AlipayHK extends fee waivers for Hong Kong cabbies amid e-payment reluctance

E-payment service provider AlipayHK will continue to waive fees for Hong Kong taxi drivers to encourage them to use its system, with the company saying the penetration rate has remained low due to cabbies’ persistent reluctance.

Simon Leung, alternate chief executive of AlipayHK, said that the company had implemented several measures to boost adoption. These included enhancing the ride-hailing experience within its payment app for customers and providing drivers with QR codes that came with no service charges and did not require an internet connection.

He said 38,000 Hong Kong taxi drivers had deployed AlipayHK. Of these, 30,000 use the system through a collaboration with Octopus, while 8,000 use a dedicated AlipayHK QR code. Hong Kong has 46,000 active taxi drivers and more than 18,000 cabs in operation.

“Now the vast majority are still using cash. We do not think the market is mature enough for us to start charging people fees,” said Leung, who promised to keep fees waived in the near future as an incentive to motivate drivers to deploy the e-payment system.

Alipay is associated with Alibaba, which owns the South China Morning Post.

Simon Leung says the company has implemented several measures to boost e-payment adoption. Photo; Edmond So

Drivers with an Octopus machine can input the fare and the machine will generate a QR code for passengers to scan with their Alipay mobile app. Cabbies who use the AlipayHK QR code simply need to show passengers the printed code for them to scan and enter the amount.

Source link

Visited 1 times, 1 visit(s) today

Burst pipe in Hong Kong’s North Point leaves thousands without water, electricity

A burst water main in Hong Kong’s North Point on the weekend has left around 2,600 residents without water and 130 households without electricity, authorities have said, while emergency repair work continues. The Home Affairs Department on Monday said the Water Supplies Department completed repairs on the water pipe early in the morning and that

11 August 2025

Hong Kong set for rainy weather later this week after brief heatwave

Hong Kong will experience rain later this week brought on by a looming typhoon, following more hot weather in the coming days caused by an anticyclone affecting southern China, the city’s forecaster has said. Severe Tropical Storm Podul was centred about 1,290km (801.6 miles) east of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, as of noon, and was forecast to

11 August 2025

Hong Kong’s Ocean Park ‘Wild Twister’ ride breakdown fails to deter visitors

Some visitors to Ocean Park Hong Kong have remained undeterred after a ride malfunctioned mid-air stranding 17 people, while an engineer has urged the government to strengthen oversight of the venue’s safety inspections. The breakdown of the “Wild Twister” was the second ride that reported signal failure at the theme park in three months, resulting

11 August 2025

Why are DSE pupils in mainland China willing to pay up to HK$22,000 for university advice?

Mainland Chinese students taking Hong Kong’s university entrance exams are willing to pay up to 20,000 yuan (US$2,785) for advice on which tertiary institution to apply to, a consulting company has said. Teachers also observed that mainland students tended to place greater emphasis on the global ranking of institutions than their Hong Kong counterparts, who

11 August 2025

Health checks on older Hong Kong taxi drivers should be ‘targeted’: experts

Compulsory health checks on older taxi drivers in Hong Kong to evaluate their capacity to drive should be targeted to cover cabbies’ cognitive abilities and take into account their medications, with clearer guidelines on specific conditions, industry experts have said. Ringo Lee Yiu-pui, honorary life president of the Hong Kong, China Automobile Association, said on

11 August 2025

How Hong Kong firms are tapping the rising global demand for halal food products

Hong Kong food producers are capitalising on the growing demand for halal cuisine, with some firms developing certified pre-packed products for tourists in the city and Chinese restaurants in the Middle East. Some industry insiders told the Post recently that the current number of halal-certified restaurants was still falling short of meeting local demand. “We

11 August 2025

‘The risk … has increased’

Increasing global temperatures rightly capture a lot of attention. Much of the focus is on the dangers posed by melting glaciers or the intensity and frequency of natural disasters. But another harmful effect of warmer weather is that there are, quite simply, more days for mosquitoes to be active. What’s happening? It was recently announced

11 August 2025

Wong Po-keung, chairman of the Hong Kong Taxi Owners’ Association, poses for a photo in March 2023. Photo: May Tse

Opinion | Stricter health checks for Hong Kong taxi drivers should just be a start

A proposal in Hong Kong to require commercial vehicle drivers aged 65 and above to pass a fitness test before their driving licences can be renewed was first raised in the Legislative Council back in May 2023. Little was heard about it since – until now. After last week’s horrific car crash involving an octogenarian

11 August 2025

AlipayHK extends fee waivers for Hong Kong cabbies amid e-payment reluctance

Related Article