3 Things to Know When Using an IC Card

There are things to watch out for when using an IC card like iPass and Easy Card.

1) The cards are non-refundable.

The card is yours, you can only have the amount of money that is left on the card minus the processing fee. So if there are less than 100 NTD on the card I would suggest you save the trip to the counter. Use up what's left on the card on buying things at a convenience store may give you more than asking for refund.

2) Fare Evasion will be Punished

The machine are not that sensitive, so sometimes the cards are incorrectly scanned. Often it would be allowed to pay up manually. However, if found abusing the system, one will be charged with 50 times the fare.

To avoid the cards are not correctly scanned you should:

i) Watch the monitor closely when swiping the cards

ii) Do not follow the last person to leave too closely

3)The cards are traceable

Each card comes with an unique serial number. If someone accidentally lost his card, one should try to return it. If found using someone else's card, the original owner could sue the person. That person may face criminal charges.

So there you have it, the three major pit-falls you should know about when using the IC cards.