Should I use a physical or phone-based Octopus in Hong Kong?

At a glance

• Octopus’s tourist app supports iPhone X or later and Apple Watch Series 3 or later; its published phone-card deposit is HK$50 and stored-value limit HK$3,000. [2]
• The tourist top-up route accepts supported non-Hong-Kong-issued Mastercard, UnionPay and Visa credit or debit cards. [2]
• A sold Tourist Octopus may have no initial value. An On-Loan card includes initial value depending on type; add value before using a balance at or below HK$0. [1]
• An On-Loan refund can incur HK$11 or 1% of the remaining value, whichever is higher, including returns within 90 days. Phone-card refunds within 90 days incur HK$11. [1]

What to do next

1. Before choosing, check the phone model and the card you will use to add value. If the phone is shared, likely to run flat or not supported, choose a physical card and carry HKD cash for topping it up.
2. For a phone card, install Octopus App for Tourists and sign in with your Apple ID. Choose Add a New Octopus, or the app’s transfer option if you already have an eligible physical card. Follow the displayed card and funding instructions before your first journey.
3. For a physical card, use an official sales channel such as an MTR Customer Service Centre. Ask whether you are buying a sold Tourist card or obtaining an On-Loan card, what value is included and how its refund works.
4. Load enough value for the first rides and check the balance. Physical cards can be reloaded with cash at authorised providers. Keep another fare-payment option available until the chosen Octopus is actually ready.
5. At the reader, present one card or one device steadily and wait for the completion sound and displayed result. Keep other contactless cards away from the reader. If a tap was incomplete, hold the same Octopus over the same reader again to complete it.
6. Before leaving Hong Kong, decide whether to retain the Octopus for another visit or refund it. For the tourist app, use Card Setting → Refund Card; for an On-Loan physical card, use the relevant MTR service counter and account for the published handling charge.

If your situation is different

An app payment was taken but no Octopus appears: keep the purchase record and look for an Octopus number before trying to buy again. Contact Octopus with the payment and account details, and use a separate fare method while the issuance problem is traced.

You travel with children: each traveller needs the appropriate Octopus rather than repeatedly tapping one card for everybody. Octopus lists Child eligibility as ages 3–11 and Elder eligibility as 65 or older for the specified transport operators.

You already have a physical Octopus: the tourist app offers a transfer route for eligible On-Loan Adult or Elder cards. Read the transfer instructions before proceeding so you understand which card will remain usable afterwards.

You continue into mainland China: prepare that part of the trip separately. Identify the exact Octopus product and acceptance route before relying on it beyond ordinary Hong Kong purchases, and have your mainland wallet or cash ready.

Common mistakes

• Buying a sold Tourist card and assuming it includes fare value: check the balance and add value before the first ride.
• Holding several contactless cards against the reader: present only the Octopus you intend to use.
• Assuming every foreign card funds every Octopus route: use the tourist app’s supported card and device combination.
• Ignoring the early-refund charge when comparing products: include the handling fee in the choice for a short visit.

Quick questions