Comparison

IC Card Reader for Japan vs Japan NFC Reader

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

IC Card Reader for Japan

Instantly check the balance and transaction history of Japanese transit IC cards like Suica and Rakuten Edy by tapping them on your iPhone. Ideal for travelers and commuters needing to manage their funds and export data for expense reports.

Highlights
  • Read balance and history via NFC
  • Supports Suica, PASMO, and other transit IC cards
  • Supports Rakuten Edy
  • Name and color-tag cards
  • Export history as CSV, JSON, or Rakuraku Seisan
  • Automatic payment spot logging
  • Pro features: date-range export, balance widget, ad removal
Features
Read full description

IC Card Reader lets you check the balance and usage history of Suica and other FeliCa-based Japanese transit IC cards, as well as Rakuten Edy, just by tapping your card on your iPhone. ■ Great for travelers and commuters who want to: - Check their remaining balance without waiting at a gate or register - Decide for themselves when to top up - Review past trips and purchase history - Export travel history for expense reports during a trip or business travel ■ Key features - Read balance and history instantly via NFC — just tap your card - Supports Suica, PASMO, and other nationwide Japanese transit IC cards - Also supports Rakuten Edy balance and usage history - Name and color-tag each card for easy management - History grouped by day, showing the change and balance for each transaction plus a daily total - Automatically log where you paid with Apple Pay (Suica) using a Shortcuts automation (Payment Spots) - Export history as CSV (Shift-JIS/UTF-8), JSON, or Rakuraku Seisan format - Export only This Month, Last Month, or a custom date range (Pro) - See the balance of your most recently used card in a Home Screen widget (Pro) - On larger-screen iPhone models such as iPhone Duo, view your card list and history side by side - No account or sign-up required — start using it right away ■ Pro (one-time purchase) Buy once and keep these features for good: - Date-range export - Balance widget - Ad removal The widget shows the balance from the last time you scanned your card in the app. ■ Privacy Card data and payment spot records are stored on your device and are never sent to the developer's servers. Supported cards: Suica, PASMO, ICOCA, TOICA, manaca, PiTaPa, Kitaca, SUGOCA, nimoca, Hayakaken, Rakuten Edy, and other nationwide interoperable Japanese transit IC cards. This app is an independent tool and is not an official app from JR East or Suica.

About

Japan NFC Reader

Easily check the balance and transaction history of various Japanese transit and e-money cards directly on your iPhone. Supports a wide range of popular IC cards and payment services.

Highlights
  • Check Japanese e-money balance
  • View usage history
  • Supports Transit IC cards (Suica, PASMO, etc.)
  • Supports Rakuten Edy, nanaco, WAON
  • Supports Hong Kong Octopus card
  • Requires iOS 13.0 or later
Features
Read full description

You can check Japanese e-money balance and usage history on your iPhone. Support: ・Transit IC(Suica, PASMO, ICOCA, SUGOCA, TOICA, Kitaca, manaca, nimoca, はやかけん(Hayakaken)) ・IruCa ・PASPY ・SAPICA ・icsca ・OKICA ・Ryuto ・Region Affiliate Transit IC(totra, Iwate Green Pass, iGUCA, HACHICA, AOPASS, nolbé, Shuhoku Orange Pass, AkiCA, Towada SkyBlue Pass, cherica, MegoICa, …and more!) ・Rakuten Edy ・nanaco ・WAON ・Japan Univ. Co-op IC Prepaid ・八達通 (Octopus) (Hong Kong) Devices that support card scanning: WITH iOS 13.0 OR LATER iPhone 14 Pro iPhone 14 Pro Max iPhone 14 iPhone 14 Plus iPhone SE (3rd generation) iPhone 13 Pro iPhone 13 Pro Max iPhone 13 iPhone 13 mini iPhone 12 Pro iPhone 12 Pro Max iPhone 12 iPhone 12 mini iPhone SE (2nd generation) iPhone 11 Pro iPhone 11 Pro Max iPhone 11 iPhone XS iPhone XS Max iPhone XR iPhone X iPhone 8 iPhone 8 Plus iPhone 7 (sold in Japan) iPhone 7 Plus (sold in Japan)

Screenshots

IC Card Reader for Japan4 screens
Japan NFC Reader3 screens

Verdict

The call

IC Card Reader for Japan and Japan NFC Reader both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 67% of Japan NFC Reader's written reviews are positive against 22% of IC Card Reader for Japan's. Japan NFC Reader also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and ratings volume (32 vs 7). IC Card Reader for Japan's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. IC Card Reader for Japan sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Japan NFC Reader sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for IC Card Reader for Japan against 5.0 for Japan NFC Reader. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 32 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 22% of IC Card Reader for Japan's written reviews are positive against 67% of Japan NFC Reader's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

IC Card Reader for Japan ships an update every 3 weeks, Japan NFC Reader weekly. Both last shipped on November 11, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
IC Card Reader for Japan versus Japan NFC Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIC Card Reader for JapanJapan NFC Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (7 ratings)5.0 (32 ratings) — better
Positive reviews22.2% of reviews66.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings732 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB45 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNoriaki MisawaRyoga Tanaka

Customer experience

IC Card Reader for Japan

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive22.2%
Neutral11.1%
Negative66.7%

Japan NFC Reader

All ratings32 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

IC Card Reader for Japan

One-time2
  • コーヒーチケット$1.99
  • Remove Ads$1.99
2 purchases

Japan NFC Reader

One-time2
  • Hide Ads (General)$1.99
  • Hide Ads (Advanced Features)$4.99

Questions

Is IC Card Reader for Japan free?
IC Card Reader for Japan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Japan NFC Reader free?
Japan NFC Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, IC Card Reader for Japan or Japan NFC Reader?
Japan NFC Reader is rated higher. IC Card Reader for Japan averages 4.9 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Japan NFC Reader averages 5.0 from 32 ratings.
Do IC Card Reader for Japan or Japan NFC Reader have ads?
Japan NFC Reader shows ads; IC Card Reader for Japan does not.
Which is updated more often, IC Card Reader for Japan or Japan NFC Reader?
IC Card Reader for Japan ships an update every 3 weeks, and Japan NFC Reader weekly. Most recently, IC Card Reader for Japan was updated on November 11, 2026 and Japan NFC Reader on November 11, 2026.

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