B1 – Intermediate
The Octopus card is a smart card used for making electronic payments in online or offline systems in Hong Kong. It is mostly used in paying for rides on the MTR, buses, minibusses, ferries, trams, and on a few taxis with Octopus readers.
Read more about the Octopus Card in this article below.
https://www.english-online.at/news-articles/business-economy/octopus-card-hongkong.htm
Discussion Questions:
- What do you think of the Octopus card?
- How would you differentiate the transport card in your country from the Octopus card?
- What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of this payment system?
- In your opinion, what is the best mode of payment?
15 replies on “Hong Kong’s Octopus Card”
1. The main advantage of these cards is that you can save a lot of space in your pocket or purse. You avoid carrying cash, too. However, the main disadvantage is that you depend on new technologies and if the system downs, the card does not work.
2. Until as I know, in Spain we do not have a similar card. For example, some cities have a transport card that you can use for several transports, such as bus or subway, and even bike rental. We also have prepaid cards for small purchases, but we do not have a card with both uses at the same time. In addtion, transport cards in Spain are only useful in a city level, not in a country level.
3. In Spain the most common way is to pay using a credit or debit card, but for small purchases sometimes you must use money in cash. Also, we have transport cards in most cities or zones.
4. In my opinion, I prefer electronic ways of paying, even using the cell phone. I think it is useful and easier for people. But I understand that it is necessary to have a part of your money in cash, because all stores do not support electronic payments for small purchases.
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1. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of this payment system? Well, it is simply a bank debit card like any other, and everybody already use to have this kind of bank cards, so I don’t see advantages. In this case there is a limitation because you only must use the octopus card, not allowing to use the bank card, so you have to carry both cards. Another disadvantage is that if you lose it, you lose the money.
2. Is there a card similar to the Octopus Card in your country? For means of transport there is not. I mean, there is a transport card where you load the tickets or bonus/pack of trips that you have previously bought, so it is not strictly a payment card.
3. What are the different ways to pay in your city/country? In cash of course, from time to time less used, with bank cards, the most used I think, and with online systems like bizum (instant payment from your bank account with the mobile phone)
4. In your opinion, what is the best mode of payment? The bank card I think. It is the most practical mode.
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1. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of this payment system?
I think that the Octopus card payment system is more convenient than cash and has many advantages.
For example, it eliminates the risk of spreading bacteria through the exchange of physical currency, and it allows for the storage of a large amount of money in a single card.
2. Is there a card similar to the Octopus Card in your country?
In Spain, we don’t have anything similar, but in recent years, banks in my country have introduced different contactless cards.
However, not all merchants accept payment through these cards.
3. What are the different ways to pay in your city/country?
In my country, there are several payment methods available: Cash, Bank Cards and Mobile Payments.
4 .In your opinion, what is the best mode of payment?
In my opinion, mobile payments or card payments are the best modes of payment. These methods are quick and secure, and they eliminate the need to carry cash.
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What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of this payment system?
I think that the principal adventage is that the card´s use is very simply in the stores, transports etc.. and it´s very simply too adding money.
The principal disadvange is the limitated use. it´s necesary that you can use it in a lot of places.
Is there a card similar to the Octopus Card in your country?
We call here in spain “wallet cards” and there a lot of types of them and for many uses
What are the different ways to pay in your city/country?
You can pay by cash, credit/debit card, mobile apps like bizum or similar, wallet cards
In your opinion, what is the best mode of payment?
I use principally credit card
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1. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of this payment system?
The advantages are a lot because you don’t need to wear cash money with you, and you can pay all. The disadvantages are that when it gets lost, so does the money you have loaded onto it.
2. Is there a card similar to the Octopus Card in your country?
Yes, we have similar card in Spain. I understand that the credit cards are similar to the Octopus Card and we also have transport cards to pay them.
3. What are the different ways to pay in your city/country?
We can pay in cash, in cards o by smart phones in Spain.
4. In your opinion, what is the best mode of payment?
The best mode of payment is by smart phones.
1. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of this payment system?
In my opinion the advantages of this payment system are that you do not need to carry money and the simplicity to make payments, the disadvantage is that if you lose the card you lose the money.
2. Is there a card similar to the Octopus Card in your country?
Yes, currently in my country you can use a mobile phone linked to a credit card to make any type of payment in places and services including transport that have a card reader
3. What are the different ways to pay in your city/country?
In my country it is more and more frequent to pay through the mobile phone, other payment systems are through credit cards, special cards for metro, bus and other city services and obviously with cash.
4. In your opinion, what is the best mode of payment?
Credit card linked or not to a mobile phone
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What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of this payment system?
I dont know any disadvantages, but it can be an advantage to dont lose your credit card or to organize the money that you want to expend.
Is there a card similar to the Octopus Card in your country?
No we dont have any card like this.
What are the different ways to pay in your city/country?
In your opinion, what is the best mode of payment?
The are one form with the QR code that each person pays their part of the account with apple pay. That is the best form of payment I think.
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Well, I really don’t know what disadvantages or advantages this card can have. If it isn’t associated with a bank, I imagine that the good thing is that if it’s lost, there is no problem because it has a money limit.
In my country I think there is or there was a card of that style, I’m not very sure right now. I imagine that here the payment methods that exist are by card and in cash, the typical ones.
Regarding what I think, I prefer to pay by card, it’s easier to carry, but if I had to choose one that was not for me, it would be in cash, since it is easier to see how much you spend. By this I mean that many people when paying by card, are not aware of what they have spent or have left on the card, so they waste more than necessary.
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