Shenzhen Metro now accepts foreign bank cards for tap-to-ride

Shenzhen Metro now has enabled contactless tap-to-ride payment at fare gates for passengers holding overseas-issued bank cards. The new service supports Mastercard, American Express, Visa, and JCB, and all cards must have contactless payment capability.

Available across the metro network’s 432 stations on 17 lines, the new option, along with the existing China UnionPay system, allows eligible passengers to travel without purchasing traditional tickets or downloading apps.

Introduced ahead of the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, to be held in Shenzhen in November, the feature is designed to meet the payment needs of global visitors.

Photo from Shenzhen Metro.

Other ways to pay at Shenzhen Metro:

· Shenzhen Tong cards

Shenzhen Metro offers several ticket/card types and discounts. A Shenzhen Tong card can be used for most public transport in Shenzhen, including the metro, buses, SkyShuttle, and the tram.

Physical Shenzhen Tong cards are available for purchase at most metro stations. Ordinary cards with a deposit are refundable for both the deposit and balance, while certain other physical cards (such as souvenir cards) are refundable for the balance only.

· QR codes

You can pay your ride by scanning QR codes in the WeChat miniprogram “深圳通+” or “乘车码”, as well as other apps such as UnionPay (云闪付) and Alipay (支付宝) after tapping the “出行” button.

· NFC

If you have a phone with NFC (near-field communication), you may be able to use it to make direct payments from your phone wallet.

· China T-Union cards 

Other physical transport cards bearing the China T-Union (交通联合) logo can be used to pay for public transport in more than 330 cities across China, including Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Macao.

The China T-Union logo.