Nets postpones free exchange of FlashPay cards at SimplyGo ticket offices ‘until further notice’
A free exchange of Nets FlashPay cards for Nets Prepaid cards that was originally due to start on Jan 19 at public transport ticketing offices has been postponed “until further notice”.
This is part of a move by the authorities to phase out Nets FlashPay and some adult ez-link cards for public transport fare payments from June in preparation for a transition to SimplyGo, an account-based ticketing platform for bus and rail trips.
The free exchange was to have taken place between Jan 19 and July 18 at SimplyGo ticket offices in MRT stations and bus interchanges.
But in an update at 12am on Jan 19 to an earlier Facebook post, Nets, a payment firm, said: “Please be informed that the card exchange service for Nets FlashPay card provided at SimplyGo ticket offices is temporarily unavailable until further notice.”
It did not state when the exchange would become available.
When The Straits Times visited the SimplyGo ticket office at Tampines MRT station at 8am on Jan 19, a staff member said the exchange had been postponed until further notice.
Staff were informed of the change only on the morning of Jan 19, ST was told.
The exchange was announced after the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Jan 9 that from June 1, commuters must pay for their adult bus and train fares with a Nets Prepaid card, an ez-link card that has been updated to being SimplyGo-compatible, a contactless bank card, or a credit or debit card added to a mobile wallet.
The move does not affect passengers using concession cards, including seniors and students.
Responding to ST’s queries on Jan 19, Nets said FlashPay cardholders may continue using their cards for public transport and topping them up at ticketing machines until June 1.
It did not state the reasons for the delay in the free exchange, and whether this would affect the transition schedule for FlashPay cardholders who use it to pay for public transport trips.
ST has also contacted LTA for comment.
After it is phased out, the Nets FlashPay card will no longer be accepted for public transport payments.
But it can still be used to pay for shopping and motoring expenses such as carpark and Electronic Road Pricing charges.
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