Hong Kong tourists may be able to use the Octopus app in Japan later this year as the payment platform plans to expand its service overseas, the company has announced.
Octopus Holding Ltd, currently in discussion with Japanese e-payment platforms, hopes that Hong Kong tourists can start using the Octopus app in Japan by the fourth quarter of this year, Andy King, the company’s product director, said during a media luncheon on Tuesday.
Tourists will be able to scan QR codes provided by shops in Japan to make payments, and the payments will be automatically converted to Hong Kong dollars and deducted from their Octopus accounts, King added.
Japan is a favourite destinations of Hongkongers. According to the Japan National Tourism Organisation, the country saw more than 33.3 million visitor arrivals in 2024. Nearly 2.4 million arrivals were from Hong Kong – a 13 per cent increase from 2023.
Octopus is actively promoting the digitalisation of its cards and exploring overseas markets, the company’s CEO Tim Ying said on Tuesday.
Octopus’ agreements with China’s Union Pay, Thailand’s PromptPay and South Korea’s Zero Pay have allowed Hong Kong tourists to use the Octopus app in the three countries.
Nearly every Hong Kong resident has an Octopus card, while half of the city’s population currently uses the Octopus app, according to the company.
Octopus is jointly owned by four major transport companies in the city, including the MTR Corporation and bus company KMB.
