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Octopus Card

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  1. #21

    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Kowloon HK
    Posts
    1,226
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan O'Connell:
    Quick question - obviously its worth getting one but is there a minimum balance required? Are there specific Octopus Cards for students, i.e. HKU undergrads?

    And just interested about the unusual/neat places that accept the cards - is it accepted nearly everywhere?
    An Octopus card's a must for use in student canteens at HKU, and photocopiers, vending machines, so on. Not that you can't use cash - diggin' in ya pocket to count the pennies - BUT, at peak times, you'll get frowned upon for holding up the queue/line

    If you also register for Octopus 'Reward$', from time to time, you'll get discounts on certain items (as seen in Jimbo's link), plus more points, however 'small', as others hinted at. (Apparently I've accumulated $40 or so, which I can also use immediately as cash towards any future buys in participating shops.)

    Local grocery chains (e.g. Kaibo), as well as all the supermarkets, are set up with Octopus machines. (I pick up a few onions, wave my card 'dood' over the pay thingy... it deducts $6, then off I go.)

    Handy for paying for 'late' fines at libraries, too.

    BTW, convenient if/when car-parking at malls, as well.
    Last edited by emmie; 17-05-2010 at 05:37 PM.

  2. #22

    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    N.T
    Posts
    468
    Quote Originally Posted by MovingIn07:
    Not quite. But close! I believe it's HKD1 back for every HKD200 you spend.
    And what do you actually get? Money vouchers to spend on whatever you want or select items ??
    Last edited by London2HK; 17-05-2010 at 10:13 PM. Reason: error

  3. #23

    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Tai Kok Tsui
    Posts
    997
    Quote Originally Posted by eggmonster:
    dont forget to register your card to collect points!!

    The only down point with this, is that cant use on the red minibus
    I don't see how not being able to use an Octopus card on a RMB is a downside to the card itself. Maybe a downside to the RMB, but not the Octopus card.

  4. #24

    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    21

    does the octopus "rewards" cost extra to apply for?

    also, i hadn't any clue that taxi cabs are taxed. i'm not sure if the starting fee here in Boston includes taxes but i know it's common courtesy/american culture to give the driver a nice tip - so that leads me to another question, when you guys go to bars or restaurants is it normal to give the waiters/waitresses/bartenders a tip??


  5. #25

    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    23,205

    Taxi fares are not taxed (there is no sales tax here), but taxi drivers are taxed on their (declared) income. It might be harder not to declare if it's going through an Octopus machine.

    As a basic starting point in Hong Kong, don't tip, for anything. This has been discussed here many. many times before - use the search function.


  6. #26

    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Gold Coast Marina
    Posts
    17,934
    Quote Originally Posted by London2HK:
    And what do you actually get? Money vouchers to spend on whatever you want or select items ??
    Money stored on the card (separate from your 'normal' value). You just ask for the product in a participating shop to take the reward dollars rather than the normal dollars to pay for something. It's pretty simple.

  7. #27

    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Pampanga, Philippines
    Posts
    29,769

    [An Octopus card's a must for use in student canteens at HKU, and photocopiers, vending machines, so on. Not that you can't use cash - diggin' in ya pocket to count the pennies - BUT, at peak times, you'll get frowned upon for holding up the queue/line]

    A lot of the vending machines at the college where I am based are octopus only.

    I am on a campaign at the moment to use up a big pot of coins so trying to stop myself using the octopus and use coins instead. Hard work to get out of the habit.


  8. #28

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Yuen Long
    Posts
    1,563
    Quote Originally Posted by eggmonster:
    Since when did this started? I have used this service couple times and i am sure i gave the driver the bus fare
    I've used it twice in the last couple of months and each time they had octopus. Also, when queued for the 101M I noticed that all the red Kwun Tong buses using the stop next to the 101M had the octopus sign on their window.

  9. #29

    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Posts
    8,280
    Quote Originally Posted by Rob2020:
    My winning combination:
    - Pay at P&S using Octopus (and scanning the P&S card)
    -- Pay the Octopus via autopay from my Amex
    * Triple word score! Octopus Points(no idea what they do), P&S points (I think I can buy a sandwich with them now), Amex points (Asiamiles)
    Actually you do not get any Octopus reward points when you use Octopus in PNS. Also, you dont get any Octopus reward points when you ride the MTR.

    You only get Octopus reward points in Welcome, McDonalds, and a few other places. Also, if you have never registered your Octopus on the rewards site, you are not getting any points.

    You will know if you are getting points or not because it will tell you the point balance on the bottom of your Welcome or McDonalds receipts. If there is no point balance (just the octopus no and balance), then you are not yet registered.

    Check here:
    Welcome to Octopus Hong Kong - Earn and Redeem Reward$

  10. #30

    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    21
    Quote Originally Posted by hullexile:
    I am on a campaign at the moment to use up a big pot of coins so trying to stop myself using the octopus and use coins instead. Hard work to get out of the habit.
    LOL.

    Should I apply for an HK: Amex, Citibank, or Mastercard Credit Card??