Octopus for Tourists 4+

The app forces a dynamic currency conversion, without any warning, from HKD to your designated currency that appears to include a hidden mark up of approximately 5% or 6%. Users should be notified of the mark up and have option to pay in local currency.

Ultimately though, this app shouldn’t even be needed at all, as international users should just be able to add and top up Octopus cards directly from the Apple Wallet itself without ever needing this app. Other cities/transport systems already do this, making this app/process all the more frustrating and disappointing.

With this stealth charge and the comparatively poor experience/implementation compared to similar travel cards in other cities in the region (e.g., PASMO, SUICA, etc.), interested parties should carefully consider options (e.g., physical Octopus card) before electing to use this app.

As others have pointed out this is a pointless additional step in topping up your Octopus card for users without an HK registered credit/debit card. It also seems to be a regression as I do not recall this being required in the past. As a visitor you are now unable to simply add an Octopus travel card and seamlessly start using it, but you have to first download and app, a step that doesn’t appear to be well documented and required me to Google it only after the Wallet app mysteriously told me I had no eligible payment methods. I usually try to resist reviewing the services and stick to reviewing the app so I will say that the app does at least do what it’s advertised to without too much trouble.

It is a sanctioned scam. Not only should this app not exist — by simply allowing other cards in your Wallet app to be used to pay for Octopus; it doesn’t because it requieres without good reason for the cards to be HK cards — but then it charges you FX fees that are both unavoidable by design and of which you are not notified of beforehand.

Unfortunately as a foreigner in HK you can’t avoid making money for Octopus, so their monopoly gives them free reign to build such a sanctioned business scam. They should be ashamed, but alas, they appear not to be.