What card is Octopus?

The Octopus card is a contactless smart card used in electronic money. The chip is built into a credit card-sized plastic card. After recharging, the card can be placed on the Octopus reader to complete the payment process. Octopus began to be used in September 1997. It was initially only used on public transportation such as buses and railways. Later, it was gradually expanded to more different types of applications, including shops, restaurants, parking lots and other businesses. It is also used in schools, Access cards for offices and residences.

The operating environment of this tutorial: Windows 7 system, Dell G3 computer.

The Octopus card is a contactless smart card used in electronic money. Octopus was officially launched in 1997 and was initially used for payment purposes in different public transportation systems.

The application level of Octopus cards and other Octopus products (including watches, keychains and accessories, etc.) has been greatly expanded, and they are widely used in small transactions at retail merchants and other areas, including government toll tunnels, parking, It can be used in access control systems of residential and commercial buildings, school facilities and self-service vending machines, etc. It can also be used with devices with near field communication (NFC) enabled for online payment, further expanding its application scope.

Octopus is Hong Kong’s universal electronic toll collection system. Generally, an Octopus card is about the size of a credit card. After recharging, place it on the Octopus reader to complete the payment process. Octopus began to be used in September 1997. It was initially only used on public transportation such as buses and railways. Later, it was gradually expanded to more different types of applications, including shops, restaurants, parking lots and other businesses. It is also used in schools, Access cards for offices and residences.

It should be noted that the difference between the sales version and the rental version of the Octopus is: The sales version of the Octopus is a specially designed Octopus that is only for sale. There is no deposit and the balance of the stored value in the card can be refunded. If you want to rent a rental version of the Octopus card, you need to pay a deposit of HK$50. The deposit and balance of the rental version of the Octopus are refundable, but if the card is returned within 90 days of issuance, a HKD service fee will be charged.

Applicable locations

Octopus is applicable to almost all public transportation in Hong Kong and large chain stores, such as convenience stores, fast food restaurants and supermarkets. Many new vending machines in Hong Kong also accept Octopus payment, including pay phone booths and self-service cameras. In addition, some self-service photocopiers also support the use of Octopus charges, including libraries in most Hong Kong tertiary institutions. Even travel insurance for trips to mainland China can be purchased using Octopus at some East Rail Line stations.

Discounts

When using Octopus, the MTR will charge a cheaper fare than a one-way ticket. For example, when taking the MTR from Tung Chung to Chai Wan, the cost of using an Octopus is HK$20.7 and using a one-way ticket is HK$23.5, which is a total discount of HK$2.8.

Some modes of transport also provide fare discounts for Octopus users, but these discounts are not applicable to cash payments. For example, KMB offers an exclusive 10% discount on Octopus cards for routes with a per-trip fare higher than HK, while NWFB and Citybus have also offered the same discount. In addition, Octopus interchange discounts between rail and other modes of transport, NWFB's Octopus same-day return pass discounts, and Octopus two-way segment fare on Citybus's Stanley route are also some examples of Octopus discounts.

Different Octopus card readers are designed to operate with different discounts. The card reader on the bus has four buttons, one for the same-day round-trip pass discount, one for the planned daily ticket discount, a cancel button, and a reserved space for joining the third discount. For minibuses, the card reader has a button for two-way section fare collection.

Return

Since Octopus is one of the characteristics of Hong Kong, it has attracted a large number of tourists, including independent tourists from mainland China, to buy it as a souvenir. However, many tourists will return their Octopus cards before leaving Hong Kong. In order to cope with the huge administrative fees for refunds by tourists in the short term, starting from November 1, 2004, the Octopus Company will charge Hong Kong dollars to users who return their cards within 3 months. A handling fee of HKD 9.5 is charged (a personal Octopus returned within 5 years is HKD 10). The company also offers "collector's edition" Octopus cards, mainly targeted at tourists and other people who want to buy them as souvenirs.

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