Digital era for Octopus cards

The mobile Octopus is expected to be popular among the young generations, said Tim Ying, who was officially on board as Octopus Cards’ new chief executive on Sunday.

Ying believes the digitalization of Octopus cards is inevitable, as younger generations have not only “grown digital” but are being “born digital” with a strong reliance on mobile devices.

Some 35 percent of the mobile Octopus users are under 30 and enjoy playing online video games, he said.

The goal is to have a mobile Octopus “on every phone in every pocket,” he added.

Meanwhile, the number of Octopus UnionPay cards, which enables Hongkongers to spend in mainland China without having a bank account there, has tripled since January in August, said Ying.

Before joining Octopus, Ying was the general manager of digital experience at Cathay Pacific Airways.

He has also held management roles at HSBC.