Singapore's EZ-Link, Malaysia's Touch 'n Go to introduce cross-border Combi Card

Singapore

EZ-Link and Malaysia's biggest multi-application e-purse Touch 'n Go on Tuesday announced the progress of a joint collaboration to develop a dual-currency Combi Card.

Slated for launch in the fourth quarter of 2019, this card will securely host both electronic wallets from EZ-Link and Touch 'n Go, and will enable users to pay for urban mobility in both countries. This includes electronic road pricing in Singapore, highway tolls in Malaysia and parking for a start, and shopping and dining in the future.

EZ-Link chief executive officer (CEO) Nicholas Lee said: "The EZ-Link and Touch 'n Go cards have been daily companions of Singaporeans and Malaysians in their respective countries for the past few decades."

Touch 'n Go CEO Syahrunizam Samsudin said both cards have been an "essential part" of everyday touch points for Malaysian and Singaporean consumers across the transit, mobility and retail arenas. "The partnership inked with EZ-Link is one of the many ways Touch 'n Go is innovating to bring the benefits of cashless payments to wider market segments."

The announcement follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between EZ-Link and Touch 'n Go in July 2017.

In a joint statement following their retreat in Putrajaya on Tuesday, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad welcomed the "good progress" made by EZ-Link and Touch 'n Go to get to where they are today.

Separately, it was also announced in the statement that from the third quarter of this year, with the partnership between Singapore electronic payment service provider Nets and Malaysia's PayNet, Singapore banks-issued Nets ATM cards will be accepted in Malaysia, and Malaysian banks-issued MyDebit ATM cards, in Singapore.

Singapore consumers are currently already able to use their Nets ATM cards to make payment at more than 3,500 acceptance points across Malaysia; this arrangement pioneered the use of NETS ATM cards for making payments outside Singapore.