By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-03-04 09:51:33 | Updated at 2025-03-04 13:16:27
3 hours ago
Hong Kong travellers will be able to use their Octopus mobile app to make payments in Japan as early as the third quarter this year, with the platform already accepted in Thailand and South Korea.
Octopus Holdings’ product director Andy Yip King-sang said on Tuesday that the firm was in discussions with different payment platforms in Japan and aimed to collaborate with those that had greater coverage so Hong Kong travellers would enjoy a seamless experience.
“We are striving to launch the long-awaited service as early as the third quarter of this year. Users only need to make the transaction via the Octopus mobile app,” Yip said.
Company chairwoman Jenny Yeung Mei-chun said profits from the new initiative would be minimal.
“Our intention is mainly to serve Hongkongers who love to travel to Japan. They will no longer need to exchange money before travelling there,” she said.
Japan welcomed more than 36.8 million tourists last year, with 7.2 per cent or 2.68 million from Hong Kong, ranking the city fourth after South Korea, mainland China and Taiwan as a source of visitors, according to the country’s National Tourism Organisation.
