It’s outrageous that those without a HK issued credit or debit card are forced into using this app that forces you to use their unfavourable exchange rate to pay, rather than charging in HKD. Why not just let everyone use the Octopus app and top ups via Apple wallet. The system foisted on us by this app obscures fees. I can top up my Suica or Pasmo in Japan in Yen via Apple Wallet. Octopus makes me download an app and pay using their exchange rate in-app. You can also only select one currency to pay in per card - changing it requires you to cancel your current Octopus entirely, ask for a refund of the remaining balance and then re-register a new card. Madness! While cash top ups at machines still work this defeats the convenience of having an online system. Really disappointing.

My wife and I went to Hong Kong for the first time (I’m sitting in the Taipa Ferry to Macao now still) and we needed octopus cards. Copilot gave us some quick options to get a card via credit card before landing. We tried this app and it worked perfect. My Mastercard applied HKD to the card within a minute of getting the app and we used the card to travel on the star Ferry and the MTR all over the place including Disneyland. Never once failed us even with no signal. The other reviews are old. Idk about them but now, it’s great. I won’t speak to any conversion costs or rates though.

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.

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.Last but not least, you can no longer top up with cash if you use the Apple wallet version, since you can't insert the card into the top up machine. This tourist app charge a higher conversion rate.