Issued By: EZ-Link Pte Ltd, People’s Association, QB Pte Ltd
SINGAPORE, 25 August 2009 – The People’s Association (PA) has recently announced a corporate partnership with Resorts World at Sentosa that introduced a slew of benefits for PAssion Card members. On Singapore, 25 August 2009, the PA announced today of bringing even more benefits to PAssion Card member through its tripartite partnership with EZ-Link Pte Ltd and QB Pte Ltd on the launch of the new PAssion ez-link Card by the end of this year.
A tripartite agreement was signed between the Chief Executive Director of PA, Mr Tan Boon Huat, the Executive Director of EZ-Link Pte Ltd, Mr Nicholas Lee and the Group Managing Director of QB Pte Ltd, Mr Jeremy Tan. Through the partnership, all three parties hope to leverage on each other’s networks to create more benefits and privileges for the community at large.
As the premium community privilege card, the new PAssion ez-link Card is the first Membership Card in Singapore to incorporate the new ez-link purse which complies with the national Standard for Contactless e-Purse Applications (CEPAS). With the increased functionality and the latest in cashless convenience, the PAssion ez-link card enables the payment of transit services, retail purchases and motoring charges. In addition, members can also use their ez-link card to make payment on board SMRT taxis, the first taxi operator in Singapore to provide this option of cashless payment in all its taxis.
With the advent of the 2nd-Generation In-Vehicle Unit (2GIU), the new PAssion ez-link card can also be used to make retail and road payments such as Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) charges and, by October 2009, Electronic Parking System (EPS) charges.
In addition, the new card allows its member able to earn ez-Rewards points with their new PAssion ez-link Cards when they make ez-link payments with their cards at both transit (buses and trains) and retail merchants. The accumulated ez-Rewards points can then qualify the members for discounts and promotions at participating ez-Rewards merchants. These two new features open up more benefits and privileges for PAssion ez-link Card members. A list of participating ez-link merchants can be obtained from the ez-Rewards website at www.ezrewards.com.sg.
For the first time ever in Singapore, EZ-Link is working hand-in-hand with partner QB to introduce rewards in the form of transit points. Holders of the new PAssion ez-link Card will be the first in Singapore to enjoy the benefits of this new rewards scheme that complements the existing ez-Rewards system, thereby value-adding to the existing host of benefits and incentives that PAssion ez-link Card members will be offered.
Besides increased functionality, the new PAssion ez-link Card will sport a new card face with a new card fee priced affordably at $12 for a 5-year membership for adults for the first two years of introducing the new card. For spouses of the Principal Card holder, Children below 18 and Seniors Citizens 60 years and above, the membership will be only at $10. Additionally, PA will introduce a further discount (for a start a 2% off members’ rate) for members who use the new card to pay for Community Club (CC) courses/activities. This move comes in the bid to promote the adoption of cashless transactions using the new PAssion ez-link Card at all CCs and PA outlets, and encourage existing PAssion Card members to switch to the new PAssion ez-link Card.
With a common objective to bring about greater convenience to consumers, the PAssion ez-link card can bet opped-up at any of the existing ez-link top-up channels across the island. They currently include all General Ticketing Machines, Add-Value Machines, DBS/POSB ATMs and 7-Eleven outlets, as well as AXS Stations by the end of October 2009. Another exciting plan is that new top-up terminals will also be installed at all the 105 CCs of PA, enabling members to conveniently top up their PAssion ez-link Card without having to pay the top-up fee. The first top-up 9terminal will be installed at the Anchorvale CC. EZ-Link is also working with Card Alliance Pte Ltd to enable its network of Qualifying Full Banks (QFBs) to top up PAssion ez-link cards in the near future.
PAssion ez-link Cardholders can also opt to sign up for EZ-Link’s auto top-up facility, EZ-Reload, a service that links the user’s PAssion ez-link Card to their credit/debit and very soon to their bank account. Passion ez-link Cardholders who have chosen to enable their cards with EZ-Reload will have their cards automatically topped up with the pre-selected top-up amount whenever a card with insufficient funds is presented at a bus, train or at selected retail readers to make a payment.
Chief Executive Director of PA, Mr Tan Boon Huat said, “The launch of the new PAssion ez-link Card is very timely as it is in line with the Government’s cause of promoting a cashless society. In PA, we will create greater incentives for members who transact using the PAssion ez-link Card at CCs and other PA outlets by giving them a further discount, for a start an additional 2% off members’ rate. We believe that with combination of affordable PA lifestyle courses and activities and the convenience and functions of the new generation PAssion Card, we can open up more opportunities to reach out and engage the community and bring more people from all walks of life together towards a greater community”.
Executive Director of EZ-Link, Mr Nicholas Lee adds, “EZ-Link has taken another big step forward and is now one step closer to being the ultimate card to suit every lifestyle in Singapore. With the PAssion ez-link card, we are proud to value-add to the existing host of benefits and privileges that is offered with the existing PAssion card. In addition to launching the new top-up terminals at the 105 CCs island-wide from October 2009, we feel that the newly-introduced transit points scheme will incentivize card usage and thereby promoting Singapore’s adoption of cashless and contactless payment. More importantly, these incentives aim to bring communities together with the common usage of a card that brings about maximum convenience and benefits to the people.”
Group Managing Director of QB, Mr Jeremy Tan commented, “This new collaboration between PA, Ez-Link and QB will be exciting for PAssion ez-link Card members. They will be the first to earn ez-Rewards Points when they use their cards for transport and retail purchases. ez-Rewards Points can be redeemed for discounts and promotions at participating merchants. Our platform allows us to study the profiles and the purchasing behaviours of the members and this will help us in finding the relevant redemption merchants who are able to better suit the needs and wants of the members.”
About EZ-Link Pte Ltd
A subsidiary of the Land Transport Authority, EZ-Link Pte Ltd was formed on 8 January 2002. Its core business is the clearing and settlement of all ez-link card transactions generated in transit and non-transit(retail/merchant) environments, as well as the sale, distribution and overall management of ez-link cards. Prior to CEPAS, EZ-Link had issued over 10 million ez-link cards. To date, the company has sold and replaced over 3 million new ez-link cards which are CEPAS-compliant. This is in tandem with the government’s plan to promote cashless payments in Singapore. In line with this vision, the new ez-link card is now also accepted as a mode of payment for Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) and soon at carparks fitted with the Electronic Payment System (EPS) when used in the 2nd Generation In-vehicle Unit (2GIU).
EZ-Link also introduced the FEVO card in 2009, marking the first time in Singapore that a non-bank entity is authorized to issue a pre-paid card that offers its customers an innovative payment option which has the convenience of a reloadable stored-value card that is accepted at over 28.5 million retailers and merchants around the world. For more information, please visit www.ezlink.com.sg.
About QB Pte Ltd
QB Pte Ltd, co-owned by Korvac Holdings Pte Ltd and Mitsui & Co. (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd, is an exclusive partner of EZ-Link Pte Ltd for payment and loyalty. We work with EZ-Link, banks, government agencies, merchants and retailers to extend the convenience offered by the ez-link card to revolutionise the way consumers pay for everyday necessities. For more information, please visit www.qb-link.com.