【Taxi Electronic Payment】 Mandatory implementation starting April 1st. Commercial version of Octopus App continues to be fee-free. 42,000 drivers have installed it.

Starting April 1st, all taxis in Hong Kong are required to provide electronic payments. Octopus announced that it will continue to waive the handling fees for taxi drivers using the commercial version of the Octopus App. Currently, over 42,000 taxi drivers across Hong Kong have registered for the “Commercial Octopus App” or equipped with Octopus mobile payment terminals, representing a year-over-year increase of more than 40%.

Registration Surges: Over 42,000 Drivers Have Opened Accounts

Octopus states that since 2026, an average of 2,000 taxi drivers per month have opened commercial Octopus accounts. Since March 1st, the industry has responded positively to the new regulations implemented on April 1st, with registration numbers accelerating significantly. In the first week of March alone, more than 1,200 drivers completed registration and account opening.

Additionally, to assist drivers in familiarizing themselves with the operation, Octopus, in cooperation with the Transport Department, has set up service stations that have attracted over 500 drivers to sign up for the Commercial Octopus App.

Feature Upgrades: Direct Top-up to Octopus, Over 3x Increase

In addition to transferring payments to taxi drivers’ bank accounts, starting from July 2024, taxi merchants will also be able to top up their payments directly to Octopus. Octopus states that this top-up feature has been well received by taxi drivers and merchants, with the average monthly top-up transaction amount increasing by 3.3 times compared to the initial launch period. The daily average number of top-ups to Octopus has also increased by over 3 times.

Registration Completed in 15 Minutes with On-site Support

From March 7th to April 4th, Octopus will deploy staff daily to three designated parking service stations to provide registration and account opening support for drivers. Drivers only need to prepare their Hong Kong ID card, Taxi Driver’s License, and bank account proof to complete the application process in about 15 minutes.

Octopus CEO: Helping Drivers Transition at Zero Cost

Octopus CEO Anthony Cheung said that as the taxi industry accelerates its digital transformation, Octopus will continue to support drivers through tangible actions, including ongoing waivers of the handling fees for the commercial Octopus App and on-site assistance with account opening, allowing drivers to adopt electronic payment services at zero cost. The company will continue to work alongside drivers to promote the upgrade and transformation of Hong Kong’s taxi services.