Singapore and China develop dual-currency transit card

In what is claimed to be a world first, the world's first dual currency transport smart card is being developed for use in Singapore and the Chinese province of Guangdong. The contactless smart card, or Sino visitor pass, will be launched in the first half of 2014 by Singapore payment service provider EZ-Link and Guangdong Lingnan Pass Company, allowing commuters to travel in both cities with just one card. The smart card will store both Singapore dollars and Chinese Renminbi and will also be accepted
August 22, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
In what is claimed to be a world first, the world's first dual currency transport smart card is being developed for use in Singapore and the Chinese province of Guangdong.

The contactless smart card, or Sino visitor pass, will be launched in the first half of 2014 by Singapore payment service provider EZ-Link and Guangdong Lingnan Pass Company, allowing commuters to travel in both cities with just one card.

The smart card will store both Singapore dollars and Chinese Renminbi and will also be accepted at more than 100,000 points in both cities, including retail and food and beverage.

Additional functions such as inter-city top-up features and the integration of e-tickets to hold products such as tourist passes will be progressively added after the launch.

"This means that in the future, visitors can also gain access to tourist attractions, food and beverage, retail deals and other lifestyle applications in both countries with this pass," said EZ-Link's CEO Nicholas Lee.

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