Tokyo Metro will begin gradually selling paper tickets using QR codes, known as “QR Tickets,” at ticket vending machines and other locations during fiscal 2028. It aims to end the sale of magnetic tickets by the end of fiscal 2029.
QR Tickets will be available for single-ride tickets and multiple-ride tickets, including discounted multiple-ride tickets for passengers with disabilities and for students. Passengers will use them by holding the ticket over the QR reader at automatic ticket gates.
Magnetic single-ride tickets, multiple-ride tickets, commuter passes, and special tickets will no longer be sold. Tokyo Metro will continue to provide ways to use commuter passes via transportation IC cards and special tickets via transportation IC cards or digital QR Tickets.
Tokyo Metro cited three reasons for the introduction. Current magnetic tickets must be inserted into automatic ticket gates, which can sometimes result in ticket jams; switching to QR code scanning will resolve this issue. In addition, as recycling the paper used for magnetic tickets entails a certain environmental burden, the company will replace it with paper with a lower environmental impact. It will also simplify the mechanisms of automatic ticket gates and ticket vending machines to improve maintenance efficiency.
Specific dates for the start and end of sales, as well as details on how to use the tickets, will be announced once decided. Tokyo Metro will continue considering the plans in coordination with other relevant railway operators.
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