In Hong Kong, there are more than 476 different service providers and retailers who accept the Octopus Card for payment. This card can be used for public transport (except mini-buses and taxis), at cosmetic shops, fast food stores, clothes shops, supermarkets, cinemas and hospitals. The sign of the Octopus card is '∞' (like a number 8 on its side). Wherever you see this sign, you can use the Octopus there.

The Octopus is most widely used on the various means of transport, as most of the transport service providers accept it. These include the Mass Transit Railway (MTR), Citybus Limited and Star Ferry etc. For example, after getting on the bus, you just pass your card across the Octopus Processor so that it can read it and it will deduct your bus fare from the value on your card.

Types
There are two large kinds of the Octopus Cards – On-loan Octopus Card and Sold Octopus Card. You pay a refundable deposit an on-loan card, whereas you can buy a card to keep if you prefer.

On-loan Octopus Card
The On-loan Octopus Card is only available by application. The card is imprinted with the holder's name or photo. It can automatically preserve the holder's personal age information and the fare status of the holder. The transport companies offer concessionary fares for some statuses. The on-loan Octopus Card comes in three types – Child Octopus (for 3 to 11 year-old children), Adult Octopus (for all ages), Elder Octopus (consult the transport companies for your eligibility). Each of these also has a personalized option which offers a choice of design and carries a photo of the holder. The on-loan Octopus's value includes HK$50 deposit which can be refunded with any outstanding balance before you leave Hong Kong.

Sold Octopus Card
The Sold Octopus Cards have more delicate designs and their selling prices are a bit high. Many tourists buy them as a souvenir. Most of time, the card has no useable value when you buy it. You need to add value by buying credit at one of the places listed later in this passage before you can use it. Generally, the sold Octopus's value doesn't include any deposit and balances are not refundable unless the card is invalid.

There is also a special Sold Octopus, called the Airport Express Travel Pass which is very suitable for tourists. The Airport Express Travel Pass has two different values – one for HK$220 which offers one Airport Express trip and three days unlimited trips on the Subway Island Line, Tsuen Wan Line, Kwun Tong Line, Tseung Kwan O Line, Tung Chung Line and Disneyland Resort Line. It is sold in all Airport Express stations and the stations on the lines listed above. The other costs HK$300, and allows two Airport Express one-way trips and three days' unlimited trips on the lines mentioned. It is sold in the Customer Service Centre in every Airport Express station and MTR Kowloon Tong, Mong Kok, Tsim Sha Tsui, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay stations.

The Airport Express Travel Pass contains HK$50 of refundable deposit. After three days using the pass you can buy additional value and continue to use it.

Obtaining Cards and Adding Value
Locations
You can buy a Sold card or add value to any card at:
1. Customer Service Centres in MTR stations
2. Customer Service Centres in Airport Express stations
3. Light Rail Customer Service Centres
4. KMB (Kowloon Bus Company) Customer Service Centre at the Sha Tin Central Bus Terminus
5. New World First Ferry Octopus Service Centres at Cheung Chau, Mui Wo, Peng Chau piers and Central Piers 5 and 6
6. New World First Bus Customer Service Centres at the Admiralty (East) Bus Terminus
7. Citybus Customer Service Centre at Central Exchange Square Bus Terminus
8. Stores: ParknShop, Wellcome, Watsons, 7-Eleven, Circle K, Cafe De Coral, and some others.

To ensure your Octopus still has enough value, there are three ways to add value:
Using cash
You can add up to HK$1,000 to your Octopus by paying cash at one of these:
1. Stores: ParknShop, Wellcome, Watsons, 7-Eleven, Circle K, Cafe De Coral, and some other stores.
2. Citybus Customer Service Centre at Central Exchange Square Bus Terminus

By electronic fund transfer
You can add up to HK$1,000 to your card by making an electronic fund transfer:
1. The Add Value machines at MTR, Airport Express, East Rail and specified Light Rail stations.
2. The Add Value machines in specified car parks, such as Pacific Place, Festival Walk, and Times Square.
3. At ATMs of AEON Credit Service Corporation Limited

Automatic Add Value Service (AAVS)
Twenty two financial organizations offer an option of automatically adding value to cards held by their (adult) customers.

The Personalized on-loan Octopus Card
This can be obtained from:
1. The customer service centres at Quarry Bay (Taikoo Place), Sai Wan Ho, Chai Wan, Lai Chi Kok, Kwai Hing, Tai Wo Hau, Diamond Hill, Choi Hung, Lam Tin, Yau Tong and Tung Chung stations
2. The customer service centres at East Rail Hung Hom, Sha Tin, Sheung Shui, Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau stations.
3. The customer service centres at Light Rail Ferry Pier Terminus, Leung King, Tai Hing (South), Town Centre, Yuen Long Terminus, Tin Yat, Siu Hong and Tin Shui Wai stations
4. New World First Ferry Octopus Service Centres at Central Piers 5 and 6
5. Personalized student Octopus cards must be applied for through schools or the customer service centres at the MTR stations.

Useful telephone numbers
Octopus Reporting Loss Hotline: +852-22662266
Octopus Customer Service Hotline: +852-22662222

Official Website of Octopus's Website: www.octopuscards.com/enindex.jsp //