The ez-link card is a contactless multi-purpose stored value card that is mainly used for transit payments on public buses and on the mass rapid transit (MRT) and light rail transit (LRT) networks in Singapore. It is also used for non-transit purposes such as making payments at retail shops and public libraries. It was introduced in 2002 and over ten million cards are now in circulation. About eight million transactions per day are made with this card in the transit network alone.
History
The idea of a contactless smart card that could speed up passenger flow on buses and at MRT fare gates was first explored by TransitLink in 1994. Trials started in 1996 with 500 tertiary students using the card on selected buses and at certain MRT stations. In 2000, this contactless smart card was officially named the ez-link card. Separate trials of the card on the MRT and LRT networks and on selected bus routes were also held that year.
In January 2002, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) formed a new subsidiary, EZ-Link Pte Ltd, to manage the sale and distribution of ez-link cards and to process the clearing and settlement of ez-link card transactions. In that same month, 45,000 commuters were invited for a six-week trial of the card on the MRT network and selected bus routes. The card went on sale to the public on 13 April 2002 and it ran concurrently with the old magnetic farecard until a complete switchover was made on 1 December 2002.
Non-transit applications of the ez-link card have expanded as well. In 2001, students at some schools became the first non-transit users of the card when they began using it to take attendance and to make purchases in their schools. The next few years saw the acceptance of the card as a mode of payment at a growing number of places in Singapore, including cinemas, convenience stores, fast food outlets and public libraries. Non-transit applications for the ez-link card have been managed by QB Pte Ltd since 2003.
From August to October 2008, 10,000 public transport users participated in a trial to test a new ez-link card that adheres to the Singapore Standard for Contactless e-Purse Application (CEPAS). It is envisaged that consumers will eventually need only one CEPAS-compliant card to pay for electronic road pricing (ERP) fees, electronic parking system (EPS) carpark charges and public transport fares, as well as goods and services at places with payment systems that support CEPAS.
In January 2009, the LTA started a mass one-for-one exchange of the old ez-link card with the CEPAS-compliant ez-link card. Commuters have until 30 September 2009 to exchange their existing ez-link cards with the new cards. From 1 October 2009, the old ez-link cards will be defunct and only CEPAS-compliant ez-link cards can be used.
Description
The ez-link card is the size of a credit card and it is embedded with an advanced tamper-proof integrated circuit chip and antenna that enables it to communicate with the card reader via wireless communication. Before the ez-link card was introduced, commuters used a magnetic farecard that required them to slot the card into a ticket validator on the bus or at the MRT fare gate. But with the ez-link card, they just need to tap the card on an electronic card reader. The card does not require a battery; electromagnetic energy from the card reader provides enough energy to the card for a transaction to take place as long as card and reader stay within 10cm of each other. The transaction is secure and reliable as strong encryption techniques are used to encrypt the data transmitted between the card and the reader.
Like the old ez-link card, the new CEPAS-compliant card can be used to pay for public transport fares and purchases at selected shops. However, it has an application not available with the old card - it can be used to pay for ERP charges and EPS carpark fees when used with next-generation In-Vehicle Units. In addition, the maximum stored value for the new card is S$500, compared to S$100 for the old ez-link card. Another feature is that, unlike the old ez-link card which requires a S$3 travel deposit, no travel deposit is required for the new card and thus the balance reflected is the actual stored value in the card.
Value can be added to the new ez-link card through various channels. Manual top-ups can be done at ticket counters and self-service ticketing machines at bus interchanges and MRT stations. Top-ups can also be made from the home or office via EZ-Online, a service that enables users to top up the value in their cards online with the help of a special contactless card reader. In addition, there are automatic top-up services like EZ-Reload, which allows a pre-selected amount to be added to the card once it registers insufficient value at any MRT fare gate or bus card reader. A few other top-up modes that were available for the old card are expected to be rolled out progressively for the new card in 2009.
Timeline
2000 : The contactless smart card that will replace the farecard was named the ez-link card.
8 Jan 2002 : EZ-Link Pte Ltd was formally incorporated.
13 Apr 2002 : The ez-link cards went on sale to the public at MRT stations and bus interchanges.
1 Dec 2002 : Magnetic farecards were phased out completely; switchover to ez-link cards was completed.
29 Dec 2008 : Public sale commenced for ez-link cards that adhere to CEPAS.
9 Jan 2009 : One-for-one mass replacement of the old ez-link cards with the new CEPAS-compliant ez-link cards started.
Author
Jean Lim
References
Chong, C. S. (2006). Smart card technology (2nd ed.) (pp.1-1 - 1-5). Singapore: Prentice Hall.
(Call no.: RSING 332.76 CHO)
Consumer finance in Singapore (pp.20-21). (2009, February). London: Euromonitor International.
(Call no.: RSING 332.765 CON)
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Ez-link cards replace farecards from Dec 1. (2002, December 1). Channelnewsasia. Retrieved July 22, 2009, from Factiva database.
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EZ-Link Pte Ltd. (n.d.). Ez-link card. Retrieved August 18, 2009, from http://www.ezlink.com.sg/consumer/consumer_ezlinkcard.jsp
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EZ-Link Pte Ltd. (n.d.). Key statistics. Retrieved August 18, 2009, from http://www.ezlink.com.sg/corporate/corp_key.jsp
EZ-Link Pte Ltd. (n.d.). New ez-link card (CEPAS card). Retrieved August 18, 2009, from http://www.ezlink.com.sg/consumer/consumer_cepas.intro.jsp
EZ-Link Pte Ltd. (n.d.). Top up channels. Retrieved August 18, 2009, from http://www.ezlink.com.sg/consumer/consumer_top.jsp
EZ-Link Pte Ltd. (2008, December 26). Commencement of sales of the new CEPAS-compliant ez-link card [Press release]. Retrieved August 19, 2009, from http://www.ezlink.com.sg/corporate/corp_2008.1.jsp
EZ-Link Pte Ltd. (2009, January 8). Mass ez-link card replacement begins [Press release]. Retrieved August 19, 2009, from http://www.ezlink.com.sg/corporate/corp_2009.5.jsp
EZ way to buy tix. (2003, September 9). The Straits Times. Retrieved February 16, 2011, from NewspaperSG.
Hungry? Grab a McDonald's burger and pay by ez-link. (2004, May 28). The Business Times. Retrieved July 22, 2009, from Factiva database.
Kaur, K. (2000, January 25). 100,000 commuters needed for smart card test. The Straits Times. Retrieved February 16, 2011, from NewspaperSG.
Krishnakumar, T. (2003, December 6). NETS plans to break Ez-Link's hold on farecards. The Business Times. Retrieved July 22, 2009, from Factiva database.
Land Transport Authority. (2008, December 2). SeP ready for implementation [Press release]. Retrieved August 19, 2009, from http://app.lta.gov.sg/corp_press_content.asp?start=2056
LTA to launch contactless smart card. (2000, June 27). The Straits Times. Retrieved February 16, 2011, from NewspaperSG.
QB Pte Ltd. (n.d.). Who is QB? Retrieved August 18, 2009, from http://www.qb-link.com
Schools find novel ways to use card. (2003, June 17). The Straits Times. Retrieved February 16, 2011, from NewspaperSG.
7-Eleven outlets add ez-link facilities. (2004, December 22). TODAY. Retrieved February 16, 2011, from NewspaperSG.
Start tapping ez-link cards from month-end. (2002, March 6). The Straits Times. Retrieved February 16, 2011, from NewspaperSG.
Tan, C. (1999, March 25). And now, pay as you flash. The Business Times. Retrieved August 5, 2009, from Factiva database.
Tan, W. (2008, December 27). New ez-link cards let you do more. The Straits Times. Retrieved July 22, 2009, from Factiva database.
10,000 to trial new ez-link card. (2008, August 27). TODAY. Retrieved February 16, 2011, from NewspaperSG.
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Yeo, G. (1996, June 25). Undergrads to test "contactless" smart card for bus, MRT fares. The Straits Times. Retrieved February 16, 2011, from NewspaperSG.
Further Readings
Financial cards in Singapore. (2007, March). London: Euromonitor International.
(Call no.: RSING 332.765 FIN)
IDA Singapore. (2009, June 17). Specification for contactless e-purse application (CEPAS). Retrieved August 18, 2009, from http://www.ida.gov.sg/Programmes/20061214105256.aspx?getPagetype=40
Tan, W. (2009, April 10). One NETS card for all your cashless payments. The Straits Times, Prime News. Retrieved July 22, 2009, from Factiva database.
The information in this article is valid as at 2009 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.
