Taipei Metro to Accept Contactless Payments from July 1, International Card Networks Offer Riding Discounts

Taipei, June 30 (CNA) Taipei Metro will fully open its gates to credit card and mobile payments starting July 1. International card networks are launching various reward programs to capture market share. Visa announced that until September 30, passengers can enjoy a transaction-by-transaction cash rebate of up to 100% when riding Taipei Metro using cards linked to three major international e-wallets. Mastercard is partnering with CTBC Bank, Taishin Bank, Bank SinoPac, First Bank, and others to offer riding discounts.

Taipei Metro announced today that starting July 1, it will fully support contactless payment at its gates using domestic and international credit cards, as well as mobile payment services like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay linked to credit cards. Passengers will no longer need to purchase tickets or top up their cards; they can simply tap their mobile phones or credit cards to enter and exit the station.

Visa stated that with the addition of Taipei Metro to Visa's contactless payment network, all metro systems in Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, and Kaohsiung now fully support Visa contactless payments. This marks a complete integration of urban transportation in Taiwan with international standards, providing a seamless and smart transportation payment experience for locals and overseas travelers alike.

Visa announced a Taipei Metro ride cash rebate campaign. From July 1 to September 30, cardholders with Visa credit cards or check cards issued by Taiwanese financial institutions, after completing Visa Select registration and campaign enrollment, can enjoy up to a 100% cash rebate on fares when using their Visa card linked to Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay e-wallets to ride Taipei Metro. The maximum rebate per person per month is NT$100, while supplies last.

Mastercard stated that according to a survey by the Mastercard Economics Institute, Taipei ranked seventh in the Asia-Pacific region for traveler growth during the summer peak season from June to September this year, indicating Taiwan's growing appeal to foreign tourists. Therefore, Mastercard will collaborate with its banking partners to offer cardholders discounts on contactless rides on the Taipei Metro.

Mastercard explained that from July 1 to December 31, cardholders using the CTBC Bank uniopen co-branded card for the first time linked to the three major international e-wallets to ride Taipei Metro will receive up to a 7% rebate. Before September 30, new applicants for the Taishin Bank Richart Mastercard will receive up to NT$125 in credit card cash rebates weekly for their first transaction, with a maximum of NT$500. Additionally, using the Richart Mastercard linked to Taishin Pay for rides will earn up to a 3.8% rebate on each transaction.

Mastercard also announced that from July 1 to September 30, Bank SinoPac Mastercard users who use contactless payments via Apple Pay on the MRT will receive a 100% credit card cash rebate. Using the Bank SinoPac Green Card for contactless MRT payments will offer an additional cash rebate of up to 5%. During the campaign period from July 1 to December 31, new applicants for the First Bank iLEO credit card will receive a 10% credit card cash rebate on contactless Taipei Metro rides within 90 days of card approval. (Edited by Lin Ke-lun) 1150630