TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei MRT passengers will be able to use credit cards and Apple Pay among other payment options to enter ticket gates next year.
Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation said it has initiated a modification project for gate electronic modules. Taipei Metro plans to fully replace its gates by the end of 2025, adding credit card and QR code payment options, per Liberty Times.
However, Kuomintang (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Chan Wei-yuan (詹為元) believes that adding multiple payment options will affect the revenue of EasyCard Corporation and suggested that the company should prepare for this change in advance. Chan pointed out that the three main revenue sources of EasyCard Corporation in recent years have been:
- “Service commission income” from credit card co-branded clearing fees and co-branded revenue
- Sales revenue from selling EasyCards
Licensing income
For the current year, these account for 54%, 37%, and 5% of EasyCard's revenue, respectively. Since credit cards can be used to enter the gates, along with the automatic top-up functions, not only are they convenient to use, but they also make accounting easier.
Chan predicted EasyCard's main revenue source will gradually decrease, and it may even affect EasyWallet. Chan said early response measures should be taken.
EasyCard Corporation responded that it has developed different payment methods in recent years to cater to various mobile payment scenarios, enhancing the diverse and convenient payment environment for the public.
EasyCard Corporation said the usage of metro cards depends on whether discounts are provided to commuters and heavy users. For instance, in Singapore, where no commuter discounts are offered, credit card usage accounts for nearly 40%. In contrast, Hong Kong provides various discounts and occasional promotional offers for its Octopus card, resulting in only 3% credit card usage.
The corporation noted that EasyCard users can enjoy commuter discounts when using Taipei Metro and can use it for small purchases. It anticipates that after the implementation of multi-payment options, EasyCard usage patterns will be similar to Hong Kong’s Octopus card.
The company said it is also launching more discount plans and differentiated services. Targeted promotions for tourists will include discount cards like 1-day, 2-day, 3-day, and 5-day cards to maintain EasyCard's market share.
The firm said it is also cooperating with the government to provide services for senior citizens and those with disabilities or student IDs.
Starting from July 1, the company activated the "beep ride" (嗶乘車) service on the Easy Wallet app. This enables passengers to enter station gates with just a tap of their mobile phones.
However, the new EasyCard service is only available for Android phones with Near Field Communication (NFC) functionality. Taipei Metro is spending NT$453 million to enable the gates to be compatible with Apple Pay, credit cards, and QR code payment options, per SET News.
