How to Pay in Hong Kong

Hong Kong uses the Hong Kong dollar, HKD.

A physical Adult On-Loan Octopus is the simplest general payment tool for most short stays because it works across the major public transport network and many convenience stores, fast-food outlets and small merchants. It is a card, not an app recommendation. Obtain one from an authorised point, add value in cash and keep the card number. A short-use refund can incur the current HK$11 handling fee, or 1% of a large remaining value, under the official conditions.

A sold Tourist Octopus is a souvenir product with a non-refundable card cost, so ask which type is being offered. The Octopus App for Tourists is a useful optional alternative for a compatible iPhone or Apple Watch and supported Huawei phones. It can create Mobile Octopus and use eligible non-Hong Kong Mastercard, UnionPay or Visa cards for top-up. It is not a general Android tourist solution.

The ordinary Octopus on Android requires Android 12 or later, a device sold by an authorised Hong Kong retailer, an Octopus Wallet account and Hong Kong-issued cards for direct card top-ups. Most overseas Android visitors should use a physical Octopus instead. A new Mobile Octopus includes a refundable HK$50 deposit, and cancellation within 90 days has an HK$11 handling fee. Check the card issuer's final exchange total before funding and do not preload more than needed.

International cards and phone wallets work at many hotels, malls and restaurants, but traditional eateries, wet markets and small stalls may prefer cash or Octopus. Carry a physical card, a backup and some small HKD notes. Decline home-currency conversion when a terminal or ATM offers it unless you have verified that its total is better. AlipayHK and local Octopus Wallet features are resident-oriented and are not required for a normal visit.