Press Release

OCL Introduces Changes to its Card Replacement Programme

(Hong Kong, 11 October 2022) Octopus Cards Limited (OCL) today announced the introduction of an "Overdue Replacement Administrative Fee", as an additional measure to encourage customers to promptly replace any Octopus cards that are due to expire and become invalid.

The Card Replacement Programme (the “Programme”) was first introduced in 2017 to gradually replace Octopus cards that were more than 15 years old. The Programme aims to encourage customers to replace these expiring Octopus cards with the latest version so that they can fully enjoy the most up-to-date services, and incorporating more secure and advanced Octopus technology. A total of 2 million old cards have since been replaced through the Programme.

To remind customers that their cards are due for replacement, OCL provides a minimum of a 3-month notification period. When customers hear a “Dood ~ Dood Dood” sound upon tapping their Octopus card on an Octopus reader, they should proceed to a designated channel (as listed in the Appendix) to have the card replaced. The remaining value and most of the associated Octopus services or offers (if any) will be transferred automatically and free of charge to the new card. The old Octopus card will become invalid upon expiry of the said 3-month notification period.

With respect to the "Overdue Replacement Administrative Fee", customers can still return their invalid cards for a refund or replace cards with new ones free of charge beyond the 3-month notification period for a further 1-year grace period. Thereafter, an “Overdue Replacement Administrative Fee” of HK$20 per year will be deducted from the remaining value stored on and, if any, the deposit of the invalid Octopus, until both sums are fully depleted. The "Overdue Replacement Administrative Fee" will be introduced on 15 November 2022, and the earliest date the “Overdue Replacement Administrative Fee” will be charged is 15 November 2023. To avoid any charges customers are therefore encouraged to promptly replace any soon-to-be or already invalid Octopus cards.

Customers can check whether an Octopus Card is due for replacement via the Octopus website, Octopus’ Interactive Voice Recording System, and Octopus Service Points at designated MTR stations and shopping malls. In addition, customers who have their Octopus cards registered in the Octopus App will receive a push notification via the App, SMS message or email informing them when their Octopus cards need to be replaced.

Octopus is committed to providing payment convenience to people living in and visiting Hong Kong through its physical and digital cards.

 

Appendix: Free-of-charge Replacement Channels for Different Types of Octopus

Type of Octopus Card	Card Replacement Channels
Anonymous Octopus	Customers wishing to replace a soon-to-be invalid Octopus card with another physical card can visit Octopus Service Points at designated MTR stations and shopping malls, MTR Customer Service Centres (including Light Rail Customer Service Centres), designated Kowloon Motor Bus Customer Service Centres, and designated Sun Ferry Customer and Octopus Service Centres Customers may also transfer physical Octopus cards to digital versions, including Octopus on iPhone or Apple Watch, Huawei Pay Octopus and Smart Octopus in Samsung Pay
Personalised Octopus	Customers who want to replace their soon-to-be invalid personalised Octopus card with another physical card must first register for a new card on the Octopus website. Upon receiving the new card, they must bring both the old and new cards to any Octopus Service Point at designated MTR stations and shopping malls, Kowloon Motor Bus Customer Service Centres, and designated Sun Ferry Customer and Octopus Service Centres for replacement Customers may also transfer physical Octopus cards to digital versions, including Octopus on iPhone or Apple Watch, Huawei Pay Octopus and Smart Octopus in Samsung Pay
Sold Octopus (Special/ Limited Edition Octopus, Octopus Watches, Mini Octopus, Octopus Ornaments)	Customers may bring both their old and new Octopus to any Octopus Service Point at designated MTR stations and shopping malls for replacement

 

- Ends -