Taipei MRT by Contactless Credit Card: Do You Still Need an EasyCard?
Whether one card gets you through the gates, what's different on the Airport MRT, and when an EasyCard still makes sense.
Published · Updated
Can you ride the Taipei MRT with just a contactless credit card now? Travelers used to say it worked on the Airport MRT but was hit-and-miss in the city, but since 1 July 2026 Taipei Metro has accepted domestic and foreign credit cards and phone wallets at every station. Based on official information from Taipei Metro and the Taoyuan Airport MRT, here are the accepted cards, where to tap and the differences that are easy to miss, as of October 2026.
01 · Taipei MRT vs Airport MRT by credit card at a glance
| Taipei MRT (臺北捷運) | Taoyuan Airport MRT (桃園機場捷運) | |
|---|---|---|
| Credit card travel (as of Oct 2026) | All station gates since 1 July 2026 | Dedicated credit card lanes at each station |
| Card networks | Visa, Mastercard, JCB, UnionPay, Diners Club, Discover, debit cards included | Visa, Mastercard, JCB contactless (debit included), UnionPay |
| Phone wallets | Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay; Apple Pay Express Mode supported | Cards added to NFC phones or smartwatches |
| Where to tap | The '信用卡' credit card reader on the gate | The credit card reader (separate from the IC card/token reader) |
| Fare | Charged the single-journey fare; check the official information before you go | Published single-journey fare; check the official information before you go |
| Discounts | No frequent-rider, bus transfer or TPASS discounts | No discount when using the credit card function |
In short, both systems take contactless credit cards directly. But each ride is charged at the regular adult fare, so if you want discounts or child fares, a transit card such as EasyCard is still the better choice.
02 · How to tap on the Taipei MRT
Use the credit card reader Gates have separate readers for credit cards, QR codes and IC cards like EasyCard. Hold your card or phone to the '信用卡' reader and walk through when you hear the piano chime and see the green arrow.
Exit with the same card One card is for one person. Taipei Metro notes that people with several cards in their phone wallet sometimes get stopped on exit because a different card was picked up.
iPhone: Express Mode Set a card as your Express Transit card in Apple Wallet and you can tap without unlocking. With Google Pay or Samsung Pay, unlock the phone first.
EasyCard co-branded cards On a credit card with a built-in EasyCard, the reader you use decides the payment: the credit card reader charges the card, the IC card reader deducts the stored balance.
Expired or blocked cards won't work Each tap needs bank authorization, so expired cards or cards blocked by the issuer won't open the gate. Check in your bank app that overseas payments are enabled before you fly.
The Airport MRT took my credit card straight away, but people were split on whether it worked on the city MRT. — summarized from traveler questions and answers around the full July 2026 launch
03 · What's different on the Taoyuan Airport MRT
Use the credit card lane Not every gate takes cards: use the dedicated credit card lane at each station. Its reader is separate from the IC card and token reader.
Look for the contactless mark Your card needs the Visa, Mastercard or JCB logo plus the contactless symbol on the front. UnionPay cards are also listed.
Same card, same phone Use the same physical card to enter and exit, or the same device, wallet app and linked card. If you don't pass the gates properly, the fare can be charged to your card later.
Tapped the wrong reader? If you touched a co-branded card on the IC card reader by mistake, show it at the station information counter and staff will sort it out.
04 · When an EasyCard is still better
Lots of MRT–bus transfers Credit card rides don't get bus transfer discounts or Taipei Metro frequent-rider rebates. Transit cards such as EasyCard and iPASS keep those discounts.
Traveling with children Credit cards are charged the regular fare. Children under 6 ride free with a paying adult, but if your child needs a concession fare, use a transit card or ask at the counter.
One card for the whole family A credit card covers one person. Anyone without a contactless card can use a blue single-journey token or a QR single ticket from the Taipei Metro Go (台北捷運Go) app.
Still deciding on an EasyCard? See Is an EasyCard enough for a first Taipei trip? and EasyCard balance checks and top-ups, and for late arrivals, Taoyuan Airport midnight arrival transport. For food after the ride, browse the Taipei food map, Taipei beef noodles, Taipei Taiwanese food and the Wang's Broth page.
Find Taipei beef noodles on the map
Save places to eat near your MRT stops before you go.