digital or physical) like Suica or Icoca is likely to be more convenient, but this is still an interesting option and a good backup.
• Read on for all the details and our map of all tap-to-ride lines in Kansai.

The Details

Japan just keeps getting more convenient. Of course, we recommend a digital or physical IC card for most train journeys in Japan because they work on all private and JR lines (including the shinkansen if you link your IC card to the Smart EX app). But if for any reason you don’t have an IC card or just want to keep all your payments on your credit card, you will find the tap-to-ride option extremely convenient.

What Cards Work for Tap-to-Ride?

• Visa
• American Express
• JCB
• Union Pay
• Discover
• Diner’s Club
• MasterCard (note that some lines may not accept MasterCard)

How Can You Tell If Your Card Will Work For Tap-To-Ride?

Look for the tap-to-pay symbol (see below) on your card. If your card has that mark, it should work for tap-to-ride.

How To Use Tap-To-Ride With A Credit Card

Look for a ticket gate with a credit card reader. Here’s a picture of one at Hankyu Kawaramachi Station in Kyoto. The tap-to-ride-capable gate is the one on the right.

Here’s a close-up of the tap-to-ride credit card reader:

Simply tap your credit card on the reader as you pass through the ticket gate. Now, you can board any train in that network except train cars with reserved seats. When you get to your destination, find an exit ticket gate with a credit card reader and tap your card as you pass through. However, please read the following section for some important notes on using the system.

My Experience With Tap-To-Ride And An Important Tip

I tested the tap-to-ride system on the Hankyu Line in Kyoto. It worked great. However, at one of the stations, when I went to exit the system, the gate didn’t open and an error message sounded. I walked to the manned gate and handed my card to the attendant and he tapped it on his machine and saw that everything was in order and he opened the gate to allow me to exit.

Keep in mind that many private lines in Kansai have both manned and unmanned ticket gates. At the unmanned gates, there may not be an attendant nearby (although they will appear soon enough if there’s trouble with a gate). But it might be best to use manned gates until you get comfortable using this system. And, if you do have any trouble exiting via an unmanned gate, simply go back to the platform and follow the signs to the nearest manned exit to sort it out.

One final note: When entering or exiting the system, if you are using a credit card, be sure to tap it on the credit card reader and not on the IC card reader (see the picture below, which shows both readers):

Which Should You Use: A Credit Card Or An Ic Card?

Although tap-to-ride with a credit card is convenient, for most people a physical or digital IC card like Suica or Icoca is the more convenient option. The reason is simple: Tap-to-ride works only with private lines (and not all private lines), while IC cards work with all private and JR lines (including shinkansen if you link your IC card to the SmartEX app), as well as at most shops, many restaurants, vending machines and other places. So, despite its wonderful convenience, for most people, tapping to ride with a credit card on private train lines will most likely serve as a backup for times when you don’t have your IC card or it has run out of value and you cannot easily add more value to it.

Where Can You Go Using Only Tap-To-Ride Lines?

Using just tap-to-ride on private lines in Kansai, you can explore all of the following places:

• Kyoto
• Osaka
• Nara
• Kobe
• Nagoya
• Himeji
• Wakayama

You can also travel to/from Kansai, Osaka (Itami) and Kobe Airports, although not on the special reserved-seat express trains to/from those airports (such as the Nankai Rapito train). You can even take the Nankai Ferry from Wakayama in Kansai to Tokushima on the island of Shikoku.

Tap-To-Ride Kansai Route Map

Kyoto District Map

Click a Kyoto District for detailed info on attractions, places to eat and accommodation