Similar to London’s Oyster system, SimplyGo enables passengers to use contactless bank cards as their travel card on public transport, removing the need to carry a separate travel card or make upfront top-ups before travelling. Passengers will also be able to track their travel expenditure and history by registering on the TransitLink SimplyGo portal.
SimplyGo will initially include all Mastercard contactless bank cards, while LTA expects Visa will be included in the system later this year. Towards the end of the year, passengers without contactless bank cards will also be able to use SimplyGo by upgrading their existing travel cards.
Users will be able to tap in and out with their contactless cards, and use mobile devices linked to Mastercard such as NFC-enabled devices with Apple Pay, Fitbit Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
Mastercard users will not need to pre-register to use the service, and service ambassadors will be deployed at stations to assist passengers during the initial launch.
Passengers who use SimplyGo with contactless bank cards issued in Singapore will be charged the same fares as those who currently use travel cards, and charges will be reflected in the passengers’ credit or debit card bills similar to retail transactions.
