In brief
Passengers can select Octopus payments when booking through HKTaxi and pay using an Octopus card with an NFC-enabled phone or an O! ePay account. The article reports a first-time user promotion running from yesterday until September 30, offering a $25 electronic voucher for fares exceeding $75.
Continuing its push into the taxi market, Octopus announced yesterday that it had partnered with a taxi app to introduce Octopus fare payments, with a $25 fare discount for first-time users. Octopus had previously integrated with WeTaxi and “eTaxi”, developed by the Hong Kong Taxi Council. However, customers choosing to pay directly with an Octopus card must have a phone equipped with near-field communication (NFC).
Octopus said customers must first download the Octopus App and register their Octopus card number or O! ePay account. They can then select Octopus as their payment method when booking a taxi through HKTaxi. Once the journey is complete, a fare notification will appear in the Octopus App. Customers choosing to pay with an Octopus card can tap their card against their NFC-enabled phone using the mobile app, or have the fare deducted directly from their O! ePay account.
First-time user offer to attract passengers
Octopus also introduced a fare promotion to encourage usage. From yesterday until September 30, passengers who book a taxi and pay with Octopus for the first time can immediately redeem a $25 electronic voucher if the fare exceeds $75.
Octopus’s chief executive said the partnership aims to encourage wider adoption of Octopus electronic payments in the taxi industry and help Hong Kong move towards a cashless society.
Original article URL: https://bit.ly/2LuWdKB