Octopus: everyday payment and travel

Where can I get a physical card, and what am I paying for?#

For a Standard On-Loan card, use a designated MTR Customer Service Centre; not every station sells it (the next section names the main exceptions). Check the official outlet list before travelling. The amount paid includes a refundable deposit and initial travel balance; refund conditions apply.

Sold Tourist cards have a purchase price rather than a refundable deposit, and the stored value included depends on the product and outlet. At the airport, check the separate arrival guide for the product and counter available. Ask which card you are buying and how much usable balance it includes. Residents seeking concessions should check the required card before buying an ordinary Adult card.

How does an On-Loan Octopus work, and what does returning it cost?#

An On-Loan Octopus carries a HK$50 refundable deposit. Initial value is HK$150 for an adult and HK$50 for a child (3 to 11) or elder (65 and over). An adult card costs HK$200 up front, deposit included. Octopus says a handling fee of HK$11 or 1% of the remaining value, whichever is higher, applies if any one of these is true: remaining value above HK$1,000; returned within 90 days of issue; or five or fewer payments made.

On-Loan cards are not sold at the Airport, Hin Keng, Kai Tak, Lei Tung, Lo Wu, Lok Ma Chau, Racecourse, South Horizons, Sung Wong Toi, To Kwa Wan or Wong Chuk Hang MTR stations. At the Airport, Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau, buy a sold card or use a phone.

Which physical Octopus cards can a visitor buy?#

Octopus sells a Tourist Octopus for HK$39 and a Tourist Octopus China T-Union Card for HK$42. At most outlets both come with no stored value, so top up before you ride. If you refund the remaining value, the card is deactivated and its price is not returned. On its Mainland side the T-Union card holds up to RMB 1,000.

At the airport, T-Union cards are sold at 7-Eleven (Unit 5T058 in the Arrivals Meeters & Greeters Hall, or any 7-Eleven), at Hung Fook Tong (Shop 7T087, Departures Check-in Hall, Level 7, Terminal 1) and at the MTR Customer Service Centre in Airport Station (not the one on Platform 1); the plain Tourist Octopus is sold at Hung Fook Tong only. T-Union cards are also sold at the Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau MTR counters.

MTR Customer Service Centres at Airport Station (not the Platform 1 one), Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau also sell the T-Union card with stored value: HK$170 for an adult or elder (HK$42 for the card plus HK$128 value) and HK$110 for a child. At Airport Station, MTR also sells a T-Union card with two Airport Express single journeys for HK$260, which includes HK$50 stored value. The rides are valid for 180 days; the card cost and unused rides cannot be refunded.

Two other outlets sell an adult-only T-Union card with stored value: China Travel Service stores (all stores) at HK$142 (HK$42 for the card plus HK$100 value), and the Hong Kong Tourism Board Kowloon Visitor Centre (Star Ferry Concourse, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon) at HK$170 (HK$42 plus HK$128 value).

How do I top up with cash or a Hong Kong bank account?#

For cash, use an authorised add-value outlet such as 7-Eleven or Circle K, or a designated transport counter or machine. Ask to add value, follow the reader instructions and check the new balance before leaving. Carry HKD cash; card payment acceptance does not mean a shop accepts bank cards for top-ups.

For a physical card with a supported NFC phone, open Octopus App, choose Top Up Octopus and your card, enter the amount, then select a participating bank app. Complete its payment and return to Octopus App to tap the card and collect the value. FPS eDDA setup requires Wallet Plus or Pro (Verified); it is not automatically available to every visitor.

For regular use, check Octopus Wallet/FPS and Automatic Add Value Service options. Check your balance before a remote pier or trail: accepting payment does not necessarily mean offering top-ups.

A physical card holds up to HK$1,000, or up to HK$3,000 if it was issued on or after 1 December 2019, so a card bought now holds up to HK$3,000.

How do I set up Octopus on my phone?#

Which app? On iPhone, search the App Store for “Octopus for Tourists”, published by Octopus Cards. It is a separate app from “Octopus”. Use it to add or top up your mobile Octopus with eligible overseas cards and wallets (listed in the next section). The regular Octopus App supports local payment methods such as Hong Kong-issued cards, Octopus Wallet and FPS.

Apple Wallet holds the travel card; the tourist app handles overseas-card funding. Do not assume that Apple Wallet’s “Add Money” accepts your overseas Visa or Mastercard: Octopus directs these users to the tourist app. Once set up, tap your phone or watch at the reader; you do not need to open the tourist app for each payment. This iPhone route is not the setup procedure for Android.

Octopus says Octopus on Android works only on Android 12+ (or EMUI 13+) devices sold by authorised retailers in Hong Kong and not rooted, so a phone bought elsewhere may not qualify. Wear OS and other Android smartwatches are not supported. Android requires a compatible NFC device, the Octopus App and an Octopus Wallet account: check the current model, system and regional requirements before choosing “Add Octopus on Android”. Keep NFC enabled. Check the balance before travelling; an overseas bank card is not automatically supported on every phone platform.

Which phones can carry an Octopus for visitors?#

Octopus says an iPhone X or later, or an Apple Watch Series 3 or later, can use the Octopus App for Tourists. It works with a non-Hong Kong Mastercard, UnionPay or Visa card in Apple Pay, a non-Hong Kong Mastercard linked to the app, the e-CNY App or Weixin Pay. The maximum stored value is HK$3,000 and the minimum top-up is HK$100.

Octopus's own sources differ on fees for adding value. Its tourist FAQ says there is no charge for adding value through the Octopus App for Tourists or with cash at designated providers, while its Schedule of Fees lists a fee of 2.5% of the amount for adding value to a Mobile Octopus by credit or debit card “if applicable”, without saying which cases apply. Check the app's top-up screen before you pay.

A Huawei phone can use Huawei Wallet Octopus for tourists if the Huawei Account is registered to Chinese Mainland, Macao or Singapore; it can be topped up with UnionPay cards. For other Android phones, see Phone setup for the requirements and the last section for what we could not confirm.

What should I check before transferring a card or changing phones?#

A transfer moves an eligible card; it does not create a second usable copy. Check eligibility for your exact product, particularly personalised, student or concession cards. On Android, only Adult, Personalised On-Loan and Personalised Student Status (age 13 or above) cards can be transferred; JoyYou, Persons with Disabilities Status and staff cards cannot be moved to a phone. After a transfer to Android the Octopus number changes, and the mobile Octopus cannot be moved back to a physical card. In Apple Wallet choose Octopus, then “Transfer Existing Card”; on Android use the Octopus App’s physical-card transfer option and follow the NFC prompts. The original physical card is disabled for payments.

Before proceeding, check monthly passes, AAVS and building access with the relevant provider; not every service or reader works identically on mobile. Before replacing or resetting a phone, follow the platform’s backup and transfer instructions. Android Octopus transfers only between compatible Android devices; back it up before uninstalling the app or resetting.

Is a contactless bank card the same as Octopus?#

No. On supported MTR services, bank-card payment uses the Adult Octopus fare, but other MTR concessions and the Government Public Transport Fare Subsidy Scheme do not apply. An interchange between Tsim Sha Tsui and East Tsim Sha Tsui counts as two separately charged journeys. Enter and exit using the same physical bank card or the same device. Other operators have their own acceptance rules.

Does Octopus automatically give me a pass or discount?#

No. Stored-value payment, a monthly pass and concession eligibility are separate. Ferry passes depend on the operator, route, passenger and ticket terms; they are not automatically unlimited travel or priority boarding. Residents should check student status, JoyYou or disability eligibility separately. Before moving a card to a phone, confirm that your particular pass and linked services can transfer.

Can I keep my Octopus or get a refund?#

You can keep it for future use, but an Octopus is deactivated if no value has been added for 1,000 days, and an inactive-card fee of HK$15 a year can apply to an On-Loan Adult card or a Mobile Octopus after 3 years without adding value or paying (with exceptions, such as elder, under-18 and bank co-brand cards).

Refunds depend on the product. On-Loan Octopus returns the remaining value and deposit, less applicable fees. For a physical card, remaining value below HK$1,000 is refunded on the spot at any MTR Customer Service Centre; from HK$1,000 the card is returned with a form and Octopus notifies you of the refund arrangement within 9 working days. For a Sold Octopus, see the Octopus cards section. For the HK$260 T-Union card with Airport Express rides, two Octopus documents differ: the refund page says a sold card with remaining value below HK$1,000 is refunded on the spot at an MTR Customer Service Centre, while the card's terms say remaining value of HK$500 or above is sent to Octopus Cards Limited for processing and MTR may charge a processing fee. Ask at the counter which applies.

A refund of an Octopus on iPhone or Apple Watch is requested in the Octopus App for Tourists. The deposit and remaining value go back to the credit or debit card, e-CNY wallet or Weixin Pay wallet used to top up, may take 6 to 8 weeks, and cannot be collected at an MTR Customer Service or Airport Express counter. Mobile refunds are capped at HK$5,000 a year per mobile device, and cancelling most Mobile Octopus within 90 days of issue costs a HK$11 handling fee. Other mobile products have their own refund procedure. Check linked passes and services before cancelling, and allow processing time.

What happens if I lose my card or phone?#

Use the official lost-card service for Personalised Octopus, Octopus with Automatic Add Value Service (AAVS), or eligible Linked Octopus. An ordinary anonymous, unlinked card without AAVS cannot be reported through that service. For a lost phone, follow the instructions for your mobile Octopus product. Reporting does not guarantee immediate blocking or a full refund.

Can I use my ordinary Octopus in mainland China?#

No—not with an ordinary Hong Kong Octopus. For mainland buses and metro services, the separate Octopus–China T-Union card works at participating readers bearing the China T-Union logo. It is not a general payment card for mainland shops or restaurants.

Before crossing, top up in HKD and check the stored exchange rate: it expires after 365 days. Mainland fares are converted from RMB and deducted from the HKD balance; the rate includes a transaction fee. Mainland readers cannot trigger AAVS automatic top-ups, and the Hong Kong negative-balance allowance does not apply. Keep enough credit for your return journey.

If a gate rejects the card, check the logo, balance and exchange-rate validity; use a card-reading gate and hold the card still, away from other cards. A missed exit tap can leave an incomplete journey: ask station staff. Tourist T-Union and older dual-purse cards have different top-up arrangements—check the exact product before buying.

What could you not confirm?#

We could not confirm: whether Android phones other than Huawei have a visitor route (for top-ups, Octopus's Android page accepts only Hong Kong-issued American Express, Mastercard and Visa cards in Google Pay and Hong Kong-issued UnionPay cards in the UnionPay App, and names no overseas-card route); and no official page we opened says whether a JCB card works for Octopus top-up or at MTR gates.