Vouchers and transport subsidies in Octopus clash

Citizens receiving a consumption voucher on their Octopus cards will not be able to get the full HK$3,000 first installment if also collecting a public transport fare subsidy as both sums are being dispensed on Sunday, and a card's limit will be exceeded with both.

So people collecting the voucher and the subsidy will have to tap their card again later after spending some of the amount to receive the rest of the e-voucher by September 30 as their card will first take the public transport fare subsidy of up to HK$500, and the limit for a card is HK$3,000.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po had announced in February that the new round of consumption vouchers carries a total of value of HK$5,000, which would be disbursed to residents and new arrivals aged 18 years old or above in two installments.

The first installment of HK$3,000 voucher will be disbursed from Sunday, and the remaining value from July 16.

Citizens will receive the first HK$3,000 consumption voucher directly on Sunday through the stored value facility accounts they registered in previous rounds of the scheme through Octopus, AlipayHK, BoC Pay, PayMe from HSBC, Tap & Go or WeChat Pay HK.

People will also get SMS notifications or mobile app push notifications on the day vouchers are disbursed.

The first installment of vouchers will be valid until October 31, meaning people have to spend it before that date.

For people who are getting their vouchers on an Octopus card they have to spend all of the HK$3,000 before they can collect the second installment voucher of HK$2,000 from July 16 onward.

Chan also announced in his budget in February an extension of the public transport fare subsidy scheme for six months to October.

That provides citizens with a subsidy of up to HK$500 a month for each Octopus card based on the actual monthly public transport expenses on each card and when the expenses are in excess of HK$200.

Citizens can collect the public transport fare subsidy from the 16th of each month by tapping their Octopus card through various channels including the subsidy collection points at MTR stations, light rail customer service centers, designated public transport interchanges, ferry piers, convenience stores and supermarkets, and via Octopus mobile app or at an Octopus service point.

A subsidy sum is valid for collection within three months. People must collect the subsidy within that time or lose it.

sophie.hui@singtaonewscorp.com