United StatesOctopus on iPhone or Apple Watch simplifies the way you ride transport and shop in Hong Kong. Breeze through turnstiles or pay at retail outlets just by tapping your iPhone or Apple Watch on Octopus readers. No need to open an app or wake your device. Check your balance and skip queues by topping up using your favourite credit / debit card. It is easy to get an Octopus before or after you arrive in Hong Kong. If you have an iPhone X or later, or Apple Watch Series 3 or later, simply download the Octopus App for Tourists to add a new Octopus. It is a breeze to check your balance and top up using your favourite credit card / debit card. If you already have a physical Octopus card, you can transfer it to your iPhone or Apple Watch easily. With Octopus App for Tourists, you can: - Add an Octopus Card to your iPhone or Apple Watch with just a few steps - Top up anytime, anywhere, with your favourite non-Hong Kong issued Mastercard, UnionPay or Visa credit or debit cards - Check the balance and spending records of your Octopus - Apply for a refund of the deposit and remaining value on your Octopus before departing Hong Kong For more details, please visit www.octopus.com.hk Licence Number: SVF0001
Feels like a scam
Could set it up and transfer money to it. As soon as I tried to use it I got error messages „service temporarily unavailable“. Chat bot not a great help. If you can go for the physical card.
United StatesDo not use this app! Keep the physical card.
First of all, after transferring the card from the physical card to Apple Wallet, I did not receive the HKD50 deposit refund at all. Customer service is absolutely useless in providing a solution as well. Additionally, I have noticed that from time to time, the MTR gate fails to recognize the Octopus express transit payment and instead conflicts with the Visa payment, when it happens, you'll be THAT person clogging up the gate with a long queue behind you giving you the dirty look, I would advise tourist to simply keep to using the physical card to avoid this headache.
United StatesIt worked for me
I read so many of the recent reviews and was scared to try it, but I did anyways. It was easy to create a new card (I paid with an Apple Card via Apple Pay). Yes, their conversion rate is 6% worse but I’m used to “foreigner taxes” everywhere I go (especially at museums and famous tourist sights) and 6% is MUCH less than the 5-10X markup they charge in India. I found most businesses and restaurants accept international credit cards but there were a few that only accepted cash and Octopus. Paying at those locations was a piece of cake. On my last day in Hong Kong, I needed to top up. That process was just as straightforward for me using the same payment method. What I haven’t figured out is how to get the $50 HKD refund. I won’t be worrying about that as I know I’ll be going back later this year. I only gave the app 4 stars since it is far from being a polished app. But it did its job for the 2 things I asked of it. I wish you all good luck and hope it works for you too.
United StatesCritical Bug!
Not sure how the app is allowed to run with such a critical feature not working. I successfully added a new card on Monday 15/04/2024 and was able to seamlessly top up the card through the app with my Visa credit card via Apple Pay all week until today 19,04/2024. All of a sudden the app no longer works and I continue to get an error no matter what I do. I’m still able to successfully use my physical Visa credit card, as well as the same card in my Apple wallet, to pay for things from vendors that accept Tap To Pay. I spoke with Octopus support about 5 times today and I’m sorry to say they weren’t very helpful. First they said to call my bank as it was being declined on my bank’s end. I called my bank twice and they couldn’t see any declined transactions from their end or Visa’s end. Then they told me the issue might be with Apple Pay and to contact their support line. I have them a call and they also were unable to see any declined transactions from their end. Then they told me to try removing the card from my Apple wallet and trying again. I removed the card from my Apple wallet and it still didn’t work. I refunded/closed the card that I opened on Monday; uninstalled the app by deleting it, and reset my phone by turning it off and back on, and tried again but none of that worked either. Then they suggested that I try to remove my credit card from my Apple wallet, then re-add it and try again, but that also didn’t work. Lastly they suggested that u could get a physical card, transfer it to my app and then to the Apple wallet, and then try to top it up. I bought a physical card and was able to sincerely transfer it to my Octopus app and Apple wallet, but I still can’t top up even that card. To say this is unacceptable is an understatement. The tourist version of the Octopus app only serves 2 purposes -add/transfer a card and top up your card, and it can’t do either. You have an app dedicated to tourists that does not work, and by doing so you are leaving tourists stranded in a world that is increasingly becoming cashless. I should not have to go to an ATM to with withdraw physical cash top up a physical card. That’s totally archaic and we should expect more from Hong Kong. I don’t need an apology from their dev; it honestly be adding insult to injury at this point, as this was my last day in Hong Kong and so much time, several hours, got wasted on pointless phone calls; I’m not interested in seeing my phone bill after all those international calls. Hopefully the so is working normally for others by the time they go to Hong Kong and need it.
United StatesSet Up Ok, but Top Up Complicated
Set up was Easy, added to Apple Wallet Easily; but then Top up within the Apple Wallet does not work; and also in the Octopus Tourost App, a simple Top Up using - Mastercard - Apple Pay does not go through. If a developer has taken the responsibility to create such as important app, then it needs to work seamlessly. This is app is very poor at the moment.
United Statesworks just fine for me
i know lots of reviews have common experiences in app failure, but it’s working well for me after a day in HK so far, and i appreciate the convenience of use for both public transit and purchases in most places. before travel, i linked my credit card to the app and added a couple hundred HKD. i also added the card to my Apple Wallet before travel. and now that i’m here, it’s been working for me no problem. also no issues adding more funds as needed. i did experience concerns from the bank about the foreign transactions before i left, but it wasn’t a big deal to clear up and notify them of my travel.
United StatesWorse than worthless - a SCAM
This thing is worse than useless. It doesn’t work to be able to pay for anything AND they rip you off with a ridiculously high “handling” fee when you try to demand a refund. Don’t waste your time. They are preying on foreigners trying to rip us off. Just buy a real card and use it.
United States
User experience enhancements.
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