Add a travel card to Apple Wallet

Add an eligible travel card to the Wallet app to pay for rides using Apple Pay.

To pay for public transport using Apple Pay, you need:

To add a new travel card, you need to have an eligible payment card in the Wallet app.3

Add a travel card on your iPhone or Apple Watch

You can add a travel card to the Wallet app on your iPhone or Apple Watch.

How to add a travel card on your iPhone

  1. On your iPhone, open the Wallet app.

  2. Tap the Add buttonThe add button.

  3. Tap Travel Card to add a new travel card or tap Previous Card to add a travel card that you've previously added to the Wallet app.

  4. Choose a travel card from the list, or search by location or card name.

  5. Tap Continue.

  6. Choose an amount to put on your card and tap Add. If you select a pass to add to your card, tap Buy.4

  7. Follow the onscreen steps to confirm your purchase and add your travel card.

How to add a travel card on your Apple Watch

  1. On your Apple Watch, open the Wallet app.

  2. Scroll down and tap Add Card.

  3. Tap Travel Card to add a new travel card or tap Previous Card to add a travel card that you've previously added to the Wallet app.

  4. Choose a travel card from the list.

  5. Tap Continue.

  6. Choose an amount to put on your card and tap Add Money. If you select a pass to add to your card, tap Buy.4

  7. Follow the onscreen steps to confirm your purchase and add your travel card.

When you add an eligible travel card, that card may be automatically set to Express Mode. You may also be able to add money to your travel card in the Wallet app.

Travel card use and availability may be limited based on region. Contact the relevant public transport agency to see if adding travel cards to the Wallet app is supported in your city or region.

Apple Watches managed with Family Setup may not be able to add cards directly on the Apple Watch.

Transfer your physical travel card to Apple Wallet

If you have a physical travel card, you may be able to move that card and its current balance to the Wallet app on your iPhone or Apple Watch.

Transfer your physical travel card to your iPhone

  1. On your iPhone, open the Wallet app.

  2. Tap the Add buttonThe add button.

  3. Tap Travel Card.

  4. Choose a card from the list, or search by location or card name.

  5. Tap Continue.

  6. Tap Transfer Existing Card.

  7. Enter your card number and other required information.5

  8. Place your travel card on a flat surface and rest the top of your iPhone on the card until you see Card Added on the screen. This process could take a few minutes to complete.

Transfer your physical travel card to your Apple Watch

  1. On your iPhone, open the Apple Watch app.

  2. In the My Watch tab, tap Wallet & Apple Pay.

  3. Tap Add Card and then tap Travel Card.

  4. Choose a card from the list, or search by location or card name.

  5. Tap Continue.

  6. Tap Transfer Existing Card.

  7. Enter your card number and other required information.5

  8. Place your travel card on a flat surface and rest the top of your iPhone on the card until you see Card Added on the screen. This process could take a few minutes to complete.

If you receive an error, such as No Card Detected or Could Not Add Card:

  • If your iPhone has a case, take off the case or remove any metal that may be between your iPhone and your physical card.

  • Make sure the top of your iPhone is resting on your physical card and remains still.

  • Check with the relevant public transport agency to see if your physical card can be transferred.

After you've transferred your physical card to the Wallet app, your physical card may no longer work.

Use Express Mode with your travel card

By using Express Mode, you can pay for public transport quickly with just a tap. You don't have to wake or unlock your device, or authenticate using Face ID, Touch ID or a passcode.

After you've added an eligible travel card, Express Mode may be enabled for that card by default. Or you can choose an eligible travel or payment card as your Express Mode card.

Find out how to set a travel or payment card to Express Mode.

Transfer your travel card between devices

You can only have a travel card in the Wallet app on one device at a time. To use your travel card on a different device, you can move it from your iPhone to your Apple Watch or from one iPhone to another.

How to transfer your travel card from your iPhone to your Apple Watch

  1. On your iPhone, open the Apple Watch app.

  2. In the My Watch tab, tap Wallet & Apple Pay.

  3. Tap the Add button next to the travel card you want to move.

  4. You can also select Add Card to view a list of previous cards from your other devices.

You can use the Apple Watch app to move the card back to your iPhone when you aren't on public transport.

How to transfer your travel card to a new device using Setup Assistant

  1. In Setup Assistant on your new iPhone, tap Wallet.

  2. Select the travel cards you want to transfer from your previous device.

  3. Tap Continue to confirm you want to transfer your travel card to your new device.6

Your previous device must be nearby and connected to the internet in order to complete the transfer to your new device.

How to transfer your travel card using the Wallet app

  1. On your new iPhone, open the Wallet app and tap the Add buttonThe add button.

  2. Tap Previous Cards and choose your travel card.

  3. Follow the steps on the screen to add your travel card to the new iPhone.6

Your previous device must be nearby and connected to the internet in order to complete the transfer to your new device. If your devices aren’t near each other, you’ll need to remove your card manually to transfer it to your new device.

How to remove your travel card

  1. On your iPhone, open the Wallet app.

  2. Tap your travel card.

  3. Tap the More buttonNo alt supplied for Image, then tap Card Detailsthe card details icon.

  4. Scroll down and tap Remove this Card. Tap Remove to confirm.

  1. To use Express Mode with a credit card in Wallet, you need an iPhone SE (2016) or iPhone 6s or later with iOS 12.3 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 1 or later with watchOS 5.2.1 or later.

  2. If you sign out of iCloud or turn off Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode on your iPhone or Apple Watch, all credit, debit and travel cards are removed from that device. When you remove a travel card from any device, the remaining balance will be stored and available to be transferred to the same or another iPhone or Apple Watch that is connected to a network and signed in to iCloud with the same Apple Account.

  3. Payment cards can only be used for adult full fares. Credit cards and internationally issued Visa and Mastercard debit cards can be used with Express Travel in Wallet. Interac debit cards can be used by double-clicking on the side button on the device.

  4. A Hong Kong-issued Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay card that you use with Apple Pay is required to purchase or top up an Octopus card in the Wallet app. If you have a credit or debit card that wasn't issued in Hong Kong, use the Octopus App for Tourists app instead. A China UnionPay credit or debit card is required to purchase or top up a travel card for China mainland.

  5. In Hong Kong, your date of birth and Hong Kong ID are required for personalised Octopus cards and cards with Automatic Add Value Service (AAVS) turned on.

  6. After the transfer has been completed, the previous card will remain visible in the Wallet app with an indication that the card can’t be used.

Apple Pay is a service provided by certain Apple affiliates, as designated by the Apple Pay privacy notice. Neither Apple Inc. nor its affiliates are a bank. Any card used in Apple Pay is offered by the card issuer.

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