Wondering if I need cash for taxis in Hong Kong or if I can just pay with card or app like in other countries?
Stayed in Tsim Sha Tsui and took taxis to and from the ferry terminal and Peak Tram. All of them asked for cash. No one accepted card and most didn’t even speak much English. I always showed them the address on my phone and paid with exact notes. One driver offered to accept Octopus but only after I asked. I would not count on card payments for taxis in Hong Kong unless you are using a ride hailing app that supports it.
I was in Central and Wan Chai for work and took taxis every day. None of the drivers I met accepted card. A few had the Octopus reader installed but refused to use it. I had to withdraw cash from an HSBC ATM just to get around. Later I started booking through HKTaxi and that worked better since I could prepay in the app using my N26 card. Even then, one driver asked me to cancel and pay cash so I kept some on hand just in case.
Just spent a week in Hong Kong and used a mix of taxis and ride apps. The older taxis I flagged on the street never accepted card. I asked one driver in Mong Kok and he said only cash. Another one had a sticker for Visa and Mastercard but when I tried to use my Wise card, he said the machine was broken. When I used the HKTaxi app, I could choose to pay with card through the app but it had to be set up ahead of time. I suggest carrying small notes in HKD for taxis just to be safe.
I was in Hong Kong in May and took several taxis between Kowloon and the airport. Most of the regular red taxis still prefer cash. A couple had card machines but when I asked, the drivers said it was not working or they preferred cash. I used cash every time to avoid delays or awkward moments. Some drivers did accept Octopus but only for short city rides. If you want to pay with card or app, I’d recommend using Uber or HKTaxi which lets you link your card in advance.