Octopus card

You won’t be in Hong Kong long by the time you notice locals bleeping their way through MTR turnstiles and supermarket checkout counters with Octopus cards. This is an extremely versatile stored-value electronic card that can be used for most public transport, as well as purchases in convenience stores, fast food shops, supermarkets, cake shops, vending machines and more.

Simply place the Octopus card over a reader and the payment amount will be automatically deducted from the stored value.

Various types of Octopus cards are available. The best types for visitors include Sold Tourist Octopus card at HK$39 and On-loan Octopus card with a refundable deposit of HK$50.  The Sold Tourist Octopus card has an iconic Hong Kong design, making it an ideal souvenir that can be used again when you come back. A refund handling fee will be charged if you return the On-loan Octopus less than 90 days from the date of issue. 

Enquiry hotline:  +852 2266 2222

The Octopus card is a reusable contactless stored value smart card for making electronic payments in online or offline systems in Hong Kong. Launched in September 1997 to collect fares for the territory's mass transit system, the Octopus card system is the second contactless smart card system in the world, after the Korean Upass, and has since grown into a widely used payment system for all public transport in Hong Kong, leading to the development of Oyster Card in London.

The Octopus card has also grown to be used for payment in many retail shops in Hong Kong, from convenience stores, supermarkets, fast-food restaurants, on-street parking meters, car parks, to other point-of-sale applications such as service stations and vending machines.

The Octopus card won the Chairman's Award of the World Information Technology and Services Alliance's 2006 Global IT Excellence Award for, among other things, being the world's leading complex automatic fare collection and contactless smartcard payment system. According to Octopus Cards Limited, operator of the Octopus card system, there are more than 20 million cards in circulation, nearly three times the population of Hong Kong. The cards are used by 95% of the population of Hong Kong aged 16 to 65, generating over 12 million daily transactions worth a total over HK$130 million.

Octopus Card Limited's and the cards' slogan is Making Everyday Life Easier, which is also part of the corporation's mission statement.

Card usage

The Octopus card was originally introduced for fare payment on the MTR; however, the use of the card quickly expanded to other retail businesses in Hong Kong. The card is now commonly used in most major public transport, fast food restaurants, supermarkets, vending machines, convenience stores, photo booths, parking meters, car parks and many other retails business where small payments are frequently made by customers. With over 20 million Octopus cards in circulation in 2010, the card has become very popular among Hong Kongers.

Notable businesses that started accepting Octopus cards at a very early stage include PARKnSHOP, Wellcome, Watsons, 7-Eleven, Starbucks, McDonald's, and Circle K. As of 21 November 2004, all parking meters in Hong Kong were converted. They no longer accept coins and Octopus became the only form of payment accepted.

Octopus cards also double as access control cards in buildings and for school administrative functions. At certain office buildings, residential buildings, and schools, use of an Octopus card is required for entry.

^Source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus_card