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Hong Kong taxis to join modern world as digital payment platform wins approval from Transport Department

  • Bindo Labs subsidiary Wonder has won approval for its system that accepts 18 different forms of digital payment, it announced on Tuesday
  • The company will try to kick-start adoption by giving taxi drivers the required equipment – worth HK$8,600 (US$1,098) – for the next six months

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Taxis queue at Tsim Sha Tsui Ferry Pier on April 8, 2024. Photo: Jelly Tse

Hong Kong fintech company Wonder has won approval from the city’s Transport Department for its effort to bring digital payments to Hong Kong’s 18,000-odd taxis, the vast majority of which only take cash.

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Taxi Pay x Wonder, or Taxi Pay for short, is the first payment gateway platform to be approved by the HKSAR Transport Department, Wonder announced on Tuesday. Wonder is a subsidiary of Bindo Labs, a 2010 start-up that provides online payment systems for the food and beverage industry.

The system will allow Hongkongers to use 18 different local and international payment options to settle taxi fares, either by scanning a QR code to pay via their mobile phone or tapping their phone or payment card on a terminal.

The company hopes to shake up the taxi industry in Hong Kong, one of the few major cities where cash is still king for taxi fares unless a commuter prepays to book a taxi via an app like Uber. Widespread adoption of digital payments would enhance Hong Kong’s reputation as a global hub of innovation and a forward-thinking international city, the company said.

Chau Kwok-keung, chairman of The Hong Kong Taxi & Public Light Bus Association, demonstrates Wonder’s payment system in Sham Shui Po on November 2, 2023. Photo: Edmond So
Chau Kwok-keung, chairman of The Hong Kong Taxi & Public Light Bus Association, demonstrates Wonder’s payment system in Sham Shui Po on November 2, 2023. Photo: Edmond So

“We aim to boost the adoption of digital payments and enhance the overall taxi experience for both local riders and international visitors,” Jason Ngan, founder and CEO at Wonder, said during a press conference at Hong Kong Science Park on Tuesday.

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