Taiwan’s First Contactless Payment Card to be Used on Kaoshiung MRT

KAOHSIUNG, Nov 30, 2007 – TaiwanMoney Card, Taiwan’s first contactless payment card for use while shopping and paying for transportation in southern Taiwan’s seven counties and cities will also be valid for use on Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit, which is scheduled to begin operations Dec. 1, an official of Kaohsiung City said Thursday.

The card was jointly launched by the Kaohsiung City government, Cathay United Bank, and E. Sun Commercial Bank, in cooperation with MasterCard Taiwan, for use in Kaohsiung City, Kaohsiung County, Tainan City, Tainan County, Chiayi City, Chiayi County, and Pingtung County, the official said.

Differing from Taipei City’s EasyCard, which can only be used to pay for transportation, the TaiwanMoney Card can also be used for shopping, the official said.

TaiwanMoney Card holders can currently use the card to take buses on a total of 385 lines in the above counties and cities, on ferries in Kaohsiung City, as well as to shop at contracting stores including certain convenience stores, grocery stores, coffee shops, diners, and gas stations, the official said.

The official added that two varieties of the card are available, one of which may be used as a credit card.

Holders of the ordinary TaiwanMoney card will have to pay a NT$10 handling charge each time funds are transferred to the card, while those using TaiwanMoney credit cards will enjoy automatic overdraft protection up to NT$700 and will pay no handling charges, the official said.

The Cathay United Bank has issued 60,000 ordinary cards, and over 80,000 of the credit card variety, while the E. Sun Bank has issued 50,000 ordinary cards and 20,000 of the credit card type, the official said.