Press Release

Octopus and Taxi Industry Reach Key Milestone in the Implementation of Taxi E-Payment Legislation Announce Enhancement of “Fare Income to Top Up Octopus” Preview “Octopus Easy Ride” to Build an Integrated Smart Mobility Ecosystem

(Hong Kong, 10 April 2026) — Hong Kong’s taxi digitalisation has entered a historic new phase, as legislation requiring all taxis in Hong Kong to provide electronic payment options came into effect on 1 April, Octopus Cards Limited (“Octopus”) today joined the Transport Department, Legislative Council Members and taxi industry representatives at GO PARK, Sai Sha for the launch event “Smart Taxi! Smart City! — Octopus and the Taxi Industry Driving Smart Mobility”, highlighting the progress and key milestones of Octopus’ support for taxi e-payment adoption.
 
To further support the digitalisation of the taxi industry, Octopus will announce at the event an enhancement to “Fare Income to Top Up Octopus”, enabling drivers to manage their income in a greater convenience and flexibility. Octopus will also preview its upcoming “Octopus Easy Ride”, a ride-hailing platform, scheduled for launch on 22^nd April. After successful rollouts in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Japan, Octopus Easy Ride is now being introduced in its home market of Hong Kong. The platform will connect five major local taxi fleets, various local taxi booking platforms, and social enterprise platforms providing barrier-free vehicle services, offering passengers with a wider range of vehicles and a one-stop booking experience that further advances Hong Kong’s smart mobility ecosystem.  
 
Government, Business and Industry Representatives Share Digitalisation Experience
 
The event brought together distinguished guests from the Government, business community and taxi sector. In her remarks, Ms Kwok Wai-ying, Candy, JP, the Deputy Commissioner for Transport (Transport Services and Management) reaffirmed the new legislation aims to protect consumers and foster collaboration between the industry and technology platforms, underscoring the strong synergy between Octopus and the taxi trade.
 
Implementation of the Legislation Marks a New Chapter in Taxi Digitalisation
 
As a long-standing partner of the Government in advancing smart transport, Octopus remains committed to offering the taxi industry a comprehensive, forward-looking payment solution. To date, 49 000 taxi drivers across Hong Kong have registered for the Octopus App for Business or are using the Octopus Mobile POS, exceeding the Transport Department's estimate of 46 000 active taxi drivers and achieving near-complete industry coverage.
 
With the “one device, multiple payment methods” capability, the Octopus Mobile POS enables taxi drivers to accept Octopus cards, Mobile Octopus, Mobile Octopus Wallet, and multiple QR code payment methods, allowing them to easily serve both local passengers and inbound visitors with diverse payment preferences.
 
In the first quarter of 2026, even before the law came into effect, the total value of Octopus taxi e-payment transactions increased by nearly 50% year-on-year. Since the law took effect on 1 April, industry adoption has risen sharply, with transaction value jumping 74% compared with March, transaction volume more than doubling, and the number of active taxi drivers increasing by 68%. Based on current daily transaction levels, the cumulative total within just 15 days has already surpassed the figure for the whole of last April — a clear signal that e-payment has swiftly become the norm among taxi drivers.
 
Ongoing Fee Waiver and Uplift the Top-up Limit
 
In tandem with the implementation of the legislation, Octopus will continue to stand behind taxi drivers with concrete support. First, the waiver of administration and bank transfer fees for Octopus App for Business will remain in place, so drivers can keep electronic payment services at zero cost. Second, responding to industry feedback, Octopus will enhance the “Fare Income to Top Up Octopus” arrangement. The enhanced arrangement, to be rolled out in June 2026, will raise the monthly top-up limit from HK$5,000 to HK$40,000, with the annual limit adjusted according to the relevant taxi driver Octopus wallet account tier. These measures underline Octopus’ commitment to the long-term development of the industry, as well as its determination to work closely with the Government and the industry to promote the wider adoption of e-payment.
 
Mr. Tim Ying, Chief Executive Officer of Octopus, said: “The implementation of the taxi e-payment legislation is a major step forward in the digitalisation of Hong Kong’s transport services, made possible through the concerted efforts of many stakeholders. As one of the key electronic payment platforms serving the industry, Octopus has waived fee since 2018 and remains firmly committed to maintaining this support. We listen closely to the views of the trade, and the decision to raise the top-up limit directly reflects drivers’ needs, helping them manage their income with greater ease and flexibility. Octopus will continue to collaborate with stakeholders across the ecosystem to speed up technology adoption, reduce operational friction and build to a smarter, more inclusive public transport network.”
 
 
“Octopus Easy Ride” Coming Soon, A New Chapter in Smart Mobility
In line with growing demand for upgraded taxi services, Octopus previewed “Octopus Easy Ride”, at the event, a ride-booking feature built directly into the Octopus App, launching in Hong Kong on 22 April 2026. Following successful launches in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Japan, Octopus Easy Ride is making its homecoming to Hong Kong, bringing passengers a seamless experience of book, ride and pay, all in one place.
 
“Octopus Easy Ride” integrates taxi fleets, local ride-booking platforms, and barrier-free vehicle service providers on a single unified platform. Passengers can choose from a full spectrum of vehicle types ─ Economy, Business, Barrier-Free, Luxury, Extra Luggage, and even Limousine ─ with advance booking options for flexible trip planning. The platform will progressively expand its vehicle supply, building towards a comprehensive one-stop smart mobility ecosystem.
 
Ms. Nora Tang, Head of Transport Business of Octopus, said: “With Octopus Easy Ride’ built into the Octopus App, passengers no longer need to download yet another app.  They can easily book quality taxis and pay with Octopus, enjoying a seamless smart mobility experience from booking to ride to payment. Having already launched successfully in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Japan, Octopus Easy Ride is coming home to Hong Kong, bringing proven innovation back to our home city, delivering smarter and more convenient travel for passengers and a stronger business platform for the taxi industry.”
 

 

Photos

Photo 1: Officiating guests at the Launching ceremony. From left: Ms. Nora Tang, Head of Transport Business, Octopus Cards Limited ; Captain Hon Lothair Lam, Legislative Council Member (Transport Functional Constituency) ; Mr. Tim Ying, Chief Executive Officer, Octopus Cards Limited; From right: Hon Lam Wai Kong, MH, Legislative Council Member (Labour Functional Constituency) ; Dr. Hon Ben Chan, BBS, JP, Chairman, Panel on Transport, Legislative Council ; and Ms. Kwok Wai-Ying, Candy, JP, the Deputy Commissioner for Transport (Transport Services and Management) . The guests officiated at the Launching ceremony, marking Octopus’ milestone in supporting taxi e-payment and the local debut of “Octopus Easy Ride”.  

Photo 2: Group photo of guests attending the Launching ceremony.  

Photo 3: Officiating guests and representatives from the five taxi fleets gathered at the outdoor display area for a commemorative photo, alongside with the taxi fleets and the vehicle featuring the “Octopus Easy Ride” advertisement.  

Photo 4: Officiating guests, representatives from the five taxi fleets, and other taxi industry representatives gathered at the outdoor display area for a commemorative photo, alongside with the taxi fleets and the vehicle featuring the “Octopus Easy Ride” advertisement.  

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