Comparing Singapore's public transport to other cities such as London, Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo, experts said there has been a global shift towards account-based ticketing systems in recent years, and this can be seen in the widespread use of account-based wallets such as digital payment apps as well as direct debit. According to SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan, Singapore is relatively advanced in this aspect. He noted that with account-based systems, commuters no longer need to have a transit-dedicated card, but pointed out that because these cards are controlled by financial institutions rather than the Land Transport Authority, it takes time to retrieve their remaining balance. Asst Prof Fan also said that Singapore has been relatively advanced on the move to a card-based ticketing system. He said, “Going forward, account-based ticketing allows more flexible forms of payment, and is therefore more versatile than the old, card-based system.”
