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So the main difference in 2019 is HK Octopus doesn’t require ID, while UK Contactless does? But is that a big issue given all these people are actively avoidin

So the main difference in 2019 is HK Octopus doesn’t require ID, while UK Contactless does? But is that a big issue given all these people are actively avoiding using the Octopus to avoid being tracked? I guess Octopus doesn’t have age limits, I think you need to be 11 or higher to get a UK contactless card for yourself these days. Don’t know if that’s a legal minimum or just a banking decision. Edit: You can get prepaid cards too: https://www.mastercard.co.uk/en-gb/frequently-asked-questions.html#prepaid https://www.mastercard.co.uk/en-gb/frequently-asked-question...

oarsinsync 7y ago
Acceptance of payment mechanism is the other difference. Debit and credit cards aren't accepted as widely as cash or Octopus in HK. Funnily enough, if you go to the more hipster parts of London, cash isn't accepted and you need a debit or credit card to pay in an increasingly large number of stores. Anecdotally, food trucks and markets often will prefer cards over cash (I ask which they prefer if I can do either) in London, while in HK I'll attempt to pay for everything by card first, and unless it's an upscale restaurant, I'll usually be rejected and get told cash/octopus only. I also don't think you get contactless with prepaid cards. There's the whole up to 3x £30 guarantee / fraud angle that can't be covered adequately on a prepaid card. (On a regular debit card, you can do up to 3x £30 transactions without authorisation, and if any of them are fraudulent, your bank will reimburse you, regardless of whether or not your card has been (reported) stolen)
pcr0 7y ago
You can get an Octopus without an ID, but most people have their primary octopus linked to their ID for one of the following reasons: student transportation discounts, residential/school building access control, linked to credit card for automatic top-up, verification for child/elderly Octopus. Given that a lot of the protestors were students maybe they're buying child tickets rather than paying double with an anonymous adult Octopus.
- oarsinsync 7y ago
  > You can get an Octopus without an ID, but most people have their primary octopus linked to their ID for one of the following reasons: ... linked to credit card for automatic top-up When did that become a thing? I've always known Octopus to be cash only. Can non-resident foreigners also top up by CC?

oarsinsync 7y ago

Acceptance of payment mechanism is the other difference. Debit and credit cards aren't accepted as widely as cash or Octopus in HK. Funnily enough, if you go to the more hipster parts of London, cash isn't accepted and you need a debit or credit card to pay in an increasingly large number of stores. Anecdotally, food trucks and markets often will prefer cards over cash (I ask which they prefer if I can do either) in London, while in HK I'll attempt to pay for everything by card first, and unless it's an upscale restaurant, I'll usually be rejected and get told cash/octopus only. I also don't think you get contactless with prepaid cards. There's the whole up to 3x £30 guarantee / fraud angle that can't be covered adequately on a prepaid card. (On a regular debit card, you can do up to 3x £30 transactions without authorisation, and if any of them are fraudulent, your bank will reimburse you, regardless of whether or not your card has been (reported) stolen)

pcr0 7y ago

You can get an Octopus without an ID, but most people have their primary octopus linked to their ID for one of the following reasons: student transportation discounts, residential/school building access control, linked to credit card for automatic top-up, verification for child/elderly Octopus. Given that a lot of the protestors were students maybe they're buying child tickets rather than paying double with an anonymous adult Octopus.

oarsinsync 7y ago
> You can get an Octopus without an ID, but most people have their primary octopus linked to their ID for one of the following reasons: ... linked to credit card for automatic top-up When did that become a thing? I've always known Octopus to be cash only. Can non-resident foreigners also top up by CC?