Octopus transit card holders can now use their iPhone or Apple Watch to pay their fares and make purchases at 35,000 retail outlets across Hong Kong that accept Octopus for payments.

“With Express Mode for Apple Pay, customers only need to tap their iPhone or Apple Watch to take public transportation — and they’re good to go,” Octopus says.

“There’s no need to authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID, no extra taps and no extra steps. Transaction and balance details are instantly displayed on your iPhone or Apple Watch.”

“Customers can set up Octopus in the Wallet app or Octopus App on iPhone with just a few taps and start using it right away. It’s also easy to reload Octopus on-the-go using Apple Pay on iPhone, so customers can avoid queuing and physically using a top-up machine,” the firm adds.

“The maximum stored value of Octopus on Apple Pay is HK$3,000 (US$386.76), which enables customers to make a wide range of purchases at retail, restaurants and convenience stores. There are no service fees to set up, use or top up Octopus on iPhone and Apple Watch.”

The service is available to owners of iPhone 8 or later devices running iOS 13.5, and to Apple Watch Series 3 or later wearables running watchOS 6.2.5.

Customers also need a Hong Kong-issued credit, debit or prepaid Mastercard, UnionPay or Visa card, or access to Octopus’ O! ePay service or Hong Kong’s Faster Payment System (FPS).

iPhone XS Max, iPhone XS, iPhone XR and newer iPhone owners are able to continue using the service in Express Transit mode with power reserve “for up to five hours when your iPhone battery is running low and needs to be charged,” Apple says.

“We are excited to announce the much-anticipated Octopus on iPhone and Apple Watch,” says Sunny Cheung, chief executive officer of Octopus Cards Limited (OCL).

“Given the popularity of Apple devices and Octopus’ penetration in Hong Kong, OCL is keen to expand our service offering to an even wider audience through this new platform, and to help fast-track the adoption of mobile payments in this city.

“As Hong Kong’s pioneer electronic payment service provider, bringing Octopus to iPhone and Apple Watch allows us to further our mission of making people’s everyday life easier through innovative mobile payment solutions leveraging contactless technology.”

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