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Explainer | Octopus, AlipayHK, WeChat Pay or Tap & Go? What Hongkongers need to know when registering for HK$5,000 e-voucher scheme
- The Post breaks down the four payment platforms taking part in the scheme, debunking some of the misconceptions around applying along the way
- For one thing, users do not need to register for the government’s ‘iAM Smart’ app to register for the handouts
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Hongkongers have rushed to sign-up for the government’s HK$5,000 (US$644) e-voucher scheme, undeterred by long online wait times driven by overwhelming demand when registration first opened a week ago.
As of Friday night, nearly 4.5 million people, or 62 per cent of those eligible for the handouts, had applied for the HK$36 billion scheme aimed at boosting consumer spending in hopes of accelerating the city’s economic recovery amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Applicants can register online from July 4 to August 14, with the first instalment of HK$2,000 set to be distributed on August 1.
For those who still have not signed up, the Post breaks down the scheme’s four designated payment systems, and debunks some of the misconceptions circulating online about the registration process.
People will receive an SMS message confirming their application is valid about a week after completing the electronic registration, and it will take about two weeks for those who submit paper forms.
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