Beijing Super Pass
From Beijingology
The Beijing Super Pass (officially known as the Beijing Municipal Administration and Communications Card; otherwise known as the Yikatong card) is a store-value touch card used in Beijing for public transit and small-value purchases at designated stores. (Yikatong means "one card pass" in Chinese, reflecting on the eventual "Swiss Army Knife"-like usage of card services.) It is similar to Shanghai's Public Transporation Card, Tianjin's City Card, Guangzhou's Yang Cheng Tong, and Hong Kong's Octopus card.
The card was introduced after previous IC-card test systems proved to be successful. However, these cards never even reached much of the general public, and their usage scopes were extremely limited.
First introduced to the general public in 2003, the card was first put into use at the end of 2003 (in part possibly due to the impact of SARS that year, which brought minor delays), when Beijing Subway Line 13 switched to the AFC ticket inspection system.
The card can be bought by all in the city against a deposit of around CNY 20 (2003 deposits were CNY 30); identification, once required prior to the first purchase, is no longer needed. The card can have its value refilled at intervals of CNY 10. The deposit is only used in the case the card is used for a transaction exceeding the value of the card remaining.
As of July 2004, the card can be used on Beijing's Bashi Bus Company buses, as well as underground line 13 and some Beijing taxis. The card is expected to be expanded so that parking and expressway fees, as well as water transportation charges, can be paid using the swipe card.
By late 2006, the same Super Pass was put into use on ETC systems on the Badaling Expressway and the Jingjintang Expressway. They were used for all of 2007 before a newer ETC card replaced them.
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Uses
Buses
A limited selection of Bashi Company buses were amongst the very first users of the Beijing Super Pass. The very first routes sporting Super Pass readers were ready by spring 2003, just around the period of the SARS crisis.
In 2006, the number of bus routes that were Super Pass-compatible exploded exponentially. A further boost in the usage of the Super Passes came as a massive price slashing got underway, with bus fares slashed by 60% for users of the Super Pass. Student discounts went all the way down to 80% of the standard fare.
By summer 2007, the great majority of bus routes were Super Pass-friendly. As of 2008, there are only very few routes that are incompatible with the Super Pass. It is safe to say that the average bus riders will hop on in central Beijing are all equipped with Super Pass readers.
Subway
Subway Line 13 was the very first subway line which was ready for the Super Pass, beginning on December 31, 2003. By May 10, 2006, Super Pass AFC systems were added to Subway Lines 1 and 2, as well as the Batong Subway Line. Super Pass support was enabled in full on October 7, 2007, and the new AFC systems put into use on June 9, 2008, as well as Subway Lines 8, 10 and the Airport Express, which opened July 19, 2008, were Super Pass-friendly from the very beginning.
Taxis
In early 2003, just a scattering of Hyundai taxis accepted the Super Pass. By July 2004, the scope was widened, following another expansion in 2006. The chances of finding a Super Pass-savvy taxi are increasing all the time; however, the present ratio is still around 50%.
Up to two-thirds of all Beijing taxis (at least 60,000), technically speaking, support the Beijing Super Pass, and have done so August 1, 2008, just in time for the Beijing Olympics. However, there are reports of drivers unable to retrieve card credit, thereby resulting a noticeable number of drivers who refuse to use the card. Legally speaking, it is legal to sue or report the cab driver if he or she does not comply with the request to use the Super Pass.
Expressways
With the activation of the ETC systems on the Badaling and Jingjintang Expressways on December 30, 2006, Super Passes were also usable on expressways. Expressway support for the Super Pass, however, was temporarily dropped in early 2008, when a new national ETC card system won in favor of the existing Super Pass system.
Cinemas
At 22 cinemas around Beijing, payment can be made using the Super Pass. Discount of up to 10% are available.
Convenience Stores
A trial run involving convenience stores, once on the drawing board, is now reality. All Quik, a great number of Vanguard Olé! and an increasing number of Wu-Mart stores are now Super Pass-friendly.
Cards
The standard Super Pass requires a CNY 20 deposit and a minimum initial value of CNY 20. For all cards, top ups can only happen in increments of CNY 10.
No card is able to store a value greater than CNY 1,000. Machine rechargers at Subway stations will only be able to handle amounts up to CNY 500 in one go (however, users are allowed to recharge in multiple goes).
A Beijing-Tianjin combined card was introduced in Tianjin on August 7, 2008, and in Beijing on August 15, 2008. The new card is sold (not lent) for a price of CNY 20, and supports uses in both Beijing and Tianjin. There are two "money zones"; each can be topped up to a maximum of CNY 1,000 per zone.
Types of Super Passes
Regular Card
The regular Super Pass was available as early as 2003 and is still one of the most commonly seen cards in use today. The regular card is anonymous and does not belong to any single user, making it transferable.
Monthly Card
The monthly card was a short-lived invention. Its usage was remarkably short (from May 10, 2006 through to early 2007 for bus month cards), and it has now been replaced by the day pass, with the only monthly cards that are still in use today being those used by subway users. On November 1, 2007, the subway-only monthly cards, too, were relieved of their duties. All monthly cards are now only usable as a standard ticket, which means that funds must be deposited into the card first.
Day Passes
Day passes are valid for a short period of time only.
Student Cards
Student cards are available to students only. They are expected to be activated based on each school term to prevent abuse.
Special Cards
Special cards were available for the opening of the AFC system on Subway Line 13, as well as the opening of the Super Pass payment system on taxis. They are rare.
Customized Cards
In mid-2007, a few fully customized cards began to make their presence felt. The idea here would be that the back of card would be fully customizable by the owner of the card. These are regular cards in function.
Customized cards also come in a shape and form different from the usual credit card size.
Beijing-Tianjin Card
The Beijing-Tianjin card became available in 2008, when it was first available in Tianjin, and later available in Beijing. This card consists of two integrated chips (one each for Beijing and Tianjin), and can be used in both cities. In Tianjin, discounts are also applied in the Tianjin Metro system, unlike Beijing, where the Beijing Subway treats Single Journey Ticket and Super Pass users to the equal fare to be paid.
This card is sold, not lent, and cannot as a result be returned or refunded.
Notes on Card Credit
- The maximum amount that can be charged to a Beijing Super Pass is CNY 1,000; this is the total sum that can be available at any one time.
- Cards can be refilled only in increments of CNY 10.
- A hidden temporary credit of CNY 20 (CNY 30 on earlier cards) is available once only; it is only available if the stored value of the card is CNY 0.10 or greater. The maximum negative value is therefore CNY -29.90 (or for present cards, CNY -19.90).
Refills
Cards can be recharged at:
- all Super Pass recharge points ("blue houses")
- all Beijing Subway stations (exit D only)
- some convenience stores
- CITIC bank offices
