Commuters can start using their Visa contactless cards to pay for public transport fares from 6 June 2019. Following the launch of SimplyGo with Mastercard® in April 2019, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will be expanding the service to include Visa – bringing commuters greater convenience and choice. With both Mastercard and Visa coming aboard, most contactless card users in Singapore can enjoy the benefits of SimplyGo.
2. “We are encouraged by commuters’ response towards the launch of SimplyGo. We are seeing a steady uptake in usage since its launch, with an average of over 120,000 daily trips. With the inclusion of Visa, more commuters will benefit,” said Mr Yeo Teck Guan, LTA Senior Group Director, Public Transport.
3. Said Mr Kunal Chatterjee, Visa Country Manager for Singapore & Brunei: “Visa continues to drive innovative payment experiences for consumers in Singapore by expanding our contactless acceptance footprint. The launch of SimplyGo for Visa contactless cards will bring the convenience of contactless transit payments to local Visa cardholders and international travellers visiting the country. With this, we foresee Visa contactless usage in Singapore continuing to grow, surpassing the current contactless penetration of over 80 per cent. Opening new contactless acceptance channels, especially transit, will transform the payment experience and consumer journey for Singaporeans and tourists wherever they go.”
Tips on Using SimplyGo
4. As commuters may carry more than one contactless card and/or travel card, they are reminded to take out the card they wish to use from their wallet or bag before tapping at the fare reader, to avoid charges to multiple cards or delay in travel.
5. To use SimplyGo with contactless cards, cardholders who have EZ-Link/NETS FlashPay functionality built into their Mastercard or Visa contactless bank cards will need to visit a General Ticketing Machine (GTM) at any MRT or LRT station to switch their cards’ payment mode to Bank Card.
6. Commuters can enjoy added convenience by signing up for a SimplyGo account to view their travel history and fares via the TransitLink SimplyGo Portal (simplygo.com.sg) or TL SimplyGo mobile app, anytime, anywhere. Registered users of contactless bank cards can opt to receive push notifications for fares after each trip is completed using the TL SimplyGo mobile app on their smartphones.
About SimplyGo
Launched on 4 April 2019, SimplyGo enables commuters to use their contactless cards, or mobile wallets (i.e. Apple Pay, Fitbit Pay, Google PayTM and Samsung Pay) on transit, thereby eliminating the need for top-ups.
With SimplyGo, all Mastercard and Visa contactless cardholders need not pre-register their cards for public transport rides. Commuters who use SimplyGo with contactless cards will be charged the same fares as those who currently use travel cards (i.e. ez-link and NETS FlashPay cards). Charges for public transport rides will be reflected in the commuter’s credit, debit or prepaid card bills, similar to retail transactions.
Towards the end of the year, commuters using their ez-link cards can also start upgrading their cards to enjoy SimplyGo benefits like topping up on-the-go via the SimplyGo account.
LTA is working towards a public transport system fully supported by e-payment methods. SimplyGo is a key pillar in our journey to enable commuters to have an easy and convenient way to adopt e-payments as a way of life.
Annex: Top FAQs for SimplyGo Users
