One of the last rituals for many visitors to Hong Kong is redeeming the $50 deposit on their Octopus cards.
But from November 1 they will find their refund short by $7, when Octopus Card Limited introduces a refund-handling fee.
Octopus Card sales and marketing director Cindy Cheng said the charge was to cover administrative and recycling costs.
With 240,000 cards returned every month, it costs the company more than $20 million a year. More than 70 per cent of returned cards have been issued for less than three months, and of these 80 per cent are issued to tourists.
Mrs Cheng said the cost of handling returned cards 'has put immense financial pressure on Octopus Card Limited'.
The $7 fee will be levied only on cards issued after November 1, and only on those returned within three months of issue.