Japan Railways Group - Making Ticket Changes


	If you wish to make changes to a ticket that you have already purchased, you may do so at any JR station throughout the country if it has a window for long distance tickets. You can upgrade from Ordinary (coach) to Green (first class), change from unreserved Ordinary to reserved seating, change time of departure and many other procedures. Of course you must pay for any upgrades, or you will receive a refund if you choose a less expensive ticket. Holders of the Japan Rail Pass or other rail passes can change seat reservations without charge. The following sections outline the basic rules. Be sure to note that there are various limitations on changes to tickets, so the rule of thumb is to make changes as soon as possible to avoid any charges or unavailability of seating. Also please note that if you have a seat reservation you should make sure to be on time for the train so that you do not have to use unreserved seats on later trains.

Tickets that are unused and still valid can be exchanged for the same type of ticket one time at no charge. When the ticket is exchanged, the passenger must pay the difference if the new ticket fare is higher,or receives a refund if the new ticket fare is lower.

If the ticket is being exchanged for the second time, the amount of the ticket is refunded by the fare adjustment counter of a station or travel agent, and the passenger then purchases the new ticket.

Reserved-seat tickets can only be changed prior to the departure time of the corresponding train at the station where the train is to be boarded. After the departure time, the ticket is no longer valid and no refund or exchange can be made.

Reserved-seat tickets must be exchanged at a ticket window where reserved-seat tickets are sold ("Green" window, etc.) during the times when the window is open.

Unreserved seat limited express tickets, special limited express tickets, express tickets, and Unreserved-seat Green tickets can be exchanged for the same type of ticket or for a reserved-seat ticket.

When exchanging tickets purchased at a travel agency using a credit card, please go to the travel agency where the ticket was purchased or a station ticket window.

If the passenger boards a train using a ticket but departs from a different station than the station designated on the ticket, the passenger must pay any additional applicable fares and fees, but no refund is made if the ticket fare is more than the fare for the actual distance traveled. However, a refund is made if the ticket is a basic fair ticket and the unused portion of the ticket exceeds 100 km. Also, when a passenger is using a ticket with a destination that is a specific area of a city rather than a specific station, if the passenger exits the station from an exit that is outside the designated area (even if the station itself is within the designated area), the passenger must pay the additional fare for traveling outside the area designated on the ticket.

If the passenger travels beyond the area designated by the ticket, the passenger must pay the fare for the additional distance traveled. If the passenger has changed the direction of travel or the route used to reach the destination, the fare for the actual route traveled is compared against the unused portion of the original ticket, and the passenger pays the difference. In the following cases, the fares before and after the change for the entire route are compared and the passenger pays the difference.

If the destination is changed for a basic fair ticket for travel of 100 operating kilometers or less one-way.

If the ticket is a basic fair ticket that can be used only for travel between major cities and their surrounding areas and the destination is changed to a station within the same city or surrounding area.

For reserved-seat tickets, Unreserved-seat limited express tickets, special limited express tickets, expressed tickets, and Unreserved "Green" tickets, a ticket change can be made only one time. When the change is made, the fares before and after the change are compared and the passenger pays any additional fare.

-Reserved-seat limited express tickets, "Green" tickets, etc., become invalid after the departure time of the designated train, and refunds cannot be made.

-For reserved-seat limited express tickets, if the passenger misses the designated train, the ticket can still be used for a Unreserved seat on standard trains at any time during the day of the reservation. If the passenger wishes to use a reserved seat on a different train, the passenger must pay the entire reserved-seat limited express fee.