FAQ

The Tourist Octopus – China T-Union Card is a cross-border electronic payment card with Octopus functionality, and meets the Ministry of Transport of the People's Republic of China (MOT) Standard, enabling use in the Mainland and Macau for public transport.

It functions as an Octopus Card, and is the only payment card providing HKD payment function that can be used in Hong Kong, and can be used to pay in RMB for China T-Union public transport network in 336 cities in the Mainland and Macau – without the need to top up the card with RMB (as its functionality includes foreign exchange conversion from HKD to RMB).

Available type: Adult, Child, Elder (sold version)

Please click here for the sales channels of Tourist Octopus – China T-Union Card.

No. Tourist Octopus – China T-Union Card does not carry any deposit and stored value. The provisions in the Conditions of Issue of Octopus related to the payment or refund of a deposit do not apply.

However, each Tourist Octopus – China T-Union Card can be used for a transaction that will lead to a negative value on the card – providing this negative value does not exceed HKD 35 (the “convenience limit”) at Octopus acceptance points in Hong Kong. Please note that the convenience limit will not be applicable while using the card in the Mainland and Macau.

You can place the Tourist Octopus – China T-Union Card steady over an Octopus reader, or a reader with a China T-Union logo in the Mainland and Macau. Please hold and wait until the transaction is completed with the remaining value shown on the reader screen, before removing the card.

You can top up the Tourist Octopus – China T-Union Card with cash at the existing designated locations for reloading Octopus. Mainland customers can top up via Octopus Reloading Weixin Mini Program too.

Note: Tourist Octopus – China T-Union Card is an HKD purse, only support top up with Hong Kong Dollars (HKD).

There is automatic foreign exchange conversion function in Tourist Octopus – China T-Union Card, exchange rate can be updated in following ways:

When you are using the card in Hong Kong

• Top up with cash at the existing designated locations for reloading Octopus*
• Top up via Octopus Reloading Weixin Mini Program
• Update the exchange rate via Octopus App (see Q.8)

When you are using the card in the Mainland or Macau

• Top up via Octopus Reloading Weixin Mini Program
• Update the exchange rate via Octopus App (see Q.8)

* The exchange rate updated via these channels may be different from the exchange rate announced in our website. Please check the final exchange rate of your Tourist Octopus – China T-Union Card via Octopus App (see Q.8).

All you have to do is to follow these simple steps to update the exchange rate:

1. Open Octopus App
2. Select “Transactions & Balance” on main page
3. Select “Tap Octopus Card”
4. Place your Tourist Octopus – China T-Union Card at the back of your mobile device near NFC position
5. Follow the instructions and tap card twice to complete card reading and update process (applicable when the exchange rate in the card is going to expire within 90 days)

A few seconds later, a message will show the latest exchange rate

Yes, there is a fee, as follows:

For more information, please refer to Conditions of Issue of Octopus and Schedule of Fees and Guidelines relating to the use of Octopus.

Note: Since 5 March 2025, the Transaction Fee for Cross Border Octopus Payment Transaction (in currencies other than Hong Kong dollar) has been adjusted to 1% until further notice.

There are a number of possible solutions to this problem:

• The exchange rate may be out of date. Each time it’s updated, the Tourist Octopus – China T-Union Card exchange rate is only valid for 365 days, after which you cannot use the card for payments in the Mainland or Macau. You can update the exchange rate in one of the following ways:
  • Add value to your Tourist Octopus – China T-Union Card (see Q.6)
  • Update the exchange rate via Octopus App (see Q.8)
• You may encounter “incomplete ride transaction” when you took the metro in the Mainland earlier, please update the record via Octopus App (see Q.17)
• Take the rail transit such as metro by tapping card and use the gates without QR code scanning or facial recognition
• If you are trying to use the Tourist Octopus – China T-Union Card over an Octopus reader, or a reader in the Mainland with a China T-Union logo, simply hold your card steadily over the same reader until the transaction is completed, before removing the card.
• Remove any items that may interfere with the card, such as other Octopus, Mainland transit cards or plastic contactless payment cards.

If these steps do not work, it appears your card has malfunctioned, please see Q.16

When you are using the Tourist Octopus – China T-Union Card in the Mainland and Macau, the transportation concessionary fare, the concessionary fare amount or the scope of application will be determined by the local city’s transport operators or authority.

This may be due to the different stored value facility regulations for transportation cards in Hong Kong and the Mainland, which stipulate different stored value limits:

• The maximum stored value of Octopus is HKD 3,000
• The maximum stored value of the Mainland transportation card is RMB 1,000. Since the settings for displaying the maximum remaining value of card readers in various cities in the Mainland are also different, we recommend that you use the Octopus App to check the actual remaining value and spending records.

As China T-Union RMB transaction is counted in cents, while Octopus HKD transaction is rounded to the nearest 10 cents, the difference in RMB cents will be adjusted in the next RMB transaction.

As the Tourist Octopus – China T-Union Card exchange rate is only valid for 365 days, you will be unable to use the card for payments in the Mainland or Macau if the exchange rate has expired. Therefore, please update the exchange rate in one of the following ways:

• Add value to your Tourist Octopus – China T-Union Card (see Q.6)
• Update the exchange rate via Octopus App (see Q.8)

Please note that your Tourist Octopus – China T-Union Card will be deactivated if you have not added value to it for a continuous period of 1,000 days. You can reactivate it at Octopus App, any Octopus Service Point or MTR Customer Service Centre. Please click here to watch a short video to learn how to reactive an inactive Octopus.

Yes. You may return your Tourist Octopus – China T-Union Card for cancellation.

If the remaining value on the card is under HKD 500, you can simply visit any MTR Customer Service Centre to receive an on-the-spot refund of any remaining stored value (but not the purchase cost). Once the remaining value is refunded, the Octopus functionality will be permanently disabled.

If the remaining value is HKD 500 or more, the card will be returned to Octopus Cards Limited for processing. Octopus Cards Limited will permanently disable the Octopus functionality and refund to you any remaining value on your card.

If your Tourist Octopus – China T-Union Card has malfunctioned, you can return it to the nearest MTR Customer Service Centre for cancellation, and arrange a refund of its remaining value (see Q.15). Once your refund request has been processed, the card’s Octopus functionality will be permanently disabled.

An “incomplete ride transaction” occurs while you use Tourist Octopus – China T-Union Card to take metro in the Mainland but you fail to tap the card to exit the metro station. Under normal circumstances, a message will appear at the gate to remind you to contact the local staff when you take the metro next time. However, if you have left the same metro operating line for over 24 hours, please update the record via Octopus App:

1. Open Octopus App and select “Transactions and Balance” on main page
2. Place your Tourist Octopus – China T-Union Card at the back of your phone to complete the card reading process
3. Follow the instructions and tap card again

The card is ready to use after update is completed

The Octopus functionality of the Tourist Octopus – China T-Union Card is covered by warranty for 30 days from the date of purchase. The warranty is not applicable to an Tourist Octopus – China T-Union Card that has been damaged or tampered with, such as by bending, writing on it, scratching, cutting, or pasting stickers, photos or accessories on it. Please retain the original sales receipt for the warranty service.

Octopus - Lingnan Pass is a duo purse cross-border electronic payment card with Octopus and Lingnan Pass functions, and contains two separate electronic purses - an Octopus HKD e-purse and a Lingnan Pass RMB e-purse. Octopus HKD purse can be reloaded at Octopus authorized add value service providers; Lingnan Pass RMB purse can be reloaded at Lingnan Pass authorized add value service providers.

Hu Tong Xing is a duo-purse cross-border electronic payment card with Octopus and Shenzhen Tong functions, and contains two separate electronic purses - an Octopus HKD e-purse and a Shenzhen Tong RMB e-purse. Octopus HKD purse can be reloaded at Octopus authorized add value service providers; Shenzhen Tong RMB purse can be reloaded at Shenzhen Tong authorized add value service providers.

Whereas Tourist Octopus – T-Union Card is the only Octopus that provides HKD payment function, and can be used to pay in RMB for public transport in the Mainland and Macau, without the need to reload the card with RMB (as its functionality includes foreign exchange conversion from HKD to RMB).