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31 January 2008

Octopus Joins Forces with China UnionPay and Café de Coral
to Expand Octopus Payment Service in Shenzhen


(Hong Kong, 31 January 2008) Starting tomorrow (1 February 2008), consumers can make payments in Shenzhen in a more convenient, faster and safer way by using Octopus in all five Café de Coral Shenzhen outlets. Octopus has joined forces with China UnionPay to expand its service across the border, enabling customers to use Octopus in Café de Coral's Shenzhen outlets. The new arrangement has further enhanced collaboration between Hong Kong and Shenzhen in the clearing and settlement of micropayments. It is also a step forward in the use of smartcards across the two cities.

The Café de Coral Shenzhen outlets to provide the Octopus payment service are:
1. Jian She Road Branch, De Xiang Building, 1048 Jian She Road
2. Xie Fang Road (Dongmen) Branch, Xiang Hua Centre, 1083 Xie Fang Road
3. Fu Min Branch, Fu Min Jie Yuan, Fu Min Road, Fu Tin Estate
4. Shenzhen Airport Branch, Business Retail Area, Lounge A, Baoan International Airport
5. Coastal City Branch, Coast Business Square, Coastal City, Nanshan Central District

Using Octopus in Shenzhen is the same as in Hong Kong. The exchange rate for Hong Kong customers will be set by Café de Coral with reference to the rate announced by the bank for clearing and settlement. Café de Coral will post the rate for customers in the outlets. In Shenzhen, customers cannot reload their Octopus with cash, but they can top it up through the Octopus Automatic Add-Value Service.

Ms Prudence Chan, Chief Executive Officer of Octopus Cards Limited, said, "The Octopus service covers a wide range of businesses in Hong Kong. More than 1,000 service providers accept Octopus with over 50,000 readers deployed in the market, providing fast and easy payment for the general public. People in Hong Kong and Shenzhen travel frequently across the border. We are pleased to team up with China UnionPay and Café de Coral to expand the Octopus service in Shenzhen, making cross-border spending even more convenient, faster and safer for consumers."

Mr Lee Wai Kee, General Manager of China Fast Food, Café de Coral Holdings Limited, said, "The Café de Coral outlets in Shenzhen will be cooperating with Octopus and China UnionPay to provide an innovative payment means for our customers. It is another milestone in our development in China. Octopus' speedy transaction process will help shorten the waiting time of our customers and enhance the operational efficiency of our outlets. The system will also help us to handle the clearing and settlement process in a fast and accurate way."

Mr Liu Jie, General Manager of China UnionPay Shenzhen Branch, said, "As the Octopus acquirer in this programme, we are pleased to work with the related parties to expand this innovative payment service in Shenzhen. This programme will further enhance and promote the development of micropayment business in both cities. Together with Octopus, we are striving to provide a safe and highly efficient platform for even more merchants, creating a better business environment and promoting economic development in both cities."

1. Customers can use Octopus to make payments at Café de Coral's Shenzhen outlets.
 
 
2. Using Octopus in Shenzhen is fast, convenient and reliable.
 

About Octopus Cards Limited

Launched in 1997, Hong Kong's Octopus is the world's leading and most extensive smartcard payment system, with over 1,000 service providers across different businesses including public transport, parking, retail, vending and kiosks, schools and leisure facilities, and access control for residential and commercial buildings. Merchants and Octopus holders embrace Octopus for both its simplicity and its convenience. Today, more than 16 million Octopus cards and products are in circulation, and the system handles over 10 million transactions a day, with transaction value exceeding HK$85 million. In recent years, Octopus has started to export its unique experience and technology overseas, offering consultancy services and holding workshops for parties from different parts of the world.

About China UnionPay

China UnionPay, a Shanghai-based national bankcard association licensed by the People's Bank of China, was officially incorporated on 26 March 2002. China UnionPay Shenzhen Branch provides a transfer service for cross-bank bankcard transactions in Shenzhen, realising the interoperability of bankcards issued by affiliated members. On the back of their conventional ATM/POS business, the company has developed various value-added services, including phone payment, terminal payment, mobile payment, TV payment and internet payment.

About Café de Coral

Café de Coral Holdings Limited was founded in 1968. It has been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange for more than 20 years and is the largest publicly-listed Chinese fast food restaurant in the world. It has businesses in Hong Kong and Macau, mainland China, the United States and Canada. The company entered the Chinese mainland market in 1992, and mainly operates under the name of Café de Coral in China. It has 37 outlets in South China, spreading across major cities such as Guangzhou, Macau, Zhuhai, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmin and Foshan. Its expansion has also reached coastal China. In recent years, Café de Coral has been expanding its businesses in mainland China. Consistent with its management belief, Café de Coral is committed to improving its products and service quality, and will continue to provide customers with quality service by offering innovative and value-for-money products.

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