FAQ

No. As with physical Octopus, Octopus on iPhone or Apple Watch can only be used with Octopus readers.

This transaction is incomplete. Please follow the merchant's instructions; tap the Octopus on the same reader again until you hear a "dood" sound to signal a complete transaction and see the remaining value. This will NOT cause a double deduction.

No. Hold your iPhone and Apple Watch just above any Octopus reader to make payments for transport and retail outlets, without any need to use Face ID, Touch ID or a passcode. There is no need to wake or unlock the device or open any app.

If you have previously added other transit card to Apple Wallet, you may need to manually enable Express Transit mode for Octopus by: Open Wallet > select Octopus > tap "…" > tap "Express Travel Settings" > select Octopus*

* The first Octopus that you add to Wallet automatically becomes your Express Transit card. You can change your Express Transit card in Wallet at any time. You may need to open Apple Wallet and select Octopus to pay on mobile phones functioning as Octopus card readers.

It may be due to the 'Express Travel' function being temporarily locked. This is a safety feature provided when there are several unsuccessful attempts at biometric authentication on your iPhone (such as Face ID not being able to recognise you with a face mask on, or unintentional engagement of Touch ID or pressing of buttons). Simply unlock your iPhone, and tap the reader again to make the payment.

Octopus on iPhone or Apple Watch does not require internet connection when paying for transport and retail purchases, as Apple Pay utilizes NFC technology for transactions.

The exceptions are functions that require internet connections, e.g. adding a new Octopus to Apple Wallet, and requesting a refund via the Octopus App for Tourists.

On iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later models, you can use power reserve with your Express Transit cards. Power reserve enables you to quickly pay for rides and, depending on your device, it's available for up to five hours until your iPhone needs to be charged.

It works just like a physical Octopus. If the remaining value of your Octopus is positive (HK$0.1 or more) but insufficient to cover the payment of a particular transaction, the Octopus can still be used, provided the resulting negative value does not exceed HK$50. The Octopus cannot be used for payment if the remaining value is zero or negative prior to the transaction.

There may be a number of possible reasons for this, and you can try the following to resolve the issue:

• Ensure you point the top of the iPhone towards the middle of an Octopus reader
• Please hold the iPhone or Apple Watch over the reader until you hear the "dood" sound
• Remove any materials that may interfere with the transaction, such as metal cases or other Octopus or plastic contactless payment cards

No. Your Octopus on iPhone or Apple Watch will not be affected if you change SIM cards or mobile network operators.

Your Octopus on iPhone or Apple Watch will be deactivated if you have not added value to it for a continuous period of 1,000 days. You can reactivate it at any Octopus Service Point or any MTR Customer Service Centre.