Hongkongers will soon be able to use phones in place of Octopus cards
Local e-payment giant to offer tap-and-pay functions on newest Samsung phones, as battle with mainland competitors heats up
Octopus has made a big play in the battle with its legion of e-payment competitors, joining forces with Samsung to offer smartphone functions that will allow Hongkongers to use their phone in place of their Octopus card.
Previous Octopus smartphone apps did not have tap-and-pay functions.
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The near-ubiquitous card has been an essential part of life in Hong Kong since it was rolled out in 1997 for payments on public transport. It now covers a plethora of different payments, from haircuts to hospital treatment, and the company claims to process more than 14 million transactions valuing more than HK$189 million on an average day.
First they will have to link the card with the phone through the Samsung Pay app, using the phone’s near-field communication (NFC) function. The card will then deactivate and no longer be usable, with card value and reward points held in the app.
Users will be able to top up their Octopus accounts with cash at convenience stores or MTR stations or – in a first for Octopus – using credit or debit cards.
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