What contactless smart card is used on many Hong Kong buses?

The contactless smart card used on many Hong Kong buses is the Octopus card.

Launched on 1 September 1997, Octopus was created for Hong Kong’s public transport system after a partnership involving the MTR, Kowloon-Canton Railway, Kowloon Motor Bus and Citybus. It quickly spread beyond rail stations to buses, ferries, trams and other operators. On buses, tapping an Octopus card is faster than paying with exact coins.

The card is a reusable stored-value smart card using contactless radio technology. Its standard public-transport transaction takes about 0.3 seconds. The system later expanded into everyday retail, including convenience stores, supermarkets, vending machines, parking facilities and restaurants.

The name is not accidental: an octopus has eight tentacles, echoing the Cantonese name’s association with reaching in every direction. Do not confuse it with London’s Oyster card; Oyster was launched in 2003, six years after Octopus.