Hong Kong rail giant MTR announced that passengers can use Mastercard and UnionPay debit and credit cards to pay for their rides on the city’s heavy rail network from August 24, 2024. Travellers who take the MTR can tap their bank cards and smartphones and watches linked with these cards on the readers at the blue gates at entry and exit points at stations to pay for their fares. However, this new feature will not apply to the Airport Express.
Passengers who use their bank cards must pay the full adult fare for their trips — the same as Octopus and QR code adult fares — and cannot avail other discounts, promotions, or concessions. In addition, they cannot use their cards and smart devices linked to them for journeys on the Light Rail, MTR Feeder Bus, and High Speed Rail. First Class passengers on the East Rail Line will be able to use their bank cards at payment processors by the end of September 2024.
MTR officials say that each station will have one or two additional gates that support contactless bank card payments, while those that get more tourist traffic will get more such gates. In addition, they are working on upgrading the entry and exit gates of the Airport Express so that travellers can use contactless bank cards and linked devices at these stations by 2026 at the earliest.
Last year, MTR introduced the first contactless bank card payment option when Visa credit and debit cardholders were able to pay for their rides using their cards and linked smart devices. Hong Kong Tramways also upgraded its systems to accept Visa card payments, and passengers who use these cards for their rides will pay HK$2, as opposed to the regular HK$3 fare, until December 31, 2024.
Header image credits: MTR
