FAQ

The Octopus – China T-Union Card is a cross-border electronic payment card with Octopus functionality, and meets the Ministry of Transport of the People's Republic of China (MOT) Standard, enabling use in the Mainland for public transport.

It functions as an Octopus Card, and is the only payment card providing HKD payment function that can be used in Hong Kong, and can be used to pay in RMB for China T-Union public transport network in 336 cities in the Mainland – without the need to top up the card with RMB (as its functionality includes foreign exchange conversion from HKD to RMB).

It's a Sold Adult Octopus.

You can purchase one from all 7-Eleven stores, Circle K stores, selected MTR Customer Service Centres and Octopus Online Shop.

No. Octopus – China T-Union Card does not carry any deposit and stored value. The provisions in the Conditions of Issue of Octopus related to the payment or refund of a deposit do not apply.

However, each Octopus – China T-Union Card can be used for a transaction that will lead to a negative value on the card – providing this negative value does not exceed HKD 35 (the “convenience limit”) at Octopus acceptance points in Hong Kong. Please note that the convenience limit will not be applicable while using the card in the Mainland.

You can place the Octopus – China T-Union Card steady over an Octopus reader, or a reader with a China T-Union logo in the Mainland. Please hold and wait until the transaction is completed with the remaining value shown on the reader screen, before removing the card.

You only need to top up with Hong Kong Dollars (HKD), and can use it to pay wherever you choose in Mainland China and Hong Kong! The top up channels in Hong Kong and Mainland China are as follows:

Top up channels in Hong Kong
You can top up the Octopus – China T-Union Card with cash at the existing designated locations for reloading Octopus. You may also install the Octopus App in your mobile phone, and register for the Octopus Wallet and FPS to top up the card through electronic transfers. You can also reload your Octopus – China T-Union Card with Octopus Automatic Add Value Service.

Top up channels in Mainland China
You can top up the Octopus – China T-Union Card anytime with Octopus App when you are in Mainland China. However, please note that the Automatic Add Value Service cannot be enabled on the card readers in Mainland China.

Note: Octopus – China T-Union Card is an HKD purse, only support top up with Hong Kong Dollars (HKD).

There is automatic foreign exchange conversion function in Octopus – China T-Union Card, exchange rate can be updated in following ways:

When you are using the card in Hong Kong

• Top up or update the exchange rate via Octopus App (see Q.9)
• Top up with cash at the existing designated locations for reloading Octopus
• Top up with Automatic Add Value Service during online payment transactions
• Top up with Automatic Add Value Service at most locations in Hong Kong. Please click here for more details
• Select “Transactions & Balance” on main page in Octopus App, place Octopus – China T-Union Card at the back of your phone near NFC position, follow the instructions and tap card twice to complete card reading and update process (applicable when the exchange rate in the card is going to expire within 90 days)

When you are using the card in Mainland China

• Top up or update the exchange rate via Octopus App (see Q.9)
• Top up with Automatic Add Value Service during online payment transactions
• Select “Transactions & Balance” on main page in Octopus App, place Octopus – China T-Union Card at the back of your phone near NFC position, follow the instructions and tap card twice to complete card reading and update process (applicable when the exchange rate in the card is going to expire within 90 days)

First, you need to register your Octopus – China T-Union Card on Octopus App. Upon successful registration, tap “Transactions & Balance” on the main page, then place the registered Octopus – China T-Union Card at the back of your mobile device, and wait for a few seconds until its remaining value and the transaction history are shown.

Please click here to watch a short video to learn how to register, check the remaining value and transaction history of your Octopus Card (i.e. Octopus – China T-Union Card) using the Octopus App.

All you have to do is to follow these simple steps to update the exchange rate:

1. Open Octopus App
2. Tap the “Octopus” on the main page
3. Select the "Octopus - China T-Union Card"
4. Tap the "Update or View Octopus – China T-Union Card Exchange Rate"
5. Place your Octopus – China T-Union Card at the back of your mobile device
6. A few seconds later, a message will show the latest exchange rate

Please click here to watch a short video about how to update the Octopus – China T-Union Card exchange rate using the Octopus App.

Yes, there is a fee, as follows:

For more information, please refer to Conditions of Issue of Octopus and Schedule of Fees and Guidelines relating to the use of Octopus.

There are a number of possible solutions to this problem:

• The exchange rate may be out of date. Each time it’s updated, the Octopus – China T-Union Card exchange rate is only valid for 365 days, after which you cannot use the card for payments in the Mainland. You can update the exchange rate in one of the following ways:
  • Update the exchange rate via Octopus App (see Q.9)
  • Add value to your Octopus – China T-Union Card (see Q.6)
• You may encounter “incomplete ride transaction” when you took the metro in the Mainland earlier, please update the record via Octopus App (see Q.19)
• Take the rail transit such as metro by tapping card and use the gates without QR code scanning or facial recognition
• If you are trying to use the Octopus – China T-Union Card over an Octopus reader, or a reader in the Mainland with a China T-Union logo, simply hold your card steadily over the same reader until the transaction is completed, before removing the card.
• Remove any items that may interfere with the card, such as other Octopus, Mainland transit cards or plastic contactless payment cards.

If these steps do not work, it appears your card has malfunctioned, please see Q.17

When you are using the Octopus – China T-Union Card in Mainland China, the transportation concessionary fare, the concessionary fare amount or the scope of application will be determined by the local city’s transport operators or authority.

This may be due to the different stored value facility regulations for transportation cards in Hong Kong and Mainland China, which stipulate different stored value limits:

• The maximum stored value of Octopus is HKD 3,000
• The maximum stored value of the Mainland transportation card is RMB 1,000. Since the settings for displaying the maximum remaining value of card readers in various cities in the Mainland are also different, we recommend that you use the Octopus App to check the actual remaining value and spending records.

As China T-Union RMB transaction is counted in cents, while Octopus HKD transaction is rounded to the nearest 10 cents, the difference in RMB cents will be adjusted in the next RMB transaction.

As the Octopus – China T-Union Card exchange rate is only valid for 365 days, you will be unable to use the card for payments in Mainland China if the exchange rate has expired. Therefore, please update the exchange rate in one of the following ways:

• Update the exchange rate via Octopus App (see Q.9)
• Add value to your Octopus – China T-Union Card (see Q.6)

Please note that your Octopus – China T-Union Card will be deactivated if you have not added value to it for a continuous period of 1,000 days. You can reactivate it at Octopus App, any Octopus Service Point or any MTR Customer Service Centre. Please click here to watch a short video to learn how to reactive an inactive Octopus.

Yes. You may return your Octopus – China T-Union Card for cancellation.

If the remaining value on the card is under HKD 500, you can simply visit any MTR Customer Service Centre to receive an on-the-spot refund of any remaining stored value (but not the purchase cost). Once the remaining value is refunded, the Octopus functionality will be permanently disabled.

If the remaining value is HKD 500 or more, the card will be returned to Octopus Cards Limited for processing. Octopus Cards Limited will permanently disable the Octopus functionality and refund to you any remaining value on your card.

If your Octopus – China T-Union Card has malfunctioned, you can return it to the nearest MTR Customer Service Centre for cancellation, and arrange a refund of its remaining value (see Q.16). Once your refund request has been processed, the card’s Octopus functionality will be permanently disabled.

The procedure for reporting a lost Octopus – China T-Union Card is the same as for other Octopus Cards. However, please note that only holders of Octopus – China T-Union Card with Automatic Add Value Service can enjoy the Lost Octopus Reporting Service.

If you lose an Octopus – China T-Union Card with AAVS, please click here or call the Lost Octopus Reporting Hotline on 2266 2266 to report the loss immediately. A reference number will be provided to you. You must follow the exact procedure for reporting the loss as instructed by the telephone system. Otherwise, your loss report may be invalid.

Once you have successfully reported the loss of your Octopus, it cannot be cancelled. Customers will only have to bear the liability of loss within the first three hours after successfully making a lost card report.

Please note that we only accept lost card reporting via our website or Lost Reporting Hotline 2266 2266. No other channels, including fax and email, are accepted for lost Octopus reporting.

An “incomplete ride transaction” occurs while you use Octopus – China T-Union Card to take metro in the Mainland but you fail to tap the card to exit the metro station. Under normal circumstances, a message will appear at the gate to remind you to contact the local staff when you take the metro next time. However, if you have left the same metro operating line for over 24 hours, please update the record via Octopus App:

1. Open Octopus App and select “Transactions and Balance” on main page
2. Place your Octopus – China T-Union Card at the back of your phone to complete the card reading process
3. Follow the instructions and tap card again

The card is ready to use after update is completed

The Octopus functionality of the Octopus – China T-Union Card is covered by warranty for 30 days from the date of purchase. The warranty is not applicable to an Octopus – China T-Union Card that has been damaged or tampered with, such as by bending, writing on it, scratching, cutting, or pasting stickers, photos or accessories on it. Please retain the original sales receipt for the warranty service.

Octopus - Lingnan Pass is a duo purse cross-border electronic payment card with Octopus and Lingnan Pass functions, and contains two separate electronic purses - an Octopus HKD e-purse and a Lingnan Pass RMB e-purse. Octopus HKD purse can be reloaded at Octopus authorized add value service providers; Lingnan Pass RMB purse can be reloaded at Lingnan Pass authorized add value service providers.

Hu Tong Xing is a duo-purse cross-border electronic payment card with Octopus and Shenzhen Tong functions, and contains two separate electronic purses - an Octopus HKD e-purse and a Shenzhen Tong RMB e-purse. Octopus HKD purse can be reloaded at Octopus authorized add value service providers; Shenzhen Tong RMB purse can be reloaded at Shenzhen Tong authorized add value service providers.

Whereas Octopus – T-Union Card is the only Octopus that provides HKD payment function, and can be used to pay in RMB for public transport in Mainland China, without the need to reload the card with RMB (as its functionality includes foreign exchange conversion from HKD to RMB).

Hong Kong-Zuhai-Macao (HZM) Bus is the first Hong Kong transport operator to accept China T-Union Card issued in Mainland China. Cardholders simply need to tap the China T-Union Card on the Octopus reader of a HZM Bus self-service ticket machine to purchase bus tickets. There will be prompt announcements as and when more Hong Kong transport operators accept payments using China T-Union Card issued in Mainland China.

Please contact the card issuer of the China T-Union Card issued in Mainland China to inquire about the problems.