Boarding the Shinkansen with SmartEX
Checked against 9 official sources. 8 minute read.
What to know first
You pass the Shinkansen gates with the boarding method linked to your SmartEX reservation (each traveller's assigned IC card, the QR ticket, or paper tickets collected at a listed machine or counter), not with a payment receipt. The fare is charged to your registered credit card, not your IC card balance, so a local train to the Shinkansen station is a separate fare. With a QR ticket, keep both the QR code and the printed Seat Information slip until you exit.
For travellers with a SmartEX booking who need a smooth station check-in and boarding experience.
- Paper ticket pickup
- Machines from 3 days before; counters from 1 month beforeWith the pickup code and a 4–8 character password
- QR ticket
- One per seat; works only at QR gates and is needed to exit too
- One booking
- 1–6 passengersA child reservation needs a child IC card for IC boarding
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On this page
Which boarding method fits your situation?
| Your situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| One IC card for every traveller | Each traveller has an IC card they always carry (Suica, PASMO, ICOCA and so on): use IC boarding and link a different IC card to each seat. Children need child IC cards, and one card can't be linked to two seats on the same departure. |
| A child without a child IC card | A child has no child IC card: use a QR ticket for the child, or paper. Send the QR ticket to the phone of the adult travelling with them. |
| One phone or no mobile data | A group sharing one phone, or phones without data: print the QR tickets or collect paper tickets. QR tickets work only at gates marked “QR”, and a folded printout may not scan. |
| An unused Welcome Suica bought abroad | A Welcome Suica bought abroad and never used: tap it once at a Suica-area gate first, or use the QR ticket. It can't board the Shinkansen until it has been used in the Suica or PASMO area. |
| A tight connection or paper preference | A tight connection, or you want something physical: collect paper tickets before the day. Machines release them from 3 days before, and counters from 1 month before. |
| Connecting from a JR local train | Arriving by a JR local train: use IC, because the same linked card covers both gates. A different IC card for the local train can't be combined; collect paper tickets instead. |
| A year-ahead reservation | A seat booked a year ahead: collect it from 10:00 JST on the day it goes on sale, one month before travel. |
Sources for this section: SmartEX: essential basics · SmartEX: child reservations and IC boarding · SmartEX: visitor IC cards bought abroad · SmartEX: boarding with a QR ticket · SmartEX: ticket pickup locations · SmartEX: boarding with an IC card
a reservation is not the same thing as the gate method
SmartEX guides outline entry via designated IC card, QR ticket, or paper ticket pick-up. Confirm your boarding method before arriving at the station—an account or card receipt alone will not open ticket gates.
This guide separates the booking from its boarding credential. It does not buy a ticket, approve a card or guarantee an available seat. Keep the method consistent with the service and instructions shown in your own reservation.
Sources for this section: SmartEX: boarding guide
With IC boarding, check the designation for every traveller
SmartEX notes that Shinkansen fares are charged to your registered credit card, not deducted from your transit IC card balance. The IC card scanned at the gate just needs to be the one correctly linked to that passenger's booking. IC boarding also prints a Seat Information slip at the gate: keep it until you exit, because without it you pay the fare again.
Do not assume a card in your phone or one used for an earlier local train is automatically linked. Check each passenger individually, and keep account and card details private. A valid IC card and a paid reservation are two distinct requirements.
Sources for this section: SmartEX: essential basics · SmartEX: boarding with an IC card
When using QR boarding, make sure your ticket stays accessible until you exit
Keep both your QR ticket and the Seat Information slip printed at the Shinkansen gates. You'll need the QR ticket to exit, while the slip is for train staff to inspect—the slip alone cannot open the ticket gates.
Make sure the permitted display method is available when needed. Do not rely on a generic screenshot rule borrowed from another ticket platform. If a display is unavailable, use SmartEX’s designated support or pickup instructions instead of trying repeated unrelated credentials at the gate.
Sources for this section: SmartEX: boarding with a QR ticket
Connecting from a local train adds another fare question
SmartEX transfer instructions differ between transport IC cards and paper train tickets. Local transit and your Shinkansen booking must be used in the proper gate sequence.
Plan the whole station transition, not only the Shinkansen ticket. Identify the local line used to arrive, the payment method for that part and the gate you will pass. An IC card’s balance can matter for a local segment even though it is not how the reserved Shinkansen fare was purchased.
Sources for this section: SmartEX: boarding with a QR ticket · SmartEX: essential basics
If picking up physical tickets, double-check where and when they can be issued
SmartEX publishes the ticket machines and counters where its tickets can be collected. Its instructions distinguish collection methods and timing, so do not assume every JR machine or station can produce the booking whenever you arrive. Confirm the required pickup credential and any account verification step.
Choose a usable collection point before tying pickup to a tight departure. Keep the collection information in the secure booking channel rather than copying codes into a public travel note. Where the exact machine, time or credential remains uncertain, ask the responsible service before relying on it.
Sources for this section: SmartEX: ticket pickup locations
Check your boarding method again if you change your booking or switch devices
A changed train, passenger arrangement, phone or designated IC card can alter what you need to show. Open the current reservation and verify the final result rather than assuming a previously downloaded screen still matches. Do not make an extra purchase simply because the expected boarding method is unclear.
Record a single, clear next step: verify your registered IC card, locate the approved QR code screen, or identify your paper ticket pickup location. Avoid vague notes like “sort train ticket”, which make it hard to pinpoint where an issue occurred.
Keep a practical backup without assuming acceptance
If a phone or card fails, print paper tickets at an EX machine with your pickup code and password, or ask at a JR Central ticket office. A fallback plan does not guarantee that another ticket gate or payment card will work, or that adjacent seats or reserved oversized-baggage space will be available.
Keep track of still unconfirmed steps and check them again if your itinerary changes. A personal note does not confirm that you can board, and an IC card balance, purchase receipt and QR code cannot simply be combined into an approved ticket.
Worked examples: one booking, three travellers
Example A: two adults and an 8-year-old, Shinagawa to Kyoto by Nozomi, in one SmartEX booking. One reservation takes 2 adults and 1 child (up to 6 people per booking). The card is charged 2 × ¥13,970 + ¥6,980 = ¥34,920, and nothing comes off anyone's IC balance for the Shinkansen.
Adult 1, the member, links the Suica in their phone. Adult 2 links their Welcome Suica, which must have been used at least once at a Suica or PASMO-area gate if it was bought abroad, and which expires 28 days after purchase. The child needs a child IC card to board by IC, or else the child's QR ticket. Each seat has its own QR ticket: send it to the phone of the adult with the child, or print it.
At the gate, everyone takes their Seat Information slip and keeps it until they exit; without it, you pay the full fare again. If adult 1 rides the JR line to Shinagawa on the same Suica that is linked to the booking, that local fare comes off the Suica balance as usual, and they touch the same card at the Shinkansen gate. With a separate paper local ticket, put it into the gate first, then touch the IC card.
Example B: your phone battery dies at Tokyo Station, 20 minutes before departure. If your phone held the QR ticket or the mobile Suica, use the pickup code and your login password at an EX ticket machine to print paper tickets; each machine releases tickets from 3 days before travel and handles up to 4 reservations. Do not assume that a ticket office can issue your tickets without the pickup code: the counter requires the 16-digit code. Staff may ask to see the payment card, and you may be unable to collect tickets without it. If you have no pickup code, SmartEX instructs you to buy a normal-fare ticket without discounts at the station; ask staff for help before boarding. Do not buy a second ticket merely as a precaution. If you lose your QR ticket before entering the gate and use none of the reissue, designated IC-card or ticket-collection options, report the loss to staff and buy a non-discount ticket for the same section, train and class of service. You must complete the change or refund procedure for the unused SmartEX reservation before departure; do not assume that a refund is automatic.
Sources for this section: SmartEX: passengers per booking · SmartEX: essential basics · SmartEX: visitor IC cards bought abroad · SmartEX: child reservations and IC boarding · SmartEX: boarding with a QR ticket · SmartEX: boarding with an IC card · SmartEX: ticket pickup locations
Your next step
1. Open My Trips → Details and check that each seat shows either a linked IC card or a QR ticket you can display or have printed.
2. For children, link a child IC card, or send the child's QR ticket to an adult's phone.
3. Before you travel, obtain and securely save a valid 16-digit pickup code. Issuing it requires a one-time password sent to your registered email address; this differs from your login password. The code is valid for 31 days, and reissuing it invalidates the old code. Keep your login password securely available for ticket collection.
Sources for this section: SmartEX: boarding with a QR ticket · SmartEX: ticket pickup locations
Key facts and when we'll check them again
Cards accepted: Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club and Discover; members must be 18+ and may need 3D Secure. IC cards: 10 nationwide IC types; the Shinkansen fare is charged to the credit card, not the IC balance; visitor IC cards are valid for 28 days; and a child card can't be the member's registered card. Checked on 11 October 2026; we'll check it again by 8 January 2027.
A child reservation needs a child IC card for IC boarding. A visitor IC card bought abroad must be used at a Suica or PASMO-area gate before Shinkansen IC boarding. A QR ticket is one per seat, works only at QR gates and is needed to exit too; keep the Seat Information slip or pay the fare again. One booking takes 1–6 passengers. Checked on 11 October 2026; we'll check it again by 8 January 2027.
Paper pickup: machines from 3 days before and counters from 1 month before, using the pickup code and a 4–8 character password, with up to 4 reservations per machine; JR East machines in the 23 wards, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Odawara and Atami also issue them. Entering from a conventional-line gate: in the Suica area you need a balance of at least the minimum fare; TOICA needs none, ICOCA ¥1 or more and SUGOCA ¥10 or more. Checked on 11 October 2026; we'll check it again by 8 January 2027.
SmartEX doesn't say whether a child Welcome Suica counts as the “child IC card” a child reservation requires: one FAQ accepts visitor IC cards and another requires a child IC card for a child reservation. This guide doesn't rely on it. For a child booking without a confirmed child IC card, use the QR ticket or collect paper tickets with the pickup code, the alternatives SmartEX gives.
Sources for this section: SmartEX: accepted credit cards · SmartEX: essential basics · SmartEX: child reservations and IC boarding · SmartEX: visitor IC cards bought abroad · SmartEX: boarding with a QR ticket · SmartEX: passengers per booking · SmartEX: ticket pickup locations · SmartEX: boarding with an IC card
How to link an IC card to a SmartEX reservation
Can I pay for SmartEX with a foreign credit card?
Yes. SmartEX accepts Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club and Discover, charged in yen. You must be 18+ and pay with a card in your own name, and you may not be able to register without 3D Secure. Debit, prepaid and virtual cards can be refused or lose features, such as refunds after ticket pickup. Each change is a new charge followed by a refund, so your bank may add a foreign-transaction fee each time.
How do I link an IC card to a SmartEX reservation?
Open the reservation, tap “Designate IC card”, then enter the card number or pick it from My List. Do this separately for each seat and each direction of a round trip. The same IC card can't be linked to two seats departing from the same station on the same day. You can't change the linked card after you've passed the gate.
How does SmartEX work for multiple passengers or children?
One booking takes 1–6 passengers, children included. Each seat has its own QR ticket, or its own linked IC card. A child seat needs a child IC card for IC boarding; otherwise use the child's QR ticket or paper ticket. Under-6s riding on a lap need no ticket; a child taking their own seat needs a child ticket.
What if my SmartEX QR code is not showing?
Log in, go to My Trips → Details → Display QR-Ticket, and choose the seat. If that fails, print paper tickets at an EX machine with your pickup code and login password, or link an IC card if you haven't passed the gate yet. Showing the “Reservation complete” screen won't get you through the gate.
What if I lose or change my phone before the Shinkansen?
Before the gate: log in on another device to show or re-send the QR ticket, link a different IC card, or collect paper tickets with the pickup code. If none of that works, SmartEX says to report the loss, buy a full-fare ticket for the same train, and refund or change the unused reservation before departure. After the gate: tell staff or the crew. With your payment card or the Seat Information slip, you can usually get the duplicate ticket refunded at your arrival station.
Official pages for this guide
The rules in this guide come from the official pages below. Japan, Booked. does not book or submit requests on your behalf.
Read next
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- Travel lighter in JapanCompare luggage delivery against station lockers.
- How to buy Shinkansen and limited-express tickets without a rail passWhich JR site sells your route: SmartEX, JR East, JR West or JR Kyushu. Foreign cards accepted, seats on sale at 10:00 JST one month ahead, plus pickup.
Sources and how this guide was checked
Published · Based on official sources · no affiliate links
Official sources
These official sources explain the rules and conditions used in this guide. Live availability and your own booking, admission or service outcome still need to be confirmed for your trip.
- SmartEX: boarding guide
What this confirms: SmartEX offers designated boarding options via registered transit IC cards, QR codes, or printed paper tickets collected at the station. Your travel booking must match your chosen boarding credential; a payment receipt or confirmation notification cannot be used to pass through the ticket gates.
Last checked - SmartEX: boarding with a QR ticket
What this confirms: SmartEX requires scanning your QR ticket at both entry and exit gates. It details transfer procedures when connecting to local trains or IC cards, and reminds you to keep the printed Seat Information slip, which cannot open ticket gates on its own.
Last checked - SmartEX: ticket pickup locations
What this confirms: The pickup guide lists permitted machines and counters: machines release tickets from 3 days before travel and counters from 1 month before, using the pickup code and the 4–8 character login password, with up to 4 reservations per machine. JR East machines in the 23 wards, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Odawara and Atami can also issue them; not every JR machine or counter can issue the reservation.
Last checked - SmartEX: essential basics
What this confirms: SmartEX charges the registered payment card for its reservation; it does not deduct the booked Shinkansen fare from the designated transport IC balance. 10 nationwide IC card types can be used, visitor IC cards are valid for 28 days, a child card cannot be the member's registered card, and each passenger needs the correct assigned credential.
Last checked - SmartEX: accepted credit cards
What this confirms: SmartEX accepts Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club and Discover, charged in yen. Members must be 18 or older and pay with a card in their own name, and registration may not be possible without 3D Secure.
Last checked - SmartEX: boarding with an IC card
What this confirms: IC boarding prints a Seat Information slip at the Shinkansen gate, which must be kept until exit or the fare is charged again. When entering from a conventional-line gate, the Suica area needs a balance of at least the minimum fare; TOICA needs none, ICOCA JPY 1 or more and SUGOCA JPY 10 or more.
Last checked - SmartEX: child reservations and IC boarding
What this confirms: A child reservation needs a child IC card for IC boarding; otherwise the child uses the QR ticket or a paper ticket collected with the pickup code.
Last checked - SmartEX: visitor IC cards bought abroad
What this confirms: Visitor IC cards can be linked, but a card bought outside Japan must first be used at a Suica or PASMO-area gate before it can be used for Shinkansen IC boarding.
Last checked - SmartEX: passengers per booking
What this confirms: One SmartEX booking can include 1–6 passengers, children included.
Last checked
About this guide
Turn a SmartEX reservation into a boarding plan. Check assigned IC cards, QR display, paper pickup and local-train transfers before you reach the Shinkansen gate.
This guide does not designate an IC card, issue tickets, guarantee connections or determine whether your specific reservation can be changed. Always follow the operator's current instructions for your booking.
How we checked this
SmartEX boarding: IC card, QR code, or paper ticket — rules and key limits
These questions separate what SmartEX's official pages confirm about boarding from what you still need to check in your own reservation.
If columns are cut off, scroll sideways. Keyboard: focus the table, then use Left/Right Arrow keys.
| Question | What we found | Where it comes from | What this means for your trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| What can operate the Shinkansen gate? | Use the booked traveller’s designated IC card, permitted QR ticket or correctly collected paper ticket. | SmartEX: boarding guide | Choose and verify the boarding method before reaching the station. |
| Is the booked Shinkansen fare taken from IC balance? | SmartEX charges your registered payment card for bookings, not your linked IC card's balance. | SmartEX: essential basics | Keep the local-train fare and the reservation payment distinct. |
| Is the Seat Information slip itself the entry/exit ticket? | No. You need the QR code at the gates. Keep your Seat Information slip for reference, but it will not open the gate. | SmartEX: boarding with a QR ticket | Keep both parts of your travel details handy—don't discard either. |
| Can any ticket machine print the paper ticket? | No. The official pickup guide defines locations, time windows and credentials for collection. | SmartEX: ticket pickup locations | Check ticket pickup locations in advance, especially if you have a tight train connection. |
| Can these rules certify the entire individual trip? | No. The source establishes a specific operator rule, not actual availability, a completed transaction or personal suitability. | Operator policies are detailed above, with separate guidance for the rest of your itinerary. | Use the exact product/date and responsible support route for an still unconfirmed blocking condition. |
Based on official sources, linked below.
Guide updates Reviewed
When this guide was checked and what changed
- First published
- Last checked
- Check again by
- What we checked
- SmartEX's QR, IC card, pickup and basics pages and its FAQs on cards, passengers, child reservations and visitor IC cards were checked on 8 October 2026; the general boarding page keeps its 22 September 2026 check. Individual reservations, linked cards and live seats are not checked.
- Latest update
- : Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources (the per-source dates and the review date stay as they were until the source list is updated). Nothing had changed.
The date above reflects when these checks were last run. If an individual source was rechecked later, you’ll see that date next to it below. Other copy edits are listed in the update history.
Who edits this guide
One editor looks after this guide
Japan, Booked. is run and edited from Japan. The same editor checks the Japanese and English sources, writes the traveller-facing guidance and keeps the correction history up to date.
What changed
Update history
- Scheduled recheck
Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources (the per-source dates and the review date stay as they were until the source list is updated). Nothing had changed.
- Added worked examples, a boarding chooser and key facts
Added a family booking example and a dead-phone example, a boarding-method chooser, a next-step list and key facts with check dates; noted that IC boarding also issues a Seat Information slip, fixed the evidence-table introduction and answered the five traveller questions directly. SmartEX sources were rechecked on 8 October 2026.
- Clarified seat reservation procedures and boarding preparations
Make sure to verify your reserved trains and each passenger's ticket setup—whether IC card, QR code, or paper ticket—before boarding.
- Official sources rechecked
Reviewed the full guide against all four official sources, clarifying that QR ticket passengers must keep both their digital QR ticket and the printed Seat Information slip.
- Official sources rechecked
Reverified against all four official boarding guides. IC card, QR code, and paper ticket boarding procedures—along with pickup requirements and separate local-line fares—remain distinct.
- Published a dedicated step-by-step operator guide
Published our verified SmartEX boarding guide, featuring official railway conditions, clear limits on how the service works, and related guides for next steps.
If an operator, organiser or product changes in a way that affects the guide, we check it again sooner. Reader reports help us spot what to investigate, and we verify them against current official information before publishing. Read our update and corrections policy. See every guide's review schedule. Suggest an improvement to this guide.