About IC Phonecards

NTT's IC phonecards made their debut in Tokyo on 24 March 1999, and are now available in denominations of 105, 210 and 320 units (costing 1000, 2000 and 3000 yen, respectively). They are only slightly thicker than the magnetic cards (0.45 mm versus 0.28 mm) and use a contactless method for transferring data, so the microchip is not visible. One corner of the card must be removed before it can be used. Unlike magnetic cards, the new IC cards have an expiry date but also allow the purchaser to store their favourite phone number on the card for rapid dialling.

Like their magnetic counterparts, two types of IC cards are being issued; public issue or "Ready-made" cards, and private issue or "Order-made" cards. Only a small number of "Ready-made" cards have been issued so far.

DescriptionDate issuedUnitsCode
Two puppies on beach24 Mar 1999105?
Two kittens24 Mar 19992101080002
Mt Fuji and Azaleas24 Mar 19993201030002
Three akita puppies?1051070005
Tiny kittens on grass?1051070006
Red flowers?1051070007
"Third year" (portrait)01 Oct 1999105?
"Dragonfly wings, 100W light" (portrait)01 Oct 1999210?
"Distance between fingertips" (portrait)01 Oct 1999320?
Bouquet of flowers01 Oct 1999105?
2002 Fifa World Cup Korea-Japan15 Apr 2002105?

IC "Order-Made" cards can be produced in denominations of 30, 50, 105 and 210 units.

This is a partial list of the order-made cards produced so far, based on a list compiled by Hidetaka Matsuda. There is a gap of 200 cards which have not yet been issued between nos. IF1000300 and IF1000500. It is assumed that these numbers have been put aside for use at a later date.

Code Description Units Quantity
IF1000001 Kankuro Nakamura (NHK drama "Genroku Ryoran")50 2000
IF1000002 PCom (IC Card Phone)? 1000
IF1000005 Star Wars - Episode I (Heroes)30 1000
IF1000006 Star Wars - Episode I (Villains)30 1000
IF1000009 Utena (animé)50 1200
IF1000010 Cyber Team in Akihabara50 1500
IF1000013 Fusaichi Airedale (racehorse)30 1500
IF1000017 Japanese Coin Dealers Association (large)30 1500
IF1000022 Asahi Systems Agency50 1000
IF1000024 NTT Teleca (IC Card Phone)30 1500
IF1000026 G-taste (animé)50 3300
IF1000029 Disney's Tarzan30 1500
IF1000034 G-taste (animé)50 1500
IF1000035 Toy Story II30 1500
IF1000037 Denso (Technology)50 3000
IF1000040 Toy Story II (Buzz Lightyear)30 1500
IF1000052 Yuzo Nakamura (Smile)30 1000
IF1000053 Tamura Electric (IC Phone)30 1200
IF1000058 Georgia Canned Coffee30 ?
IF1000060 "New century" IC Card Public Phone (woman)30 1500
IF1000065 Tamura Industries (20th anniv.)30 1000
IF1000068 P-COM - IC Telephones30 ?
IF1000071 Denso (IC Card Phone)30 2000
IF1000073 Radio Life (20th anniv.)30 1200
IF1000082 ISDN50 1500
IF1000083 ISDN50 1500
IF1000085 G-taste + Yui Shop30 7000
IF1000086 Led Zeppelin (black)30 1500
IF1000087 Led Zeppelin (white)30 1500
IF1000097 Keanu Reeves (The Matrix)50 1000
IF1000105 Golgo 13 (animé)30 1500
IF1000115 Dunlop (Hybrid)105 1500
IF1000118 Daisuke Matsuzaka (Seibu Lions)50 1500
IF1000125 Kureha Chemicals 2000 (drawing)50 1000
IF1000137 Tamura Workers' Credit Union (drawing)30 2000
IF1000138 Tamura Workers' Credit Union (IC Card Phone)30 2000
IF1000146 G-taste (animé)50 ?
IF1000147 G-taste (animé)50 ?
IF1000148 G-taste (animé)50 ?
IF1000149 PCom - 100th Anniv. (vertical)30 2000
IF1000150 PCom - 100th Anniv. (horizontal)30 2000
IF1000155 Back to the Future (USJ)30 1000
IF1000156 Terminator 2 (USJ)30 1000
IF1000157 Woody Woodpecker (USJ)30 900
IF1000158 Snoopy (USJ)30 900
IF1000159 ET (USJ)30 1000
IF1000160 Jurassic Park (USJ)30 1000
IF1000167 "Ah! My Goddess" cartoon (afternoon)50 3000
IF1000168 "Ah! My Goddess" cartoon (afternoon)50 3000
IF1000169 "Ah! My Goddess" cartoon (afternoon)50 3000
IF1000185 Downtown (Georgia)30 900
IF1000187 Curious George (USJ)30 900
IF1000206 Universal Studios Japan (logo)30 900
IF1000231 Kenshin (animé)30 2000
IF1000232 Kenshin (animé)30 2000
IF1000274 Mickey Mouse and Friends (TDL)50 1500
IF1000503 "Love Hina" cartoon (brown)50 1500
IF1000504 "Love Hina" cartoon (orange)50 1500
IF1000505 "Love Hina" cartoon (blue)50 1500
IF1000526 NEC Talking30 1000
IF1000527 Mickey and Minnie (Ambassador Hotel)50 1500

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