Taxi passenger overcharged in alleged double payment scam amid new e-payment rules

A female passenger shared online that she was misled by a taxi driver and overcharged HK$63 after paying twice with her Octopus card for a single trip on the early morning of April 6, raising concerns about potential payment traps following new rules requiring taxis to offer at least two electronic payment methods.

The woman sought help with photos on Threads, stating she had boarded a taxi in Whampoa heading to Causeway Bay in the early hours on Monday. Photos showed that the taxi was equipped with an electronic payment terminal supporting multiple payment methods. 

The passenger initially planned to pay with a Visa credit card, but the driver advised her to use an Octopus card for convenience, which she did. 

After she paid with her mobile Octopus card and confirmed the terminal had beeped, the driver claimed that the fare didn’t include the tunnel charge, and that the terminal failed to process the payment and showed no transaction record on his device. 

The driver then used another device and asked her to pay again. Although she complied, she grew suspicious, took photos of the devices and requested a receipt. Once she checked her Octopus mobile app record, she realized she had been charged twice. 

The photos posted included one of the taxi driver’s license and another of the printed taxi receipt, which clearly stated that the total fare was HK$112.6, including a HK$50 surcharge. However, the Octopus payment record at the bottom of the receipt showed that only HK$62.6  was deducted at 12.56am. 

A screenshot of her Octopus app showed two nearly simultaneous transactions: at 12.56am, a HK$62.6 payment to a taxi management company (matching the receipt), and at 12.57am, a HK$113 charge to “Taxi/SMEs” — the rounded amount of the full fare. Together the two charges added to HK$175.6, which is HK$63 more than the correct HK$112.6.

The post drew intense discussion. Many netizens urged the passenger to report the case to the police, calling the double charge potential fraud, and questioned why fares were being “rounded up” with electronic payments.

A driver claiming to be from the same fleet blamed the involved driver, saying the terminal normally includes tunnel fees if entered before the meter stops and suggesting the surcharge was added afterward, which would explain the split payments.

He advised the passenger to complain to the taxi company. The passenger, torn between avoiding overreaction and seeking clarity, said she would first contact Octopus Cards Limited and then the taxi operator after receiving that driver’s advice. 

Currently, passengers who suspect overcharging by taxi drivers should record the driver’s name, plate number, time and location and obtain a receipt. They can report the case via the government hotline 1823 or the Transport Complaints Unit hotline 2889 9999 to notify the Transport Department for follow-up. The unit also provides electronic forms for making suggestions and complaints on transport matters. Passengers can also report the case to the police.