New Octopus card offering public transport access in 336 mainland China cities attracts strong demand from Hongkongers on launch day
- Post finds new ‘Octopus - China T-Union Card’, allowing public transport use in 336 mainland cities, has been selling fast at MTR stations and convenience stores
- Mainland China has emerged as the world’s largest cashless society, but elderly Hongkongers have struggled with mobile payments when across the border
A new Octopus card which allows users to tap for rides in public transport across 336 mainland China cities has generated strong demand from Hongkongers, especially elderly residents, on its first day of sales.
Many of those queuing for the “Octopus - China T-Union Card” at Kowloon Tong MTR station were elderly residents who said they hoped the card would offer a more seamless transport experience for them across the border.
Hundreds of cards were sold at the station on Tuesday morning, according to a staff member.
“There are many elderly people in Hong Kong like me wanting to travel to the mainland after retirement, but figuring out how to pay for public transport is a real pain. We don’t have the mainland version of Alipay to scan the QR code,” said Rosita Ma, 75, who is planning a one-month trip to Guangzhou and Shanghai.
“The good thing about the new card is that I can add values here in Hong Kong,” Ma said, adding she had once bought a transport card in Luohu but found it inconvenient since she could only top up there.
The mainland has emerged as the world’s largest cashless society in recent years, but elderly Hongkongers have struggled with mobile payments during their travels across the border.
The new Octopus card will enable cardholders to pay for rides on buses, trains and ferries carrying the China T-Union logos in 336 mainland cities, but not for retail payments.
The China T-Union project is a nationwide one-card payment system developed in recent years.
Unlike previous cross-border Octopus cards linking Hong Kong and mainland cities such as Shenzhen, the new version allows users to top up their balance with Hong Kong dollars.
The change eliminates the need for users to have a separate yuan account for their cross-border cards.
The funds in the new card will be automatically converted to yuan at prevailing exchange rates for payments on the mainland.
It can also function as a regular Octopus card when used locally.
At a convenience store in Wan Chai, a staff member said that only four remaining cards were available for sale at around 11am on Tuesday morning.
Yeung Ka-ho, 38, who works in the fitness industry, bought two cards for his parents, who are in their late 70s, as the pair struggled to use QR wallets on their phones to pay fares on the mainland.
“I’ve helped them install WeChat Pay on their mobile phones, but whenever we return to their hometown in Guangzhou and they try to pay for public transport using their phones, they always have a hard time and end up paying at the ticket counter instead,” Yueng said.
“The new card will be a game changer to elderly people who are struggling with their phones.”
Hong Kong taxis with Octopus readers to accept payment through 2 QR code wallets
Jack Wong Kwok-kiu, 26, a mobile app designer, purchased a new card as an emergency alternative after losing his phone in Shenzhen last month.
“A mobile phone can handle payment needs for pretty much everything. But when I lost my phone at the end of February, I felt terrified as I did not have yuan with me,” said Wong, who travels to Shenzhen every other weekend.
“I could not call a ride without a phone. It made me realise the importance of having an emergency backup option, such as a stored value card.”
Hong Kong’s Octopus to launch mainland public transport payment card
The Octopus’ China T-Union cards are sold at more than 7,000 Circle K convenience stores across the city.
They can also be purchased from customer service centres at seven MTR stations, which are Hung Hom, Lok Ma Chau, Sheung Shui, Fanling, Tsuen Wan, Kowloon Tong and Admiralty.
The cards are priced at HK$88 (US$11.3) without deposit, with each able to store up to HK$3,000.
Card balances can also be managed via the Octopus mobile app.
