> I didn't use my Hong Kong subway card for 9 years and the balance was still there … the NY subway system 100% would have stolen my money FWIW, most Octopus c

> I didn't use my Hong Kong subway card for 9 years and the balance was still there … the NY subway system 100% would have stolen my money FWIW, most Octopus cards do expire eventually. If you don’t use it for three years, it’ll be deactivated and they’ll deduct a $15-per-year admin fee until either your balance is gone or you reactivate the card. The only way to avoid this is to have a special concession card (seniors, kids, etc) or to buy an Octopus outright[1], which most people don’t do. The tourist Octopus, notably, can only be bought outright. 1. https://www.octopus.com.hk/en/consumer/customer-service/faq/get-your-octopus/octopus-types.html https://www.octopus.com.hk/en/consumer/customer-service/faq/...