Taipei MRT Now Accepts Credit Cards and Digital Wallets

Starting today, people can ride MRT services run by Taipei Metro using physical credit cards or digital wallets linked to cards, but the transactions would not qualify for the Frequent Rider reward program, the company said yesterday.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an （蔣萬安）, who attended a news conference to announce the launch of the new multi-payment initiative for the MRT system, said that the change was to align the region with international trends.

The MRT system has six major lines and extends into New Taipei City, serving as the primary transit service for the greater Taipei area.

The system would accept major international and domestic credit cards — including Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Discover and Diners Club — and digital wallets Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay, the operator said.

The initiative follows the rollout in January of QR code payments, which allows people to use major electronic payment platforms to board buses and MRT trains in Taipei and New Taipei City.

Over the past six months, the QR code payment system has facilitated more than 1 million rides, said Maggie Pao （包國儀）, chief executive officer of Taishin International Bank’s Retail Banking Group, which has partnered with Taipei Metro on the initiative.

More than 80 percent of people who used the QR codes were aged 35 or younger, indicating that digital wallet payments have become mainstream among young people, Pao told the news conference.

Taipei Metro said in a statement that credit card payments are ineligible for the Frequent Rider reward program, as security rules prohibit the transit system from storing bank card numbers.

People with iPhones can enable “Express Transit” in their Apple Wallet, allowing them to tap their iPhone at gates to pass through without unlocking the device — a feature exclusive to Apple devices, Taipei Metro said.