EZ-Link
The EZ-Link card is a contactless smartcard for payments in Singapore, mainly used for transportation based on Sony's FeliCa smartcard technology. Established in 2001, it was promoted as a means for faster travel due to to speedier boarding times on buses.
Commonly used in Singapore as a smartcard for paying transportation fees in the city state's Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), Light Rapid Transit (LRT) and public bus services, it also serves as a supplementary identification and concession card for
- students in nationally recognised educational institutes (primary to tertiary levels),
- personnel serving in the Singapore Armed Forces,
- senior citizens (over sixty years old).
The system has since been expanded, with EZ-link cards being used for payments in Singapore branches of McDonald's, food centers, and libraries. Some schools in Singapore have also started to adopt the EZ-Link card as a way to mark the attendance of the students and to pay for food served within the school campus.
To avoid the problem of fare-cheats, such as people who pay the wrong fare, the system imposes a maximum deduction at the start and then a refund when the card is tapped again at the exit. Initially it was not very well received by Singaporean commuters due to numerous glitches, most of which were rectified by the second year of operation.
The same system will be used for public transit in The Netherlands.
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Categories: Contactless smartcards | Payment systems | Transport in Singapore