EZ Link Card versus Singapore Tourist Pass EZ Link Card Photo Credit Singapore Tourist Pass Website Photo Credit Singapore Tourist Pass Website Singapore has one of the world's most efficient public transport system. It is fast and economical. You can hop on and off their trains and buses with just one card. But which one is best to use? As a frugal traveler, I searched online and read on forums about which I should use when we get to Singapore - the regular EZ Link card or the Singapore Tourist Pass. Most people said it's best to get an EZ link card. EZ Link Card You can purchase this card at any 7-11 stores or an MRT station. It costs $12 SGD with a non-refundable $5 card cost, and $7 travel value. The EZ link card can be used at any MRT, LRT, bus, or even taxi. It can also be used as entrance to Sentosa Express - the monorail from Vivo City to Sentosa Island. Please note though that this card needs to have at least a $3 value. You will be prompt to top-up load your card by the reader if it has low value left in it. You can top-up your card at any MRT station, or a Cheers convenience store. Good thing, you can ask for a refund of your unused travel value at Changi Airport MRT station before you leave Singapore. So top it up! Singapore Tourist Pass Singapore Tourist Pass is like an EZ link card. The difference however, is that you pay for your desired travel duration and be able to enjoy unlimited rides on Singapore's public transport. You can opt to buy a 1-day, 2-day, or a 3-day pass. You can travel using the public bus, MRT or LRT. This however does not apply for other buses or trains like the Express, Fast Forward, and the Night Owl. Prices* 1 Day Pass - $20 2 Day Pass - $26 3 Day Pass - $30 *Each pass has a $10 refundable deposit which you can get when you return the card within 5 days Both cards are good. But it all boils down to which one will give you the best value. For me, I had to make our itinerary first, listing down each travel and mode of transportation we had to take. I used to help me choose the best route and the approximate value of each travel. After adding up all the transport expenses, I compared the cost of getting a 3-day Singapore tourist pass with getting a regular EZ link card with top-up. Weighing each, I have decided to take the EZ link card instead. The EZ link card won because it answered all our transportation costs, including the Sentosa Express. Although the $5 card cost is non-refundable, we were able to refund the remaining travel value of our card. The Singapore Tourist Pass would be great to use if your transport expenses will exceed the value of the passes you purchased. I doubt though that you will be able to spend $20 for bus and trains in 3 days - unless you'd be exploring the city A LOT. More information
CES® Is the Global Stage for Innovation. CES® is the most influential tech event in the world — the proving ground for breakthrough technologies and global innovators. This is where the world's biggest brands do business and meet new partners, and the sharpest innovators hit the stage. Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology To take public transportation in Singapore, you need either cash or card. Paying by cash is rather inconvenient because you need to give the exact amount, otherwise no change will be given. Majority people use cards, but which card is better? There are 3 cards that travellers can use in Singapore Singapore Tourist Pass, EZ Link and Contactless Bank Cards. Each has its own pros and cons, and each is suited for different types of travellers. In this post, I write about the details of each card, followed by situations when a certain card is more favourable than the other. To learn about all the different types of transportation in Singapore, read my in-depth guide about getting around Singapore. The Singapore Tourist Pass STP is a card that gives you unlimited travel on Singapore’s MRT, LRT and basic bus services for 1 day, 2 days or 3 days depending on which pass you purchase. Here are what you need to know about STP. Below are the prices of the STP. The price is inclusive of S$10 refundable deposit. S$22 for 1 day S$29 for 2 days S$34 for 3 days The deposit will be refunded when you return the card within 5 days after the day of purchase. Eg If you purchase the card on Monday, you need to return the card by Saturday to get the deposit back. In other words, if you buy the 3-day pass, you need to activate it latest by Wednesday. If you decide to keep the card and not return it, the S$10 deposit will be forfeited, and you can continue to use the card as a normal EZ-Link card. Kids below height travel for free on trains and buses when accompanied by a fee-paying adult. You can buy STP at TransitLink Ticket Office only at certain MRT stations, namely Ang Mo Kio, Bayfront, Bugis, Changi Airport, Chinatown, City Hall, Farrer Park, Harbourfront, Jurong East, Lavender, Maxwell, Orchard, Raffles Place, Somerset, Woodlands. More details on opening hours here. You can return STP to TransitLink Ticket Offices at selected MRT stations. Here’s the list of TransitLink Ticket Offices. Unlimited rides are not applicable for Sentosa Express monorail, RWS8 bus, Express Services Bus, Fast Forward Bus, Night Owl bus N bus, NightRider bus NR bus, Chinatown Direct bus CT bus and other premium and niche bus services. The pass starts when you use it for the first time. The 1-day pass ends when the last public transport has stopped operation slightly past midnight. Eg if you use the card for the first time at 6pm on Monday, the 1-day pass will expire on Monday’s night when the last train and bus have stopped, the 2-day pass will expire on Tuesday’s night and the 3-day pass will expire on Wednesday’s night. Now, STP offers various deals, from discounted attraction prices to discounted meals. SG Tourist Pass The SG Tourist Pass is similar to STP, except it doesn’t include a deposit, you don’t need to return the card after expiry, and it’s slightly more expensive than STP. There’s only 1 option, which is the 3-day SG Tourist Pass that costs S$29. Thus, if you’re only visiting Singapore for 1 or 2 days, this card may not be the right card for you. The 3-day SG Tourist Pass is $5 more expensive than the 3-day STP. That means, the cost of the physical card is $5, which is equivalent to the cost of a normal EZ-Link physical card. Should you get SG Tourist Pass? You should get SG Tourist Pass if you want to use 3-day unlimited travel pass, and you want to keep the card and continue using it as a normal EZ-Link after the 3-day pass expires. Singapore Tourist Pass PLUS The Singapore Tourist Pass Plus STP+ is an extension from STP. On top of unlimited rides on trains and basic bus services, STP+ offers additional perks. Here are STP+ facts you should know. The cost of STP+ depends on where you buy it from. At the moment, it’s sold at Changi Recommends. You can buy it online and collect at the airport, or directly buy from Changi Recommends’ counter. You can’t collect it from MRT Station. There isn’t any S$10 deposit required, unlike the usual STP. So, at the end of 3 days, you can keep the card or discard it. You don’t need to return it, unlike STP. There’s only 1 option, which is the 3-day STP+ that costs S$48. Thus, if you’re only visiting Singapore for 1 or 2 days, this card may not be the right card for you. STP+ will give you the following perks subjected to change without prior notice Complimentary 1-hour walking tour Limited Edition Postcard Set $5 credit off for Changi Travel Concierge Service Should you get Singapore Tourist Pass PLUS or just the normal STP? Is STP+ actually worth it? In my opinion, STP+ is worth it only if you’re interested to join the free 1-hour walking tour. If you’re the type of traveler who loves to DIY your travel and would avoid tours as much as possible, or if you’re a budget traveler or slow traveler, you can skip STP+. 2. EZ-Link EZ-Link card is the most commonly used travel card by residents and returning visitors. In the beginning, you store a certain value inside the card. Your card’s value will be deducted only when you use it. The price of an EZ-Link depends on where you buy it from. If you buy from TransitLink Ticket Offices, Concession Card Replacement Offices and Passenger Service Centres located at all MRT stations, it costs S$12 which consists of S$7 value + S$5 non-refundable deposit. If you buy from 7-Eleven, it costs S$10 which consists of S$5 value + S$5 non-refundable deposit. You need to maintain a minimum $3 balance in your EZ-Link in order to be able to board MRT and buses. When your balance falls below $3, you need to top up to continue using it. Minimum top-up amount is $10. You can top up with Cash as well as Debit/Credit card. IMPORTANT with the initial credit of $7, you can only take public transport for about 3 times assuming $ then your credit will be below $3 you need to maintain at least $3 in your EZ-Link. You have to top-up before you can use the card again. The minimum top up is $10. Therefore, your total cost becomes $12 + 10 = $22. To get refund of the unused portion of your EZ-Link, you can return it to any Passenger Service Centre at MRT stations, Ticket Office at MRT stations, Ticket Office at bus interchanges. However, you can’t get back the S$5 non-refundable deposit. Immediate refund is possible for the old EZ-Link without Simplygo. The new EZ-Link currently being sold at MRT Stations is called Simplygo EZ-Link. Currently, it is not possible to get refund immediately for Simplygo EZ-Link. Refund will take 14 days. So, try to use up the credit in your EZ-Link card before leaving Singapore. EZ-Link can be used at MRT, LRT and most public buses. Furthermore, you can also use EZ-Link for SMRT & TransCab taxis, F&B outlets, and many places you can’t even imagine. Here’s the full list of places where payment by EZ-Link is accepted. To be honest, the list is too long! For simplicity, at the shop where you’re going to make payment, just look for EZ-Link logo . If there’s EZ-Link Logo, it means you can use EZ-Link to pay. EZ-Link is valid for 5 years from the date of encoding. At the end of 5 years, you can exchange the card at Ticket Office. EZ-Link cards can be reloaded topped up at all General Ticketing Machines at all MRT Stations, certain bus interchanges, 7-Eleven, ATMs, and other places. Here’s the complete list of places where you can top up your EZ-Link. You can store a maximum value of S$500 in the EZ-Link. You can download EZ-Link app to check your current remaining balance, transaction history, as well as to earn points that you can use to redeem freebies or discounted items! EZ-Link for children under 7 years old Children under 7 years old can travel for free. If they are below in height, they do not need any card. However, if they are above they need a special card called Child Concession Card. If children are below 7 years old but don’t have these card, they need to pay for the adult fare. The Child Concession Card can be used for MRT, LRT, basic bus services and express bus services express buses are those with “e” behind the service number, such as Bus 174e. Do take note that it can’t be used for Premium buses these buses usually serve residents going to work during peak hours and Night Riders these buses only operate in the evening during weekend, such as NR1, NR2, etc. To apply for Child Concession Card, bring your child’s passport to any TransitLink Ticket Offices. More information about Child Concession Card can be found here. NETS FlashPay If you haven’t heard about NETS FlashPay, it’s basically similar to EZ-Link. They cost the same, $12 for the first purchase $5 non-refundable and $7 refundable. It can be used for public transportation, taxi as well as F&B, retail shops, etc. You can top up via app with debit/credit card or by other offline means such as the General Ticketing Machine GTM located in every MRT stations, 7-Eleven, etc. So, is there any difference with EZ-Link at all? Yes there is. The company that issue them are different. EZ-Link was started by Authority while NETS was started by a group of banks in Singapore. Another difference is the merchants that accept EZ-Link are different from the retail merchants that accept NETS FlashPay. Personally, I feel that I see more NETS FlashPay logo in the shopping malls than EZ-Link logo. So, why even bother to get NETS FlashPay? Well, if you like the idea of carrying not much cash notes & coins around, or you like to be able to collect it from Bangkok BKK airport or Centralworld or sent to your home see below, then you can consider NETS FP. Where to get NETS FlashPay? Pre-order online and collect at Thailand’s BKK Airport or Centralworld TransitLink Ticket Office. Note A lot of MRT stations have a TransitLink Ticket Office, but NOT ALL MRT stations have TransitLink. Changi Airport MRT station does have TransitLink Ticket Office. Convenience stores, such as 7-Eleven, Buzz Pods, Cheers, FairPrice Xpress, Star Mart at all Caltex Petrol Stations Travelex Moneychangers at Changi Airport. 3. Contactless Bank Cards / Mobile Wallets Contactless Bank Card Photo Credit LTA Contactless bank cards refers to any bank cards debit/credit card that has contactless logo. It also includes mobile wallets eg Apple Pay, GPay, Samsung Pay, Fitbit Pay, etc. To use contactless bank cards or mobile wallets on public transport, simply tap it on the card reader when entering a bus or MRT station. Most contactless bank cards can be used for traveling on bus and MRT in Singapore. However, some cards are not accepted see section 1c of this FAQ on Contactless Bank Card tab. No registration is required to use contactless bank cards. Train and bus fares will be processed and charged to the bank account or credit/debit card bill directly. If you want to check your usage history, you can sign up and download TL SimplyGo app. This step is optional. Even if you do not have TL SimplyGo app, you still can use your physical contactless bank cards on Singapore’s public transport. For mobile wallet usage, simply add your bank cards to your mobile wallet, and ensure your phone is compatible see section 5a of this FAQ on Contactless Bank Card tab. If your bank cards are issued by foreign banks, you will incur 2 fees1. An administrative fee of $ per day of use2. Your bank’s currency exchange and/or admin fee As someone living in Singapore and travel mostly by public transport, my preferred payment method is mobile wallet. When should you buy Singapore Tourist Pass? You want to visit a lot of places. You don’t need the cab, you’re comfortable with using public transport. You don’t know when you will visit Singapore again. For 1-day STP, it is worth it if you use public transport more than 8 times a day. For 2-day STP, it is worth it if you use public transport more than 7 times a day or 14 times over 2 days For 3-day STP, it is worth it if you use public transport more than 6 times a day or 18 times over 3 days When should you buy EZ Link? You use public transport less than 6 times a day. You visit Singapore for more than 3 days. You are a budget traveler and you don’t mind walking or cycling to save money. You travel slowly. In a day, you might be visiting less than 3 attractions. You come to Singapore often and you’d like to keep the EZ link card so you don’t have to purchase again when you come next time. When NOT to buy STP & EZ-Link, and just use Contactless Bank Card / Mobile Wallet? You prefer the convenience of not having to carry too many cards when traveling. If your card is issued by foreign bank and you don’t mind paying the currency exchange fee for convenience. For mobile wallet You’re comfortable with technology. You have a compatible mobile phone with NFC capability. You don’t have problems paying your card spending on time. How to find out the fares? The easiest way to calculate the public transportation fare is by using the calculator provided by For your info, if you use EZ Link and you make a transfer from train to bus, bus to train, or bus to bus, within 45 minutes, you will pay for discounted fare due to the new “distance fare scheme.” You don’t need to do anything, it’s automatically adjusted by your EZ Link. Planning a trip to Singapore? Read my best articles about Singapore. PS Have any questions regarding traveling in Singapore? Join All About Singapore Travel Group on Facebook where we discuss about traveling in Singapore. First published 31 Mar 2018. Last updated 12 Apr 2023 If you like my work, you can buy me a coffee! 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