How to Top Up Your Octopus Card in Hong Kong
Running low mid-trip? You can top up your Octopus card almost anywhere in Hong Kong, usually in under a minute, and you do not need an app or a local bank account to do it. The simplest route is cash at any 7-Eleven. Below is every method that actually works for a visitor, what each one costs, and the two rules that trip people up.
The short version
Walk into any convenience store or supermarket, hand the cashier some cash, and say you want to add value to your Octopus. They tap your card, you pay, done. No fee, no minimum beyond the HK$50 step, and it works on the tourist card, the on-loan card and a phone-based Octopus alike. If you would rather not carry cash, you can top up from your phone instead, which I cover further down.
Cash at a shop: the everyday way
This is what locals do. Octopus value is sold at thousands of counters across the city, including 7-Eleven, Circle K, Wellcome, ParknShop, Mannings, Watsons, McDonald's, Starbucks and Café de Coral. You pay with cash, the staff member loads it onto the card with a tap, and the new balance prints on your receipt.
The one rule to remember: top-ups on a standard adult or child Octopus come in multiples of HK$50. So you can add HK$50, HK$100, HK$150 and so on, but not HK$30 or HK$70. If you are holding an elder, student or concessionary card, MTR Customer Service Centres let you add value in multiples of HK$10 instead. Shops only take cash for this, so a foreign credit card will not work at the counter.
At the MTR station
Every MTR station can reload your card, which is handy when you are already tapping through the gates. There are two options. The Add Value Machines and Self Service Points are quickest, but they only accept HK$50 and HK$100 banknotes, so have the right notes ready. For anything else, or if a machine is playing up, the staffed Customer Service Centre near the gates will do it by hand. One quirk worth knowing: since 2017 those counters will not top up six or more cards in a single visit, so a big family group should split the job.
The Airport Express counters reload cards too, so you can sort yourself out the moment you land. If you have not picked up a card yet, our guide to where to buy an Octopus card covers the airport and station counters that sell them.
Top up from your phone with the Octopus app
If you would rather skip the cash entirely, the free Octopus app lets you reload a physical card straight from your phone. You download the app, set up the Octopus Wallet, link it to your bank through the Faster Payment System, then tap "Top up Octopus", choose your source, enter an amount and hold the card against the back of your phone. The new value writes onto the card through NFC and a receipt appears on screen.
The catch for visitors: this needs an NFC-enabled Android phone or an iPhone 8 or newer running iOS 16.2 or above, plus a way to fund the wallet, which usually means a Hong Kong bank link. For most short-stay tourists, cash at a shop is still less hassle. You can register up to 20 cards in the app, so it suits anyone juggling a few.
Topping up a phone-based Octopus
If your Octopus lives inside your phone rather than in your pocket, topping up is even easier, and you can use a foreign card. Octopus on iPhone, Apple Watch and Android lets you reload with a credit or debit card right inside the app, so there is no NFC tap and no cash involved. Visitors set this up through the Octopus App for Tourists and can pay with an overseas Visa or Mastercard. If you went this route, our walkthroughs on adding Octopus to Apple Wallet and the Android version show exactly where the top-up button sits.
The limits that catch people out
An Octopus holds a maximum of HK$3,000 in stored value, so you cannot pre-load a small fortune for the whole trip in one go. For a few days of transport and the odd coffee, HK$150 to HK$300 at a time is plenty, and you simply top up again when it runs low.
Residents who want to stop thinking about it altogether can sign up for the Automatic Add Value Service, which reloads the card from a linked credit card whenever the balance runs out, in steps you can raise to HK$500 or HK$1,000. It needs a Hong Kong card, so it is really a local convenience rather than a tourist one. If you are still deciding how much to load, it helps to know what an Octopus card costs upfront before you add more on top.
Quick answers
How do tourists top up an Octopus card in Hong Kong? The easiest way is cash at any 7-Eleven, Circle K or supermarket: hand over the money, the cashier taps your card, and the value loads instantly. Add it in multiples of HK$50.
How do I add money to an Octopus card? Pay cash at a convenience store or MTR counter, use an Add Value Machine with HK$50 or HK$100 notes, or top up from the Octopus app on an NFC phone. A phone-based Octopus reloads with a credit card in-app.
Can I top up an Octopus card at 7-Eleven? Yes. 7-Eleven is one of the most common places to reload, alongside Circle K, Wellcome, ParknShop, Mannings and Watsons. Bring cash, as the counter top-up does not take cards.
Can foreigners top up an Octopus card? Yes. Anyone can pay cash at a shop or MTR station with no account needed. To reload with a foreign credit card, set the Octopus up on your phone and top up inside the Octopus App for Tourists.
