Oops! Japan #1 — Why Your Suica Balance Might Disappear at Gas Stations : What Happened, Why It Happens, and How to Avoid It


 # Oops! Japan #1 — Why Your Suica Balance Might Disappear at Gas Stations  

*What They Don’t Tell You About Japan (But You Wish They Did)*


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Have you just started using Suica on your iPhone after arriving in Japan?  

It’s a great tool — until your balance suddenly drops to zero at a gas station.


That’s exactly what happened to someone I came across online. And it turns out, it’s not a bug — it’s a feature.


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## What Happened


The person refueled their car at a self-service gas station in Japan and paid using Suica on their iPhone.  

Everything seemed fine... until they later checked the balance. It was completely gone — zero yen.


Sound familiar? Here’s what was actually going on.


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## Why It Happens


Some Japanese gas stations use a pre-authorization system for IC cards like Suica.  

When you scan your Suica before fueling, the machine **withdraws your entire balance temporarily**.


After you finish refueling, you’re supposed to **scan your Suica again** — at the same pump — to finalize the payment and **get the unused amount refunded**.


If you forget this second scan (and many people do!), the system treats it as if you used the full balance.  

And that’s why your Suica shows 0 yen.


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## How to Avoid It


- **Watch the screen carefully** at gas stations. If it asks you to rescan, do it.

- **Keep your receipt** — it helps if you need to contact the station later.

- **Ask staff** if you’re unsure (even just saying “Suica OK?” can help).

- **Avoid Suica at gas stations** unless you're confident with the process.


Also, note that mobile Suica with auto-recharge may not activate correctly in this kind of transaction.


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## Lesson Learned


Japan’s systems are efficient but sometimes unique.  

This kind of mistake happens even to locals — so don’t feel bad if it happens to you.


The key is to stay calm, ask questions, and learn from each little “Oops!” moment.


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*Inspired by a real Reddit story (r/japanlife). Edited and explained for clarity.*



日本語向け補足

• 「Suicaでガソリン代を払った後に残高がゼロになるケースは、一時的に全額引き落とされる仕組みによるもの」

• 再スキャンを忘れないように！

• トラブルが起きても慌てず、レシートや店員の協力を頼れば解決可能

• 日本特有の仕組みに戸惑うのは普通のこと

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