Ten IC commuter cards became compatible nationwide for the first time on Saturday, making life easier for commuters who could previously only use their cards in certain zones.

The 10 cards are Pasmo, Suica, Icoca, Toica, Kitaca, nimoca, Sugoca, Pitapa, Hayakaken and manaca. The cards can now be used at about 4,200 stations across the nation. They can also be used on buses and to make payments at more restaurants and shops.

The compatibility means commuters can travel to major cities all over Japan just using one rechargeable card.

Train companies estimate that there are approximately 81.98 million compatible cards now in use in Japan.

© Japan Today