NETS FlashPay Card and the case for free top-ups

Since my EZLink card disappeared from my wallet, I weighed the pros and cons of the two CEPAS compliant cards available in Singapore today: The EZLink Card and the NETS FlashPay Card.

From the picture, you can guess which card I went with.

But first, let me complain a bit.

What does CEPAS stand for? I don’t know and frankly, I don’t care. Why can’t Singapore come up with names like Touch ‘n Go, like in Malaysia, that, once you say it, you know exactly how it works, and doesn’t require any acronym?

And the EZLink card – now that it can be used to pay for stuff, needs a change in name, doesn’t it?

Basically, these two cards now can perform like the Octopus Card in HK can.

Now, there’s another good name – Octopus Card – A card that has far reaching uses – pays for transportation, purchase of small items etc etc.

And what’s with that bee and the FlashPay? Bees buzz, not flash. If anything, it should be called the BuzzCard. Or, after the sound, beep!, when you pay for your bus fare. Beep!Card.

But I don’t get the Bee. Why? I bet it’s because one day, NETS is going to implement something nasty with the card, like they did with NETS. Yes, even if the bee smiles, don’t forget, they sting.

Well, at least FlashPay is better than EZLink, although one could argue, you needn’t flash the card, merely keep it in your wallet and tap it on the payment terminal.

That is, if the person who sells you stuff even knows what it is.

So after I got my new card, I headed to Watsons. There’s a notice that reads the store accepts multiple payment methods including FlashPay.

Great, I get to test it out.

I point to the payment terminal and mumble: “So if I want to pay by FlashPay I just tap the card here?”

“Yes, NETS.”

“FlashPay. I just tap the card?” I repeat, louder, more clearly.

“Cash or NETS?”

I see we have started from zero.

“You accept FlashPay right?”

“Huh?”

“This card”, say I, flashing my brand new FlashPay card along with my trademark scowl.

She takes the card from me, examining it from every angle except the bottom. It dawns on me she has never heard of the card, let alone seen it.

“Wait” she says to me, commanding me like I would my dog.

She runs to the other salesgirl and asks for help. Thankfully, she knows better.

Cash transaction: 30 seconds. FlashPay: 10 minutes.

Another example of how technology implemented in Singapore makes living here more inefficient.

So allow me to add here, that if you want to apply for part-time/adjunct/(insert other term or acronym) teaching positions at the MOE website, you can only do it with MSIE. Only in Singapore.

Okay, why did I choose the FlashPay card, since both cards have the same non-refundable blood-sapping pocket-deflating 100%-PAP-no-subsidy-if-it-hurts-they-love-you-more-unsaid-policy $5 deposit?

1. For a limited period, you get $5 bonus value with the FlashPay card, that means the deposit is free.
2. You can top up at ATMs (partially implemented).
3. You can get NTUC LinkPoints with any transaction. $30 = 1 lousy LinkPoint.
4. NETS FlashPay machines are already in many stores. (Assuming staff know how to use it.)

The drawbacks are that you can’t top up your card at existing top up machines in MRT stations, and if you top up at shops, it’s $0.50 per top up transaction.

The decision maker for me is the top up option at ATMs.

You see, the thing is, I hardly use the MRT. In fact, I find myself having to walk to the MRT station just to top up my card. I’d much rather top up my card at an ATM, and I believe there are more ATMs than GTMs, and that ATMs are more conveniently located than GTMs are.

Anyway, I think the most dismal thing with these CEPAS cards is its half-baked implementation. They’re not cross-compatible, they cost users money to add value to the card, and their use is limited. It’s silly to compare the two.

I don’t know how long it took Hong Kong to get the Octopus card working like it does, but hats off to them. It’s a brilliant system. You top up your card everywhere, in shopping centres, in convenience stores, at a cost invisible to the consumer. And because it’s so convenient and apparently free to use, people use it like it’s cash. And that’s where the business is generated – in the everyday transactions.

Singapore businesses are so scared to lose out, they want to charge you a transaction fee for topping up at shops. They’re afraid, all you’re going to do is to top up your card without buying anything and the shops have to give you that service for free.

But think about it. You would not walk into a 7-Eleven if you don’t need any snacks or magazines. But you would walk into a 7-Eleven if you don’t need any snacks or magazines but need to top up your card.

The best part is, you’re getting a person to walk into your shop without even trying. That is as good as any person coming in “just for a browse”, but really to escape the blazing heat. And in fact better, because that person gets to experience friendly service and the great personality of your staff.

And who’s to know? While this guy is topping up his card, suddenly he feels he could do with some breath fresheners and a drink. You’ve made a sale. I’d say you have more chances making a sale with this guy, than with the browser.

In Seoul, in winter, the makeup/skin care business is so competitive, they’ve got these pretty girls, braving the cold, and not wrapped up in thermals and thick jackets, standing outside their stores, giving out free samples, persuading you to get into their shop with a little shopping basket.

How much work it takes to get someone into your shop.

As I posted before, in the US, when I told the waiter my friend and I were going to share the meals, they would not just hand us an empty plate. They’d split the portion and plate it up as if we’d ordered two separate meals. I don’t pay any extra. But there is a cost to them, isn’t there?

Using Harris Ranch as an example: They have to wash an extra plate, they’d have to probably put on a little more side dishes – like extra potato and greens, so that half portion doesn’t look so sad. But what they gain is, two impressed customers, who are more willing to leave a more generous tip, waiters who are happy to work there because they get good tips, and the two impressed customers who are going to tell others about their experience. And the cycle continues.

Okay, the two impressed customers did pay more. They gave a more generous tip. But the difference is this: They were happy to pay more.

In fact, these two impressed customers went on to give Harris Ranch repeat business within a week or two of their meal. At a supermarket, these two saw vacuum packed Harris Ranch steaks. They bought it back and fried it up.

This is the case of losing a little to gain more. In more positive terms, giving before taking. And the taking can come many, many years down the road. The returns may not be immediate. Indeed, the returns may come generations later.

Loyalty doesn’t need a card. Good experience. Positive word-of-mouth. Unforgettable service.Those are much stronger, more enduring. This is the stuff that businesses should want to invest in for the longevity of their business.