Octopus Card: the one tap for Hong Kong
Hong Kong runs on one card: the Octopus pays for the MTR, buses, trams, the Star Ferry, taxis, 7-Eleven, McDonald's and about 190,000 other readers, and MTR fares are cheaper with it than with single tickets. Buy it at the airport before your first train, top it up with cash in HKD 50 steps, and refund the balance at any MTR counter on the way out. iPhone users can skip the plastic entirely and load an Octopus into Apple Pay with an Indian Visa or Mastercard.
Which ticket should I buy?Tickets start at ₹470 for Tourist Octopus (sold card).
- Tourist Octopus (sold card)From₹470HKD 39, no deposit, empty — you keep the card; only the balance is refundable
- Standard On-Loan Octopus (adult)₹2,420HKD 200 = HKD 50 refundable deposit + HKD 150 loaded; since 27 Jul 2026 (older guides say HKD 150)
- Child (3–11) / Elder (65+) On-Loan₹1,210HKD 100 = HKD 50 deposit + HKD 50 loaded; child fares on MTR, KMB, Citybus and Sun Ferry — the HKD 2 elder fare is residents-only
- Octopus on iPhone / Apple Watch (Octopus App for Tourists)₹1,815HKD 100 minimum load + HKD 50 deposit, paid with a non-HK Visa/Mastercard in Apple Pay; no top-up fee; iPhone X or later
- Refund handling fee₹135HKD 11 (or 1%) if returned within 90 days, with over HKD 1,000 left, or after 5 or fewer purchases — so almost every tourist pays it
Children 3–11 pay roughly half on the MTR with a child card; show the kid's passport if a counter asks.
Checked 24 Oct 2026 · source: Octopus — Schedule of Fees (effective 27 Jul 2026) ↗
When should I go?In the arrivals hall, before the Airport Express.
The 7-Eleven in the Meeters & Greeters Hall (unit 5T058) sells the Tourist Octopus.
Avoid: the Airport Station MTR counter if you want the On-Loan card with a deposit — it does not sell them; any city MTR station does.
One trip into negative balance up to HKD 50 is allowed; then it locks until you top up.
Max stored value HKD 3,000; reloads at shops and machines in multiples of HKD 50, machines take HKD 50 and 100 notes only.
An unused card deactivates after 1,000 days without a top-up — refund before you fly, do not save it for 'next time'.
What should I see?Three things, in this order.
- MTR, Airport Express, buses, trams, Star FerryOne tap in, one tap out; MTR Octopus fares undercut single-journey tickets (Central–Tsim Sha Tsui about HKD 9.30 vs HKD 12)
- Taxis and shopsEvery Hong Kong taxi must offer e-payment since 1 Apr 2026 and 42,000+ drivers take Octopus; also 7-Eleven, Circle K, Wellcome, McDonald's, Starbucks, vending machines
- The Star Ferry gatesHKD 4–6.50 adult Central–Tsim Sha Tsui, tapped at the turnstile — no coins, no ticket queue
How do I get there?Hong Kong airport: 7-Eleven at 5T058 in the Meeters & Greeters Hall.
Any tips before I go?Pick by phone: iPhone → load Octopus in Apple Pay through the Octopus App for Tourists with your Indian Visa/Mastercard (Niyo, Scapia qualify on paper as non-HK cards.
- Pick by phone: iPhone → load Octopus in Apple Pay through the Octopus App for Tourists with your Indian Visa/Mastercard (Niyo, Scapia qualify on paper as non-HK cards; test with the HKD 100 minimum). Android → buy the physical card; the tourist app is iOS-only.
- For a 3–5 day trip load HKD 150–200 per person and top up in cash at any 7-Eleven; a family can share one adult card only by tapping one person through at a time, so get one each.
- Refund at any MTR Customer Service Centre (not inside the airport) before the Airport Express: deposit plus balance back on the spot, minus the HKD 11 fee; a card with over HKD 1,000 left is refunded by transfer within 9 working days.
- No card at all? Tap your forex Visa or Mastercard at the light-blue MTR gates — adult Octopus fare, Airport Express included since 31 May 2026, but your Indian bank may add a foreign-transaction fee per ride. RuPay and UPI do not work anywhere on the MTR.
What should I carry?HKD cash in 50 and 100 notes for top-ups.
- HKD cash in 50 and 100 notes for top-ups — machines take nothing else
- The card's serial number photographed — without it a damaged card's balance cannot be refunded
- Keep it away from other contactless cards at the reader; tap until you hear the 'dood'
- Passport is not needed for the anonymous cards
Where can I eat?None, on site.
Anything else worth knowing?Mobile Octopus refunds go back to your card in 6–8 weeks (HKD 11 fee within 90 days).
- Mobile Octopus refunds go back to your card in 6–8 weeks (HKD 11 fee within 90 days) — the plastic card is refunded on the spot at a counter.
- A lost anonymous Octopus is gone — anyone can use it; keep the balance low and top up as you go.