Over the years, EasyCard Company and Apple have been unable to reach a consensus when discussing Apple Pay transportation card cooperation. Recently, a North City Councilor further asked about the integration of EasyCard and iPhone. EasyCard Company also responded. It is currently developing an “EasyCard Sticker” internally. It can be attached to the back of the iPhone, and there are three solutions to solve the iPhone’s Apple Pay Easy Card integration problem.
When will the iPhone be able to directly combine the Easy Card with the Apple Pay transportation card? Previously, EasyCard also explained to the Beijing Municipal Government the progress of negotiations with Apple about the Apple Pay EasyCard. It cannot cooperate with the unified use of technical specifications recommended by Apple. It will face “the need for substantial modifications to the front-end equipment” and “the need to rebuild a new system in the backend.” These two major difficulties will probably take 10 years to fully complete.
Recently, North City Councilor Chen Youcheng pointed out that in the past year or so, the North City Government and Apple have been unable to reach a consensus on cooperation matters. Considering that the iPhone’s market share in Taiwan has exceeded 50%, and the Japanese market has competition from other mobile phone brands, Apple may believe that there is no need to stimulate iPhone sales in the Taiwan market, so it is unwilling to bear the additional cost of cooperation with EasyCard. As for EasyCard’s request for cooperation, Apple headquarters does not seem to have given any positive response yet.
EasyCard company looks for other ways to integrate EasyCard with iPhone
Councilor Chen Youcheng also suggested that EasyCard companies could consider developing alternative solutions to enable iPhone to interoperate with EasyCard, such as launching mobile phone-specific stickers for EasyCard, EasyVISA card, EasyPay QRCode ride codes, or dedicated EasyCard straps for Apple Watch, etc. , these solutions can bypass the restriction that the Apple Pay chip format and the EasyCard cannot be used interoperably.
Chen Youcheng said that given Apple’s current market strategy and attitude, it is unlikely that the chip format will be specially adjusted for the EasyCard in the short term, so the possibility of integrating the iPhone with the EasyCard is quite low. Therefore, EasyCard companies must quickly develop and improve alternative solutions and tools so that people can still have other options for contactless customs clearance when they are unable to use Apple Pay in combination with EasyCard.
Easy Card launches 3 major solutions to integrate iPhone and Apple Pay
Option 1. “Sticker Easy Card” launched mid-year
The EasyCard company also responded that it is still in negotiations with Apple and is also working on developing a “sticker EasyCard” specifically for iPhones. The Super EasyCard can be affixed to the phone, which has the advantage of making it easier for passengers to enter and exit public transportation and consumption.
Sticker Easy Card can also use the Easy Wallet app to recharge, check balance and check transaction records on mobile phones. The Easy Card company said that the product is currently undergoing internal testing and is expected to be launched in March after completing internal testing at the end of February. The second phase of testing is expected to be launched in mid-2024.
However, Mr. Crazy discovered that the EasyCard company had already launched the “Sticker EasyCard” product as early as the iPhone 4 era, and even followed suit in recent years.Rhino Shield Mount Cooperationyou can hide the Super EasyCard chip on a very thin sticker and stick it on portable items, but this EasyCard sticker is a bit big.
Option 2: Youyou comes with an electronic payment account stored value card
The EasyCard company also revealed that in addition to developing a “sticker EasyCard” product, they are also cooperating with banks to issue an accompanying electronic payment account stored value card that is linked to the balance of the EasyPay account. iPhone users who hold this card can Use Apple Pay to swipe your card for payment. As long as the Taipei MRT opens the entry and exit gates for credit cards and Apple Pay, holders of this stored-value card with an electronic payment account can also use it on transportation. The service is currently expected to be available this year Launched in Season 4.
Extended reading: How to use EasyPay?Guide to applying for registration, receiving and paying, transferring money and taking the bus via mobile phone
Option 3: Youyoupay QR Code ride code
The EasyCard company also said that in addition to stickers on EasyCard and using Apple Pay to swipe credit cards to take public transportation, they have now also launched the EasyPay QR Code bus code, which has already been used on some passenger transportation. Taipei MRT also plans to launch it in 2026 The use of QR Code for entry and exit will also allow EasyCard to provide more choices for iPhone through more new payment methods.
Extended reading: The reason why Apple Pay does not support EasyCard is completely revealed, and the Financial Supervisory Authority will give an exclusive answer
