Octopus transit cards coming to Apple Pay in Hong Kong

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Octopus-Apple-Pay
It will probably come with iOS 13.
Photo: Octopus

Apple fans in Hong Kong will soon be able to add their Octopus transit cards to Apple Pay.

Support is “coming soon,” Octopus Cards Limited confirmed this week. It will allow you to use your iPhone or Apple Watch to pay for journeys and more with your transit card.

References to Octopus card support have been spotted in recent iOS 13 betas, so we had expected an announcement from Octopus at any time. It’s likely support will arrive alongside iOS 13 this fall.

Octopus is yet to provide a more specific launch date.

Octopus cards coming to Apple Pay

Octopus cards are based on the same FeliCa technology used for Suica transit passes in Japan. They can be used to pay for public transport — as well as other purchases.

Octopus has confirmed that Apple Pay support will allow the same; you’ll be able to use your Apple Watch or iPhone to pay for journeys and purchases in supported retail stores.

It’s not yet clear if Octopus cards will work with Express Transit, which recently rolled out in New York City and Portland — and is expected to arrive in London soon.

Express Transit speeds up the payment process by allowing you to purchase trips without having to authenticate the transaction with Face ID or Touch ID.

Via: AppleInsider

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