About 50,000 new Octopus cards allowing Hongkongers to pay for public transport in 336 cities across mainland China have been sold since March, with the company planning to broaden its reach to more overseas markets.
The company on Monday revealed the latest figures for the card, which costs HK$68 and allows holders to pay for trips on buses, trains and ferries carrying the China T-Union logo.
Octopus Holdings chairwoman Jenny Yeung Mei-chun said the “Octopus – China T-Union Card” was most used in Shenzhen, followed by Guangzhou, Shanghai and Hangzhou.
“The coverage is quite intriguing, reaching north to Harbin, east to Ningbo, south to Sanya and west to Xinjiang, where people are using this nationwide Octopus card,” Yeung said. “We can see how this card brings convenience.”
The dual-currency card housed within a single e-wallet enables users to top up their balance in Hong Kong dollars. Funds stored are converted to yuan at current exchange rates at their last top-ups for transactions on the mainland.