Does tapping the plastic card at the gate count?

No. The official page limits eligible payments to JCB contactless on a smartphone, smartwatch or wearable device, and JCB's news release states that taps with the card itself are excluded. Load the card into Apple Pay or Google Pay and tap your phone.

Do Suica or PASMO top-ups count?

No. Topping up an IC card, buying tickets at a window, shopping in the station and paying by QUICPay are all excluded. Only fares paid by tapping with JCB contactless are counted.

I registered late. Are my earlier rides lost?

No. The official page states that fares are totalled across the campaign period regardless of when you registered, so anything from the first train on September 16 counts. Registering early is still safer, simply so you do not forget.

When is the cashback paid?

From May 2027 onwards, as a minus amount on your card statement. JCB debit cards show it on a separate transaction screen, and if you owe nothing that month the money goes to your registered bank account. Closing the card before payout makes you ineligible.

I have several JCB cards. Are they added together?

No. Each card needs its own registration and each card's fares are totalled separately, family cards included. If you want to reach the cap, decide on one card and use it for every ride.

Can I use a Rakuten Card or PayPay Card with the JCB brand?

Both issuers are on the eligible list, but the card also has to support JCB contactless on your phone. Rakuten Card's Google Pay page, for example, describes payments through QUICPay, which is excluded, so check your own card before you rely on it.

Can I use this on JR East?

JR East is not in the eligible list as of the end of August 2026. Tokyo Metro, Toei Subway and the major private railways are included, though individual operators may accept contactless at only some stations or lines, so check the official list before you ride.

Can I earn the 10% J-POINT reward at the same time?

JCB presents the Original Series 10% J-POINT reward alongside this campaign on the same page, but it does not state whether a single ride earns both. The terms also exclude transactions that won another campaign running at the same time, so ask your card issuer if it matters.

JCB Tap-to-Ride Cashback: Up to ¥5,000 Back

👍🏻 0 🤍 0

Key Takeaways: JCB is refunding transit fares for 1,000 lottery winners, up to ¥5,000 each, on taps made between September 16 and December 15, 2026. Only a JCB card in Apple Pay or Google Pay counts — tapping the plastic card or paying by QUICPay is excluded. Registration is required once per card, and the refund lands on statements from May 2027.

Last updated: September 16, 2026 (checked against JCB’s official campaign page that day)

If you tap your phone at the ticket gate instead of using a Suica or PASMO, JCB may refund your fares. From September 16, 2026, JCB is running a campaign that picks 1,000 winners by lottery and refunds everything they spent on fares, up to ¥5,000.

There is one catch that trips people up: tapping the plastic card does not count. Only a JCB card loaded into Apple Pay or Google Pay qualifies, so you have to tap a phone or a watch. Here is what counts, how to register, and which cards and lines are in.

Official key visual for JCB's tap-to-ride cashback campaign, showing 1,000 winners, mobile only, Apple Pay and Google Pay, and the period from September 16 to December 15, 2026 — The key visual says “モバイル限定” — mobile only.Source: JCB, “JCBのクレカ乗車で最大5,000円キャッシュバックキャンペーン” (screenshot taken September 16, 2026)

The short version

Period: First train on September 16 to the last train on December 15, 2026
Prize: 1,000 winners get their total eligible fares refunded, capped at ¥5,000
How to pay: JCB contactless on a phone or smartwatch (Apple Pay or Google Pay)
Not counted: Tapping the plastic card, QUICPay, buying tickets at a window, topping up an IC card
Registration: Required, once per card
Payout: From May 2027, as a minus line on your card statement

In this article

What you get: 1,000 winners, ¥5,000 cap
Only mobile taps count — the plastic card does not
How to join, in three steps
Which cards qualify, including Rakuten and PayPay
Where you can ride: Tokyo Metro, Toei and major private railways
JCB Original Series also earns 10% in J-POINT
If you do not have a JCB card yet
FAQ
Sources

What you get: 1,000 winners, ¥5,000 cap

The prize is straightforward. Everything you pay in eligible fares with JCB contactless on your phone is added up, and winners get that total back, up to ¥5,000, with fractions of a yen dropped.

Spread over three months, ¥5,000 works out to roughly ¥1,700 a month. A daily commuter will pass the cap in the first month and gain nothing from riding more; someone who only rides at weekends still gets every yen back if their number comes up.

The prize section of JCB's official campaign page, stating 1,000 winners chosen by lottery, cashback of the total amount spent during the period, a 5,000 yen cap, and payout from May 2027 — “1,000 winners”, the ¥5,000 cap and the May 2027 payout are all in this section.Source: JCB official campaign page, “キャンペーン特典” (screenshot taken September 16, 2026)

Three conditions are easy to miss:

If the transit operator is running its own discount at the same time, the amount counted is what you actually paid after that discount.
The refund appears as a minus amount on statements from May 2027. For JCB debit cards it shows on a separate transaction screen, and if you have nothing to pay that month, the money is transferred to your registered bank account.
If you have closed the card or have no bank account registered by payout time, you get nothing. Keep the card until at least May next year.

JCB has run tap-to-ride campaigns before, but this one is designed differently. The January-to-March 2025 round gave everyone 30% back with a ¥500 cap.

	Jan-Mar 2025 round	This round (from Sep 2026)
Who gets it	Everyone who qualified	1,000 winners by lottery
Amount	30% back (¥500 cap)	Full fare (¥5,000 cap)
Registration	Not needed	Required
Plastic card	Counted	Not counted; mobile only
Operators	115	201

Figures for the 2025 round come from Impress Watch (January 9, 2025). The operator count for this round comes from JCB’s news release of September 15, 2026: 201 of the 211 operators that accept JCB contactless are included, as of August 2026.

Only mobile taps count — the plastic card does not

These rides are not counted

Tapping the physical JCB card. The official page lists only smartphones, smartwatches and wearables, and JCB’s news release states that taps with the card itself are excluded
QUICPay. A JCB card in Apple Pay often pays by QUICPay in convenience stores, but QUICPay is out for this campaign
Buying tickets at a station window, shopping inside the station, and topping up Suica, PASMO or any other IC card
Fares you end up paying in cash because station staff asked you to
JCB prepaid cards, and some other cards

The eligibility section of JCB's official campaign page, listing credit and debit cards as eligible cards and JCB contactless on a smartphone, smartwatch or wearable device as the eligible payment method — The “eligible payment method” row covers phones, watches and wearables only.Source: JCB official campaign page, “キャンペーン対象” (screenshot taken September 16, 2026)

Where you tap matters too. Only dedicated gates and readers marked with the contactless symbol accept a card, and most stations convert just one or two lanes. The gates you normally touch your Suica to will not read it, so give yourself a little extra time on your first ride.

If mobile PASMO is still your main way to pay, there is a separate offer running in parallel: MUFG debit with Apple Pay PASMO gives a ¥1,000 gift card for topping up. That one rewards the top-up rather than the ride.

How to join, in three steps

Register for the campaignOpen the official page and use the “参加登録する” button, then sign in with the ID (email address) linked to your JCB card; first-time users are sent to an ID sign-up screen. Cards issued by JCB group companies can register through MyJCB instead. Every card needs its own registration, family cards included.
Add the JCB card to Apple Pay or Google PayOn iPhone, open Wallet, tap the plus button at the top right and choose “クレジットカードなど” (credit cards and more). On Android, open Google Wallet, tap “Add to Wallet” and choose credit or debit card. Skip this if the card is already there. Smartwatches and wearables count as well.
Tap at the dedicated gates on eligible transitTap the same device on entry and exit, at a gate or an onboard reader that carries the contactless symbol. Registering late does not cost you anything: the official page says fares are totalled across the whole period regardless of when you registered.

The three participation steps on JCB's official campaign page: register for the campaign, set up the JCB card in Apple Pay or Google Pay, and tap at a dedicated gate or reader on eligible transit — JCB’s own three steps; the links in step 2 open illustrated wallet instructions.Source: JCB official campaign page, “キャンペーン参加方法” (screenshot taken September 16, 2026)

iPhone users: turn on Express Mode

In Wallet, select the JCB card, tap the “i” at the top right, open “エクスプレスカード設定” (Express Card settings) and pick that card. You then pass through without a double-click or Face ID, and an iPhone keeps working for up to five hours after the battery dies. That power reserve is iPhone-only, and a few operators do not support Express Mode at all.

One more note on registration: JCB says a small number of cards cannot be registered through MyJCB, and those holders should register from the campaign page on the JCB brand site. The terms also state that JCB and your card issuer may exchange details such as your card number to confirm eligibility and pay the cashback.

Which cards qualify, including Rakuten and PayPay

This is not limited to cards issued by JCB itself. JCB-branded credit and debit cards from these issuers qualify, as listed on September 16, 2026:

Cards issued by JCB group companies, such as the JCB Original Series
Rakuten Card, PayPay Card, Credit Saison, Orient Corporation (Orico), JACCS, Aplus, UCS, Life Card, Pocket Card, Toyota Finance
Seven Card Service, Seven CS Card Service, JR West, Idemitsu Credit, Takashimaya Financial Partners, Daiwa House Financial, Shizugin Saison Card, Nissenren, Miyazaki Shinpan, Nissen Credit Service, Valor Financial Service

JCB's official list of eligible card issuers, showing JCB group companies plus Rakuten Card, PayPay Card, Credit Saison and others, followed by notes on exclusions — The official issuer list. Your issuer is printed on the back of the card.Source: JCB, “対象となるカード発行会社一覧” (screenshot taken September 16, 2026)

Even a listed issuer needs these checks

Your card has to do JCB contactless on the phone. Some cards only offer QUICPay in Google Pay — Rakuten Card’s own Google Pay page, for instance, describes paying at QUICPay merchants. QUICPay does not count, so Android users should confirm their card first.
Cards issued by JACCS pay the equivalent amount in J-Depo rather than cash.
Corporate cards from Toyota Finance are excluded, as are JCB group corporate cards whose numbers start with 3550 or 3551. Nissenren Shizuoka and Nissenren Beneful are also out.
The JCB The Class Metal Card is excluded; register with the standard The Class card instead.
Mizuho SmartDebit registers by signing in to MyJCB from the Mizuho Wallet app, but payments made through Mizuho Wallet cannot use JCB contactless on Google Pay.

For how to choose a Rakuten Card brand and get the sign-up points, see our Rakuten Card guide.

Where you can ride: Tokyo Metro, Toei and major private railways

The official list, current as of the end of August 2026, runs to roughly 201 operators and covers railways, local buses, airport buses, ferries and ropeways. The big names in the main cities:

Greater Tokyo: Tokyo Metro, Toei Subway, Tokyu, Keio, Odakyu, Seibu, Keikyu, Sotetsu, Minatomirai Line, Yokohama municipal subway, Tsukuba Express, Yurikamome, Enoshima Electric Railway, plus many airport buses
Kansai: Osaka Metro, Kintetsu, Nankai, Hankyu (excluding the Kobe Kosoku line), Kita-Osaka Kyuko, Kobe municipal subway, Sanyo Electric Railway
Elsewhere: Sapporo municipal subway, Sendai subway (Tozai Line), Nagoya municipal subway, JR Kyushu, Fukuoka City Subway, Nishitetsu and the Okinawa monorail (Yui Rail)

The Kanto section of JCB's official list of eligible transit operators, listing railways such as Tokyo Metro, Toei Subway, Tokyu, Keio, Odakyu and Seibu along with many bus operators — The Kanto section. Other regions are in the full official list.Source: JCB, “対象となる公共交通機関一覧” (screenshot taken September 16, 2026; content as of end of August 2026)

Two things to check before you ride

JR East is not on the list, so JR lines around Tokyo earn you nothing here.
Even a listed operator may accept contactless at only some lines, stations or ports. Each operator’s own site is the reliable source for that detail.

JCB official: full list of eligible transit operators

JCB Original Series also earns 10% in J-POINT

Further down the campaign page sits a standing perk: with a JCB Original Series card and a free points registration done in advance, tap-to-ride always earns 10% back in J-POINT. The J-POINT partner page puts it at 20 times the normal rate, with the registration window running from May 16, 2026 to May 15, 2027.

The recommended information section of JCB's campaign page, showing 10% J-POINT cashback on tap-to-ride for JCB Original Series cards with prior points registration — Original Series only, and the points registration has to be done first.Source: JCB official campaign page, “その他おすすめ情報” (screenshot taken September 16, 2026; page states content is as of July 2026)

One caveat. The two offers sit on the same page, but nothing states that a single ride earns both, and the terms include a line excluding transactions that won another campaign running at the same time. Ask your card issuer if that matters to you. How J-POINT itself works is covered in our complete JCB card guide.

If you do not have a JCB card yet

The campaign runs to December 15, so a new card still has time to pay off. JCB Card W has no annual fee and is open to applicants aged 39 or under; pick the numberless version and the “moba-soku” instant service issues your card number in as little as five minutes, ready to load into Apple Pay or Google Pay. Applications are in Japanese, and you will need a Japanese address and bank account.

Applying through the referral link below also earns the new cardholder a sign-up bonus. The amount depends on the card (¥1,000 for JCB Card W), and the referral page you land on shows the current terms.

Compare the entry points before you apply

The same card often appears as an offer on point sites, and a referral bonus and a point-site payout sometimes cannot both be honoured. Check both and enter through whichever pays more. Our guide to Japanese point sites explains how they work.

📖 Coming

JCB Credit Card Referral only! ¥1,000–5,000 cashback depending on the card

FAQ

Q: Does tapping the plastic card at the gate count?: No. The official page limits eligible payments to JCB contactless on a smartphone, smartwatch or wearable device, and JCB’s news release states that taps with the card itself are excluded. Load the card into Apple Pay or Google Pay and tap your phone.
Q: Do Suica or PASMO top-ups count?: No. Topping up an IC card, buying tickets at a window, shopping in the station and paying by QUICPay are all excluded. Only fares paid by tapping with JCB contactless are counted.
Q: I registered late. Are my earlier rides lost?: No. The official page states that fares are totalled across the campaign period regardless of when you registered, so anything from the first train on September 16 counts. Registering early is still safer, simply so you do not forget.
Q: When is the cashback paid?: From May 2027 onwards, as a minus amount on your card statement. JCB debit cards show it on a separate transaction screen, and if you owe nothing that month the money goes to your registered bank account. Closing the card before payout makes you ineligible.
Q: I have several JCB cards. Are they added together?: No. Each card needs its own registration and each card’s fares are totalled separately, family cards included. If you want to reach the cap, decide on one card and use it for every ride.
Q: Can I use a Rakuten Card or PayPay Card with the JCB brand?: Both issuers are on the eligible list, but the card also has to support JCB contactless on your phone. Rakuten Card’s Google Pay page, for example, describes payments through QUICPay, which is excluded, so check your own card before you rely on it.
Q: Can I use this on JR East?: JR East is not in the eligible list as of the end of August 2026. Tokyo Metro, Toei Subway and the major private railways are included, though individual operators may accept contactless at only some stations or lines, so check the official list before you ride.
Q: Can I earn the 10% J-POINT reward at the same time?: JCB presents the Original Series 10% J-POINT reward alongside this campaign on the same page, but it does not state whether a single ride earns both. The terms also exclude transactions that won another campaign running at the same time, so ask your card issuer if it matters.

Sources

All details reflect the official pages as of September 16, 2026. Terms can change, so confirm anything important on JCB’s own page.

JCB Tap-to-Ride Cashback: Up to ¥5,000 Back on Trains and Buses