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Google Pay adds support for Japan’s Suica and WAON cards w/ in-app balance, refill, alerts

At I/O 2018, Google announced that its unified payment service now supports airline passes and movie tickets, while earlier this year it added transit passes. These conveniences are newer in the US, with other parts of the world long enjoying them. Google Pay is now gaining the ability to add Japan-specific Suica and WAON cards.

Japan and a handful of other Asian countries have long featured these advanced systems. With today’s ability to add and manage Suica and WAON cards, you can use your phone to make payments, including on transit, with these prepaid e-money cards.

Requiring an Osaifu-Keitai eligible phone, services from nanaco, Rakuten Edy, Suica and WAON are supported today. Google Pay lets users sign-up for e-money cards right in the app. This process is further simplified thanks to autocomplete with information from your Google Account.

The app also allows for checking balances, easily adding money with a credit card, and setting up low balance alerts. Other Pay features include seeing recent activity, getting customized offers/rewards, and the standard series of tips.

In terms of transit, Japan is getting similar features from the earlier US launches like checking your commuter pass, bullet train, and green ticket details. You can register Tpoint and dPoint cards so that your phone can be used as your fare.


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Avatar for Abner Li Abner Li

Editor-in-chief. Interested in the minutiae of Google and Alphabet. Tips/talk: abner@9to5g.com