Digital ticketing adoption in Japanese railways

Japanese railway operators are implementing digital ticketing and cashless payment systems to modernize services and reduce operational costs.

JR East announced the autumn 2026 launch of ‘teppay’, a code-based cashless payment service integrated into the Mobile Suica app. This service allows users to transfer balances between Mobile Suica and Mobile PASMO and bypass previous charging limits. Additionally, JR East has been expanding its ‘ekine t Q Ticket’ QR-code system, which enables passengers to purchase tickets online and board trains using smartphones, reducing the need for paper tickets and staffed windows.

In a separate regional development, Kotoden announced it will launch Japan’s first digital ticket machines on September 1, 2026. By utilizing Lecip’s ‘QUICK TRIP Ticket’ technology, the company plans to phase out physical automatic ticket machines at most unmanned stations. This web-based system allows passengers to purchase tickets via QR codes in a browser without needing a dedicated app, aiming to mitigate the high costs of maintaining aging physical hardware.