East Japan Railway Co. and Mizuho Bank jointly announced Monday that they plan to issue an IC card next year that will function as a cash card, credit card and train fare card all in one.
The Mizuho Suica card will allow holders to withdraw money from Mizuho savings accounts and confirm deposit balances at View Altte automated teller machines in JR East stations, they said.
Customers will also be allowed to exchange their Mizuho "mileage points" -- accrued by using financial products, such as its mortgages and investment trusts -- jointly with other point systems already in place on the Suica card, including Suica Value, part of its credit card scheme.
The card can be loaded like a debit card to pay for train fares, but will also function as either a Visa or View card.