Starting on Saturday, Chinese mainland visitors will be able to use their China T-Union transit cards — which are accepted in over 300 mainland cities and in Macao — to cover their fares on most MTR journeys.

The MTR Corp, the city’s sole subway operator, said in a statement earlier this month that T-Union cards will be accepted to pay for all MTR trips except those on the Airport Express, first-class on the East Rail Line, and those on Light Rail Transit services and MTR buses.

Passengers using a China T-Union card will be able to tap their card — physical or virtual (stored on their smartphone) — on a card reader displaying the China T-Union logo to enter or exit MTR services.

Each station supporting T-Union cards will have at least two ticketing gates equipped with the new card readers, said MTR Corp.

Fares with a T-Union card will be the same as those charged to an adult Octopus card, and will be deducted from the card’s balance in renminbi and converted to Hong Kong dollars for settlement.

ALSO READ: Hong Kong rail operator MTR in talks for working capital loans

Passengers must ensure they have a minimum balance of 50 yuan ($6.9) on their card before they embark on an MTR trip, the MTR Corp said. As T-Union cards cannot be topped up at MTR stations, the company advises passengers to charge their cards on the mainland or at other supported locations in advance.

Established in 2015, China T-Union is a national transit card that allows passengers to pay fares with a single card when using public transport provided by companies that have joined the China T-Union brand. So far, T-Union cards are accepted in over 300 mainland cities and by Macao’s bus system.

Last year, Octopus launched a new card under the T-Union brand, enabling residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to use it for public transport on the Chinese mainland.

Currently, the MTR network accepts fare payment using tickets, Octopus cards, QR codes and contactless bank cards with the Union Pay, Visa or Mastercard logos.

MTR Corp’s Hong Kong Transport Services Director Jeny Yeung Mei-chun said having more payment options and diversified services will facilitate the needs of more passengers, including visitors to Hong Kong, allowing them to freely navigate the extensive MTR network, experience easy travel, and immerse themselves in the charms of the city.

Contact the writer at stephyzhang@chinadailyhk.com