Singapore is emerging as one of the fastest growing contactless payment country in South East Asia. Today, the Singapore transport authorities is introducing Mastercard contactless payments on buses and trains.
Unlike Ez-Link or NETS FlashPay, individual’s debit or credit cards issued by banks can be used to travel on public transport without first topping up. The Account Base Ticketing system will bill every time when it accumulates more than S$15.
If you own one of the debit/credit cards issued by a Singapore bank and it supports MASTERCARD PAYPASS, you are eligible to register for the trial. You can even win free rides for a month if selected.
For commuters using credit or debit cards with EZ-Link/NETS FlashPay functionality, the current default payment mode for transit usage is the EZ-Link/NETS FlashPay function. With the implementation of the ABT System, commuters will need to switch the payment mode to Mastercard contactless payment at the General Ticketing Machines (GTMs) located at all MRT and LRT stations.
Currently, these are some of the MasterCard Debit/Credit cards with PayPass feature that will work with the system. Look out for the symbol on your MasterCard, it should work with the ABT system.
Below is a list of cards issued by Singapore banks that can be used for ABT system.
UOB PRVI Miles World MasterCard
UOB Lady’s Card
UOB Lady’s SOlitaire Card
UOB Debit Card
UOB Lady’s Debit Card
OCBC Titanium Rewards Credit Card
DBS/POSB Passion POSB Debit Card
SAFRA DBS Debit Card
DBS Esso Card
You can register your card at http://www.transitlink.com.sg/ABT
Payment by MasterCard PayPass is not new as it has been working in the London’s transport system for sometime. At the moment, only local issued cards can be used.