SINGAPORE: Commuters will be able to use their Visa contactless cards to pay for their public transport fares from Jun 6, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Thursday (May 16).
This move comes after the launch of SimplyGo in April that allowed commuters to use their Mastercard contactless bank cards or mobile phones to pay for their public transport rides, eliminating the need for top-ups.
AdvertisementLTA added that most contactless card users can use the payment service with Visa now on board.
“We are encouraged by commuters’ response towards the launch of SimplyGo," Mr Yeo Teck Guan, LTA senior group director, public transport said.
"We are seeing a steady uptake in usage since its launch, with an average of over 120,000 daily trips. With the inclusion of Visa, more commuters will benefit."
[h=3]READ: Singapore aims for fully cashless transport system by 2020: LTA[/h] AdvertisementAdvertisement[h=3]READ: ‘We are slow’: EZ-Link CEO on shortcomings, and going digital to stay relevant[/h]Visa will also continue to expand its contactless acceptance footprint, Mr Kunal Chatterjee, Visa country manager for Singapore and Brunei said.
"The launch of SimplyGo for Visa contactless cards will bring the convenience of contactless transit payments to local Visa cardholders and international travellers visiting the country.
"With this, we foresee Visa contactless usage in Singapore continuing to grow, surpassing the current contactless penetration of over 80 per cent," he said.
USING SIMPLYGO
Commuters who wish to use the service must switch their cards' payment mode to bank card, LTA said.
"To use SimplyGo with contactless cards, cardholders who have EZ-Link/NETS FlashPay functionality built into their Mastercard or Visa contactless bank cards will need to visit a General Ticketing Machine at any MRT or LRT station to switch their cards’ payment mode to bank card," the transport authority said.
LTA added that commuters can also easily view their travel expenditure and history by registering for an account on the TransitLink SimplyGo Portal, available online and through the TL SimplyGo mobile app.
Commuters can also opt to receive this information via push notifications on their mobile device each time they tap out at the end of their trip.
Those who carry more than one contactless bank card or travel card in their wallet or bag are advised to take out the card they wish to use before tapping it on the fare reader to avoid charges to multiple cards or delay in travel, LTA said.
Towards the end of the year, commuters using their ez-link cards can also start upgrading their cards to enjoy SimplyGo benefits like topping up on-the-go through the SimplyGo account.
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