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| suica_reactivation [2025/02/20 18:19] – [Can you reactivate a supposedly disabled/invalid/dead card?] particles | suica_reactivation [2025/03/19 20:13] (current) – [Can you reactivate a supposedly disabled/invalid/dead card?] particles |
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| * [[https://x.com/frozenpandaman/status/1749804271305207974|eli! 🐐]] reports: "apparently at JR Central ticket machines, any reciprocal-use transportation IC card *past its 10-year expiration* can be charged & reactivated forever 😱". Note that Eli's Tweet also includes screenshots in Japanese and English (translated) discussing how this is the result of the following alleged chain of events: | * [[https://x.com/frozenpandaman/status/1749804271305207974|eli! 🐐]] reports: "apparently at JR Central ticket machines, any reciprocal-use transportation IC card *past its 10-year expiration* can be charged & reactivated forever 😱". Note that Eli's Tweet also includes screenshots in Japanese and English (translated) discussing how this is the result of the following alleged chain of events: |
| * [[https://jr-central.co.jp/|JR Central]] supposedly abolished the 10-year expiry on their region-specific card, TOICA. TOICA cards supposedly have no expiration date on currently-issued cards. (**Note: my 2023 issued TOICA still says it's only valid for 10 years.**) Because of this, and because the cards are mutually operable between regions, you can "revive" a card in the JR Central region because the machines do not respect the expiry date, even though JR East's do. | * [[https://jr-central.co.jp/|JR Central]] supposedly abolished the 10-year expiry on their region-specific card, TOICA. TOICA cards supposedly have no expiration date on currently-issued cards. (**Note: my 2023 issued TOICA still says it's only valid for 10 years.**) Because of this, and because the cards are mutually operable between regions, you can "revive" a card in the JR Central region because the machines do not respect the expiry date, even though JR East's do. |
| * Eli points out that [[https://faq.jr-central.co.jp/71|JR Central says]]: "TOICAのカードや機器・システムは性能向上等のため随時更新を行っておりますが、長期間使用されていないカードについては､こうした機会がないために､最新のサービスレベルをご提供出来なくなる恐れがあります。このため､10年間ご利用がない場合には､失効することとさせて頂いておりますが、お客様の利便性を考慮し､機器・システムが対応できる期間は引き続きお使いいただける取扱いとしております｡（カード自体の不具合等により使用できない場合もございますので､その場合は駅係員にご相談ください。）" | * Eli pointed out (after publishing this article) that [[https://faq.jr-central.co.jp/71|JR Central says]]: "TOICAのカードや機器・システムは性能向上等のため随時更新を行っておりますが、長期間使用されていないカードについては､こうした機会がないために､最新のサービスレベルをご提供出来なくなる恐れがあります。このため､10年間ご利用がない場合には､失効することとさせて頂いておりますが、お客様の利便性を考慮し､機器・システムが対応できる期間は引き続きお使いいただける取扱いとしております｡（カード自体の不具合等により使用できない場合もございますので､その場合は駅係員にご相談ください。）". Additional documentation on the [[https://www.kotsu.city.nagoya.jp/jp/pc/INQ/TRP0000581.htm|manaca side of the house]] seems to indicate that cards don't expire, but may not be usable after 10 years. |
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| Anyways, the hypothesis I had was the following: | Anyways, the hypothesis I had was the following: |
| I speculate that if the card "is disabled" it will likely stop working if used in the JR East region on all regions. I speculate that because it's a Suica, the only authority that can truly invalidate it is JR East, and by avoiding JR East's infrastructure, and then allowing the overnight maintenance period to reconcile the differences between the different regions, the card will be fully active. | I speculate that if the card "is disabled" it will likely stop working if used in the JR East region on all regions. I speculate that because it's a Suica, the only authority that can truly invalidate it is JR East, and by avoiding JR East's infrastructure, and then allowing the overnight maintenance period to reconcile the differences between the different regions, the card will be fully active. |
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| Before I consider the card "fully alive", I will continue testing it throughout the coming weeks. I think that if a card remains active for about 7 days, it likely will continue working indefinitely. Or at least, I don't see any good reason why it wouldn't. | I now consider this card fully alive, with a recent trip on JR East having been completed on March 8th, 2025. |
