EZ-Link Signs MOU with Guangdong Lingnan Pass Company to Develop the World’s First Dual Currency Transport Smart Card

First transnational transit card to boost business and tourism connectivity between the two cities

SINGAPORE, 21 August 2013 – EZ-Link Pte Ltd, Singapore’s largest issuer of the CEPAS-compliant cards announced a partnership with Guangdong Lingnan Pass Company Limited, issuer of the Guangdong Lingnan Pass, to develop the world’s first dual currency transit card that transcends international borders, at the Fifth Singapore Guangdong Collaboration Council (SGCC) meeting. To be launched in the first half of 2014, the SINO Visitor Pass can be used in Singapore and Guangdong, enabling visitors between both cities to commute on each other’s public transportation networks with just one card.

<sino_vp>

Hosting both the ez-link and the Lingnan Pass electronic purses, the two-in-one contactless smart cards will securely store both Singapore Dollars and Renminbi, representing a breakthrough in platform interoperability. Besides public transport, these cards will also be accepted at more than 100,000 points in both cities, making it easy for visitors to commute, eat and shop with just one card in hand.

To launch the joint initiative, driven by the Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City and Tourism Industry, EZ-Link’s Chief Executive Officer Mr. Nicholas Lee and Guangdong Lingnan Pass Company’s General Manager Mr. Zhendong Xie signed a memorandum of understanding at the Fifth SGCC meeting.

“We are very honoured to be collaborating with Guangdong Lingnan Pass Company Ltd to develop the SINO Visitor Pass. This collaboration marks a great milestone for both companies, etching a path towards our similar vision for uninterrupted travel on public transportation, as well as retail and other payments across national borders,” said Mr. Nicholas Lee, CEO, EZ-Link Pte Ltd. “Just as how the ez-link card has become the choice card for its consumers for commuting, shopping and dining in Singapore, we are committed to unleashing a whole new level of customer experience and convenience to visitors between the two countries.”

“We are very happy to have this partnership with EZ-Link Pte Ltd, which successfully developed the combi-card with a single chip, using Java technology and is securely compatible with both criterions,” said Mr. Zhendong Xie, GM, Guangdong Lingnan Pass Company Limited. “What’s more, the realization of this cross-border cooperation demonstrates an important significance, for it is a first-time collaboration of transport IC cards between two countries.”

After its launch, both partners will progressively add functions to the Pass, such as enabling users to reload the ez-link purse at top-up terminals for the Guangdong Lingnan Pass in Guangdong and vice versa. Subsequently, EZ-Link also plans to integrate its pioneering contactless e-ticketing (ETS) technology into the Pass; similar to what has been currently done for its tourist products, the “Singapore Tourist Pass” card and “Go Singapore Pass”, which allow users to conveniently tap on any public bus or train reader to activate the pass and explore Singapore on both public transportation and its affiliated partners’ tour packages.

“Besides contributing our expertise in developing secured, interoperable cards with multiple purses for transit and retail payments to this partnership, EZ-Link will also leverage on our innovative lifestyle e-ticketing technologies to enhance the usage and value propositions of the card,” added Mr. Lee. “This means that in the future, visitors can also gain access to tourist attractions, food


About EZ-Link Pte Ltd
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. To date, more than 17 million new CEPAS-compliant EZ-Link cards have been issued. 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 at carparks fitted with the Electronic Payment System (EPS) when used in the dual-mode in-vehicle unit.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *