Public transport
MTR, franchised buses, green minibuses, ferries and trams, plus designated red minibus, kaito, residents’ service and employees’ service routes approved by the Transport Department for the Scheme.
Fare subsidy · 2026 rules
Public transport fare subsidy calculator
How much fare subsidy can I collect each month?
Enter your eligible public transport spending to see the subsidy, the amount above the threshold and how far you are from the cap.
Current monthly threshold$500
- Subsidy
- One-third of the amount above the threshold
- Cap
- Up to $400 a month
The result is an estimate; the actual subsidy follows the Scheme’s system records.
Results
Subsidy you can collect—Estimated with the current formula
Spending above the threshold—
Spending still needed to reach the cap—
Subsidy as a share of spending—
Earliest collectionFrom the 16th of next month
How the subsidy is calculated
Above the $500 threshold, how does one-third work?
After deducting $500 from eligible monthly spending, one-third of the remainder is the subsidy, up to $400. The cap is reached when monthly spending reaches $1,700.
The tool also shows how much more spending would reach the cap, to help you check the figures, not to encourage extra spending.
Which fares count?
MTR, buses, minibuses, ferries and designated services
Fares that do not count
Cash fares, MTR single journey tickets and temporary Octopus cards, among others, do not count. AlipayHK covers fewer services than Octopus, for example not the Light Rail or MTR Bus; see the Scheme website for the full list.
Counted separately
Each Octopus card and each AlipayHK account has its own threshold and cap, and spending on them cannot be combined. The actual subsidy follows the system records, and the calculation is based on net spending after interchange discounts.
FAQ
When and where to collect
When can I collect it?
The subsidy for a month can be collected from the 16th of the following month; for example, October’s subsidy can be collected from 16 November.
Where can I collect it?
Octopus users can tap their card at subsidy collection points in every MTR station, Light Rail customer service centres and designated public transport interchanges or piers, or collect through the Octopus app, Octopus Service Points or designated shops such as 7-Eleven, Circle K and Wellcome. AlipayHK users collect in the app.
How long can I leave it?
Each month’s subsidy must be collected within three months; any subsidy not collected by then cannot be recovered.
Do I need to apply or pass an income test?
No application is needed and there is no age or income limit; the subsidy is calculated automatically from eligible spending. A personalised Octopus is not required, but if an anonymous Octopus without an Automatic Add Value Service is lost, its spending records cannot be transferred.
Someone has asked for my credit card details?
The Scheme website reminds users that collecting the subsidy does not require credit card account or personal details. If you receive such a request, stop and check through official channels first.
Is the result the official amount?
No; the official system records and enquiry results are final.
Sources and notes
The calculation follows the current rules of the Public Transport Fare Subsidy Scheme and runs on your device. The result is an estimate; the actual subsidy follows the Scheme’s system records.
- Formula
- min[($spending − $500) ÷ 3, $400]
- Rules in force
- Threshold of $500 from 1 June 2025Transport Department press release of 26 May 2025
- Official page revised
- “Subsidy Calculation” page: 1 April 2026
- Nature
- Calculated on your device; input not uploaded
- Official rules checked
- 11 October 2026The Scheme’s subsidy calculation, coverage and collection pages, and the Transport Department press release. Checked against the sources cited on the Chinese edition of this page.
Official rules and sources
- Transport Department: threshold from 1 June 2025 (opens in a new tab)
- Public Transport Fare Subsidy Scheme: Subsidy Calculation (opens in a new tab)
Information and tool results are for general reference only and are not a recommendation or a basis for an individual decision; verify important matters independently. For limitation of liability, see Data use and disclaimer.
See worked examples (5 rows)
Each Octopus card or AlipayHK account is counted separately; examples are shown to two decimal places, and the actual subsidy follows the Scheme’s records.
| Eligible monthly spending (HK$) | Estimated subsidy (HK$) |
|---|---|
| 400 | 0.00 |
| 500 | 0.00 |
| 800 | 100.00 |
| 1700 | 400.00 |
| 2000 | 400.00 |
Method and calculations
One-third of monthly spending above $500 is subsidised, up to $400; results are rounded to the nearest Hong Kong dollar. The Scheme website notes that the monthly subsidy is calculated at 33.33%, so the cents on some amounts may differ slightly from the official records.
Published: Page content updated: