Taipei EasyCard Guide: Taiwan’s Smart Card

A Taiwan EasyCard is an integrated circuit (IC) card you can use to pay for various goods and services throughout Taiwan without cash. These cards start at NT$100 ($3.00) and make your time in Taiwan more convenient.

When moving to Taiwan 4 years ago, the first thing I did was buy an EasyCard. Throughout this guide, I’ll explain my reasoning.

Let’s move out.

What Is an EasyCard in Taiwan?

EasyCard, Yo Yo Card or 悠遊卡 (Yōuyóu kǎ), is a contactless security smart card developed and maintained by EasyCard Corporation.

The Taipei EasyCard costs NT$100 ($3.60) and has zero balance. You can fill the balances from various mediums I’ll cover in this guide.

You can get it at any Metro station or chain store.

Since 1 April 2010, use has been expanded for convenience stores, department stores, supermarkets, taxis, and other retailers.

Like traditional electronic fare, the card uses RFID technology to work without physical contact.

You can find Taipei Smart Card designs in various shapes and sizes. For instance, you can carry an official Poké Ball EasyCard or chicken wing smart card that functions like normal. These unique cards usually cost more.

The maximum amount that you can put on an EasyCard is NT$10000 ($359).

Here’s a timeline that shows all the limited edition EasyCard.

Are you worried about your Yo Yo Card failing you?

Each card has a one-year warranty. If the card fails you for any reason, you can exchange it for free.

You don’t have to register your Taipei Smart Card. However, failing to register your card won’t allow you to receive reimbursement or protection if someone steals your card.

Discounts With the Taiwan EasyCard

Using an EasyCard to transfer to and from the following transportation vehicles will receive these discounts [1]:

• YouBike (Taipei only): rent one within an hour of departing the Taipei MRT and get a NT$5 discount
• Buses: NT$8, NT$6 and NT$4 discount when transferring between the Taipei Metro and bus within an hour
• Danhai LRT (Tamsui District):
  • Seniors & children receive a NT$4 discount when transferring
  • Everyone else gets a NT$8 discount

Where Can I Purchase an EasyCard?

Here’s where you can get an EasyCard:

7-Eleven	Online shops	EasyCard Corp. service center	Grocery stores (sometimes)
Airports	Travel websites	FamilyMart	MRT station kiosks
Metro station service counters	Schools	Credit cards

Avoid buying these online if possible. Unless they’re from a known brand. A hacker COULD upload malware to these cards.

Referring to schools. Your education institution will give you an EasyCard once during your orientation.

Some credit cards come with an EasyCard built-in.

Looking for EasyCards like the PlayStation controller picture in the previous section? These are limited edition and aren’t in stock, anymore. But they’re on Shopee (Taiwan’s Amazon). However, they’re marked up and it’s sketchy to buy smart cards online.

Since these cards use NFC, people could install malware on these cards and sell them. I may be paranoid in this scenario. But it’s something to consider.

How Do I Use an EasyCard?

Hover your card above an IC card sensor and wait until you get a confirmation notice.

These notices include the following:

• Balance display
• A green light with a beep
• Staff notifying you your card was successful
• Gates at public transportations opening

To know if you’re tapping a smart card sensor, pay attention to what surface others use to pay with their smart card. Or search for a surface with the text “IC card.”

If you’re at a convenience store, look for a surface with various cards’ logos. Usually, the cashier will guide you to where you’re supposed to tap your card.

Act confused, and the staff will guide you to the sensor. However, you’ll want to show the employee your Taipei EasyCard to notify them that it’s your payment method.

How To Top Up an EasyCard

Here’s how you can top up a Taiwan EasyCard:

• Metro & train station touchscreen kiosks
• Convenience stores
• Speak to metro station staff

Most convenience store clerks can’t speak English. Just hand them your EasyCard and cash. They’ll likely understand that you want to refill your card with the amount of cash you presented.

Refilling your card at an MRT station is a different story. All the staff I’ve encountered speak English.

Types of EasyCards

Depending on what group you fall under, you can get 1 of these cards:

• Taiwan Adult EasyCard
• Taiwan Student EasyCard
• Co-branded credit card
• Taiwan Concessionaire EasyCard

Taiwanese citizens can get these cards:

• New Taipei City Children’s Cards
• Welfare EasyCard
• Taipei City elementary school digital Student ID EasyCard

I’ll only emphasize the former 4 Yo Yo Cards.

The following sections will explain eligibility requirements for each card.

1. Taiwan Adult EasyCard

Non seniors and students will receive the Adult EasyCard, or 普通卡 (Pǔtōng kǎ). You will find these cards anywhere that sells EasyCards. 

2. Taiwan Student EasyCard

You will receive a Student EasyCard from your education facility if the Ministry of Education recognizes you as a student.

A Student EasyCard, 學生卡 (Xuéshēng kǎ), will serve as your identification to check into class, university libraries, and cafeterias.

If you’re considering studying in Taiwan, you’ll want to see my guide on getting a Taiwan Student Visa.

Taipei City elementary school students with a Student EasyCard will get a 40% discount on single-journey MRT rides. New Taipei City elementary school students receive a 60% discount.

Anyone holding a Student EasyCard will receive an NT$8, NT$6, or NT$4 discount when transferring between a city bus and an MRT within an hour. Taipei Metro’s website doesn’t specify what conditions you must meet for a higher discount.

I suppose it varies by trip.

3. SuperCard

The SuperCard is a “buffed” EasyCard that allows holders to have a balance of up to NT$10,000. Holders will only find this card available on Taiwan’s eCommerce site, momo.com. Users can also add value to their cards through their phone.

But you must do so through the EasyWallet app. An app that doesn’t have English support. And from my experience doesn’t work well. Because it requires an internet connection to work.

4. Co-branded Credit Cards or Debit Card

If you’re a part of a bank in Taiwan, you can receive a debit or credit card branded with Smart Pay, JCB, MasterCard, or Visa that doubles as a Taipei EasyCard.

The benefit of this card stems from the ability to automatically top up your EasyCard’s balance in increments of NT$500 ($18).

You won’t find this card useful if you’re a tourist.

If you’re arriving in Taiwan with the intent of staying, you’ll want to consider a co-branded EasyCard if you can get a bank account.

5. Taiwan Concessionaire EasyCard

If you’re disabled, a senior over 65 years old, or purchasing for a child; you’re eligible to receive a Concessionaire Card, which translates to 優待卡 (Yōudài kǎ).

Seniors with these cards will receive a 60% discount on single-journey Taipei Metro rides.

Where Can I Use EasyCards?

Here’s where you can use an EasyCard [2]:

Taipei Metro	Metro
Kaohsiung Metro	Metro
Taoyuan Metro	Metro
City Bus	Transportation
Taipei City Parking Management and Development	Parking
LYPARKING	Parking
LUCKY PARKING	Parking
Taiwan International Development Co.	Parking
TOTAL PARKING SERVICE	Parking
YOUPARKING	Parking
DODOHOME	Parking
Taiwan Railways Administration trains	Train
Taiwan High Speed Rail	Train
Taiwan Taxi (台灣大車隊)	Taxi
YouBike	Bicycle rental
T-Bike	Bicycle rental
Taipei City Bike Rent Station	Bicycle rental
Barrier Free Bus	Bus
7-Eleven	Convenience store
Hi-Life	Convenience store
OK mart	Convenience store
FamilyMart	Convenience store
Simple Mart	Supermarket
Taiwan Fresh Supermarket	Supermarket
Jasons	Supermarket
Santa Cruz	Supermarket
Anyo	Supermarket
Taiwan Sugar Health Supermarket	Supermarket
National Army Welfare Station (國軍福利站)	Supermarket
Farmer’s Association	Supermarket
Cotton Fields Health Store	Supermarket
Carrefour	Hypermarket
Hsin Tung Yang	Gift store
Black Bridge	Gift store
I-MEI	Gift store
Shan Mai Food	Gift store
Yu Zhen Jai (玉珍齋)	Gift store
Vigor Kobo	Gift store
Jiu Zhen Nan	Gift store
Poya	Cosmeceutical store
Watsons	Cosmeceutical store
Kerry TJ Logistics	Logistics
SR. Express	Logistics
Daiso Japan	Stationery shop
JSF	Stationery shop
MUJI	Stationery shop
Senao	Stationery shop
icolor	Stationery shop
Saiyukan	Stationery shop
Guangnan	Stationery shop
SHOWBA (小北百貨)	Stationery shop
National Electronic (全國電子)	Stationery shop
Tien Chiao Shih	Bookstore
101 Stationary paradise	Bookstore
Cave’s Books	Bookstore
We Share	Bookstore
9ta	Bookstore
Eslite	Bookstore
Nine Times Nine	Bookstore
Kingstone Book	Bookstore
Sanmin Bookstore (三民書局)	Bookstore
Cold Stone	Beverage
FIFTEA	Beverage
Le Phare	Beverage
Comebuy	Beverage
Coco	Beverage
TP Tea	Beverage
Cha Nung	Beverage
Tea Top	Beverage
YIFANG TAIWAN FRUIT TEA	Beverage
85°C	Beverage
Starbucks	Café
IS COFFEE	Café
Ikari Coffee	Café
Koi Cafe	Café
Meet fresh	Beverage
Milk Shop	Beverage
* 檸檬•創意⋅飲品專賣	Beverage
TEAS	Beverage
Ching-Shin	Beverage
TenRen’s Tea	Beverage
Dante Coffee Shop	Café
Mr. Brown Café	Café
Peter Better Café	Café
Sushi Take-Out	Restaurant
FoodRepublic	Restaurant
Fried Chicken Master	Restaurant
TonKatsu	Restaurant
DonMono	Restaurant
Mercuries Food Chain	Restaurant
BaFang YunJi	Restaurant
Very Thai Noodle	Restaurant
* 四海遊龍	Restaurant
Hai Rei Foods	Restaurant
Zhengzhong Pork Ribs Rice	Restaurant
Bread First	Bakery
Yamazaki	Bakery
Magie de LEVAIN	Bakery
The Landis Taipei	Bakery
Sunmerry	Bakery
TransAsia Catering Services	Bakery
Real Bakery	Bakery
GaKuDen	Bakery
Mr. Mark	Bakery
Mister Donut	Bakery
Pizza Hut	Fast Food
KFC	Fast Food
Subway	Fast Food
Dominos	Fast Food
TKK Fried Chicken	Fast Food
Sinyi Realty	Fast Food
MyWarmDay	Breakfast store
Laya Burger	Breakfast store
QK Brunch	Breakfast store
	Food Court
SOGO	Food Court
Chungyo Department Store	Food Court
Shin Kong Mitsukoshi	Food Court
Q Square	Food Court
MetroWalk	Food Court
Taipei 101	Food Court
Global Mall	Food Court
Big City	Food Court
taimall	Food Court
Ming Yao Department Store	Food Court
Beyond Plaza	Food Court
everrich	Food Court
Breeze	Food Court
Profond Duty Free Store	Food Court
Citylink	Food Court
Great Food Town	Food Court
City Government	Government
City Library	Government
Bada Forest Park	Attraction
Taipei Zoo	Attraction
Xiao Ren Guo	Playground
Lihpao Resort	Water park in Taichung
Taipei Children’s Amusement Park	Attraction
Happy Home	DVD rental?
National Taiwan Museum	Attraction
Taipei Fine Arts Museum	Attraction
hamasen	Attraction
Yehliu	Attraction
Fullon Hotel	Attraction
Guandu Nature Park	Attraction
Scenic Area Service Industry, Taoyuan	Attraction
Maokong Gondola	Attraction
Taipei City Hospital	Hospital
New Taipei City Hospital	Hospital
Lukang Christian Hospital	Hospital
Hungchi Women & Children’s Hospital	Hospital
Landseed Hospital	Hospital
Chang Gung Memorial Hospital	Hospital
Lotung Pohai Hospital	Hospital
Tri-Service General Hospital	Hospital
Mackay Memorial Hospital	Hospital
Zhongmei Hospital	Hospital
Wellcare	Pharmacy
Vending Machines	NA
I-Mail	Mail storage
Pelican	Mail storage
ABCO	Self-printing kiosk
Qiosk	Self-printing kiosk
MEMOPRESSO	Self-printing kiosk
CPC Corporation	Gas station
Smile	Gas station
Taiwan Sugar Gas Station	Gas station
Formosa Oil	Gas station
Schoolyards	Schools

This table shows where you can use Taiwan’s EasyCard.

* I couldn’t find an English name.

The following sections will cover some main uses for EasyCards and potential discounts they offer.

Taiwan Railway

You can use EasyCard Taiwan to enter and exit the following Taiwan Railway Association (TRA) trains and lines:

Pixgin lines	Shalun lines	Puyuma Express
Suao-Keelung-Pingtung*	Jiji lines	Taroko Express
Shenao ines	Liujia lines	Special & reserved seats
Neiwan lines

* These include mountain coast lines.

If you use an EasyCard to enter these trains and lines, you can get a 10% discount on trains traveling less than 70 kilometers (43 miles).

EasyCards won’t give you discounts on Taiwan High-Speed Rail (HSR) tickets. And you can’t use a Yo Yo Card for reserved HSR tickets

1. Buses

The following Taiwan city buses accept EasyCards:

• Taipei
• New Taipei
• Keelung City
• Tainan City
• Yilan County
• Matsu City
• Taichung City

Tap these cards on the IC card sensor when entering and exiting the bus. The first tap notifies the bus you’re on. The second will charge your card based on the distance traveled.

2. MRT Stations

Use an EasyCard to enter the following metro stations:

• Taipei Metro: carries you through Taipei and New Taipei cities
• Kaohsiung Metro: takes you around Kaohsiung city
• Taichung Metro: takes you around Taichung city
• Taoyuan Metro: will ferry you from Taoyuan (and the airport) to New Taipei and Taipei cities

You’ll get a 15% discount off the Kaohsiung Metro (KRTC) when using an EasyCard to enter the station [3].

But you can’t get a discount when using this smart card on other metro systems. Long-term Taiwan stayers can get a rebate on the Taipei MRT based on the number of trips they take in a month.

Here’s the Taipei MRT rebate chart [4]:

# of Trips Required	Cashback Percentage
11-20	10%
21-30	15%
31-40	20%
41-50	25%
51+	30%

You’ll get your rebate at the beginning of the following month. Check the MRT ticket machines to see your rebated amount.

Calculate your cashback for the current month by multiplying cumulative fare from the previous month by the cashback ratio. Round this to the nearest dollar.

3. YouBike

You can use an EasyCard or iPASS to rent any YouBike 1.0 or 2.0. To use YouBikes, you’ll need to register your card online with a phone number.

I cover how to do this in the guide I linked a second ago.

YouBike, or uBike, is a bike-sharing system throughout Taiwan.

4. 2,000+ Stores in Okinawa, Japan

EasyCard and SuperCard holders can pay for goods and services at over 2,000 stores throughout Okinawa. I couldn’t find any list of places that accept this card on EasyCard’s website. But I know you can use the card to enter the Naha fish market, Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, and Kyoda Service Area.

Whether an expat or traveler, you’ll benefit from this additional EasyCard support. Say you’re island hopping in Asia. You go to Taiwan, get an EasyCard, fly for 1.5 hours to Okinawa, and use the card.

But:

To use the card in Okinawa, you must register your EasyCard on the company’s website. And holders CAN’T add value while in Okinawa. Unless you have a Co-branded card. You’ll need to use your crystal ball to guess how much you’ll spend in Okinawa, then add the balance to your card.

How To Check EasyCard Balance Taiwan

The easiest way to perform an EasyCard balance check is to use ticket kiosks at metro centers.

Adjacent to every MRT service counter, you’ll see an EasyCard reader that displays your balance and transit history.

You can also download an app like EasyWallet to check your balance anywhere. While the app is only in Chinese, it’s simple to navigate. All you need is a nickname for your card and your card’s number.

You can find it on the lower portion of your EasyCard:

If you don’t want to search for your card’s number, you can enable near-field communication (NFC), tap your card against your phone, and the EasyWallet app will register your card. However, EasyWallet doesn’t update your card’s balance until the next day.

You can take your smart card to a convenience store and ask the staff to check your balance.

When you enter a bus or MRT station, your balance will display on the screen. So, you should remember that number.

Differences Between EasyCard and Other Smart Cards

Taiwan has quite a few Integrated Circuit (IC) cards. You’ll want to know the differences to avoid confusion.

Throughout this portion, I’ll cover information about each card and how it differs from the EasyCard.

Taipei EasyCard vs. iPASS

EasyCard has more accessibility than iPASS. I’d only recommend getting an iPASS to ensure you have coverage to all services, shops, and restaurants.

iPASS works the same as the EasyCard. It started as being exclusive to Kaohsiung and eventually became adopted as a payment method throughout the country.

EasyCard vs. Fun Pass

The Fun Pass targets tourists looking for a stellar deal rather than an explorer. You can purchase the Fun Pass in one-two-, or three-day passes.

These passes shave a large amount from ticket fees that would otherwise pay to enter 16 different tourist destinations.

You also have unlimited access to Taipei’s buses and metro during the duration of these cards.

icash vs. EasyCard

An icash smart card makes it so you can generate points through 7-Eleven’s (Taiwan) parent company, Uni President.

The points will go through the Open Point app and make it so you can get discounts and freebies. Upon accumulating enough points.

icash still can get you the cash rebate from the Taipei Metro. But you can’t use it with as many places as the EasyCard Taipei. For instance, you can’t use icash to rent YouBikes.

I only recommend getting an icash if you intend on living in Taiwan.

Difference Between EasyCard and HappyCash

HappyCash is a rewards program that makes it so you can make payments at places like:

• SOGO malls
• BigCity shopping centers
• Far Eastern Telecom
• a.mart supermarket

You can generate rewards points. But you can’t use it for public transportation.

FAQs

The following sections will cover frequently asked questions about the Taipei EasyCard.

Conclusion

The Taipei EasyCard has many uses and can save you from having to lug coins and banknotes throughout the country. Many retailers and public transportation mediums will accept this card as a form of cashless payment.

Due to the card’s convenience, there’s no reason not to buy the Taipei Smart Card when you’re in Taiwan

If you want to save time at the airport, you can purchase an EasyCard through Voyagin and pick up the IC card once you arrive in Taiwan.