Singapore travel passes: the best way to pay for MRT-bus

By LINDA JAMES | Updated February 16, 2025 | PLAN

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If you’re going to use the MRT or buses in Singapore, one of the main things you need to decide is – which is the best way to pay for you. There are 5 main ways to pay: contactless credit cards, an EZ-Link card, a Singapore Tourist Pass, a NETS prepaid card and cash.

Using a card makes it much easier to catch public transport in Singapore.

Singapore’s smart transport card is called the EZ-Link and there are also 3 travel passes to choose from.

These all have different terms and conditions, which can sometimes make it difficult to choose exactly the right one for your needs. Hopefully, the following information helps to simplify your decision.

Each person will need their own card, however, you can use the same “account” for two people if you have a card in your digital wallet and a physical version of it.

Also remember that children 0.9m and under ride free.

The popular EZ-Link card

A convenient way to pay

Cash

To be honest, cash is really no longer much of an option. You can only use it on a bus if you have exact change. Otherwise, you’ll just be donating the extra money.

You also can’t buy tickets for the MRT with cash. Now, you must have some sort of card.

However, you can use your cash to buy a travel card and top it up.

Using an EZ-Link card is straightforward. Follow these steps:

1. Tap your card on the reader when boarding a bus or entering a train station.
2. Tap your card again on the reader when alighting from a bus or exiting a train station.
3. The fare will be automatically deducted from your card balance.

Contactless credit cards

You can use any contactless Visa or Mastercard credit/debit cards (apparently some Australian ANZ cards will not work) to tap on and off public transport. However, there is a daily fee of $S0.60.

You can also use these if they’re stored in your mobile wallet.

I have been told that if you have a digital card in your mobile wallet and the “hard” card with you, two people can effectively use the same credit/debit card.

I haven’t done this myself because I still prefer to use my EZ-Link card.

The Wise card also seems to work but some people have had problems.

The most important thing to consider when using a Visa/Mastercard in a foreign country is making sure it doesn’t charge you foreign currency transaction fees.

If it doesn’t, your bank will charge you an extra fee on top of each charge on the card, which will increase the cost of your travel.

This could potentially make one of the local travel cards are much more economical option for you.

EZ-Link Card

I’ve been using the EZ-Link card for many years but things have become a bit more complicated now for many travellers because there is an EZ-Link card and a SimplyGo EZ-Link card.

They both work the same way most other public transport smart cards work around the world: you put money on it and then tap on and off your transport.

In Singapore, you can also use them to pay for some taxis as well as food and drinks from participating hawker stalls, stores such as 7-11 and even vending machines in shopping centres.

If the business accepts it, you’ll see the EZ-Link symbol on the payment terminal.

The card itself costs $S5. If you buy it from one of the service centres at MRT stations and bus interchanges, it will cost $S10 as it comes preloaded with $S5 for travel.

If you buy it at a 7-11, prices are similar but can vary store to store.

If you’re a local, you’re able to manage both cards via app. The SimplyGo EZ-Link card even has an auto top-up feature.

However, to do this, you have to have a local bank account so this is NOT really an option for travellers.

Travellers can still use the SimplyGo EZ-Link card but it won’t have the features that differentiate it from the standard EZ-Link card.

See. Complicated!

So, for travellers, there’s really no difference between the two.

When you run out of money on the EZ-Link card, you can top up at the automatic machines at MRT stations (cash only) or in a 7-11 store.

In an MRT station, you’ll see two top up machines that look the same. Only one will take cash – it has a cash deposit slot on the front.

If you want to buy an EZ-Link card at Changi Airport, you’ll also need to have cash. There are heaps of ATMs at the airport.

I’ve always used a debit card that doesn’t have foreign currency transaction or ATM fees. Just make sure you use an ATM that has the VISA/Mastercard logo and is a reputable bank. I usually use a Citibank ATM.

You must have a minimum of $S3 on the card to use it on buses and trains.

You can get a refund of any money still on your card at the end of the trip by going to any SimplyGo ticket office. You’ll need to have your passport and your EZ-Link cards.

There’s a $S1 admin fee.

Singapore Tourist Pass

The Singapore Tourist Pass now costs $S17 for one day, $S24 for two and $S29 for 3. There is no longer any deposit.

It gives you unlimited travel on MRT an LRT trains and basic bus services, and access to some “perks”.

The perks are subject to change but include things like $S5 off specific attractions and 10% off at some cafes.

Things to note: a day ends with the last public transport service of the day – just after midnight – regardless of the time of first use, the days are consecutive so you can’t use one day, skip a day, and then continue, and it doesn’t cover premium services such as the Sentosa Express.

As an example, if you take your first trip at 11am on Monday, your first day will end at midnight that night.

For the 1-day pass to be worth your while, you’d have to take quite a few trips (see my comparison below), which is unlikely given Singapore is such a walkable city.

After the pass expires, you can use it like an EZ-Link card and top it up at any MRT machine.

Make sure you choose carefully as you won’t be able to get a refund if you change your mind.

SG Tourist Pass + Sentosa Express bundle

This three-day pass costs $S32 and just includes the add-on for the monorail to Sentosa Island, which usually costs $S4 (unless you are a valid concession holder).

I haven’t used this but apparently the Sentosa ticket is separate from the card (not stored electronically). So, if you get this, make sure you get the separate ticket to scan at the entrance gates.

This can only be purchased at:

• Vending Machine @Changi Airport MRT Station, Terminal 3 Exit
• Vending Machine @Changi Airport MRT Station, Terminal 2 Exit

To be honest, I probably wouldn’t be bothered taking extra time at Changi Airport for the relatively minor discount.

Singapore Tourist Pass + Changi Recommends Bundle

Like the SG pass, this gives you three days of unlimited travel (same terms and conditions) and extras (subject to change) for $S48.

At the moment, the extras are a free Xplore 1 hour walking tour of Kampong Glam (worth $S42) and a limited-edition postcard set (worth $S12) and $S5 credit off the Changi Travel Concierge Service. 

You can buy this pass online and you will receive a voucher, which you need to then take it to a Changi Recommends counter at Changi Airport in terminals 1,2,3 and 4, which are open 24 hours.

What’s the difference between EZ-Link and Singapore tourist pass?

The main difference is that the EZ-Link card gives you flexibility to travel when you want. To get the best value out of a Singapore Travel Pass, you’ll want to plan your itinerary to maximise your travel on those days.

You do get access to some discounts on other attractions with the Singapore Travel Pass that you won’t get with the EZ-Link card. You’d have to decide if those perks are worth it.

As an example, an adult train ticket from west to east – Jurong East to Changi Airport (literally from one side of Singapore to the other!) – will cost $S2.39 using a credit/debit or EZ-Link card.

If you did 4 large trips a day using the EZ-link card, you’d pay a total of $S9.56, which doesn’t really justify the cost of Singapore Travel Pass unless you plan to also use some of the “perks”.

I think it would be very difficult to fit that much into a day.

A busy day in Singapore, might be Bencoolen-Chinatown-HarbourFront-Botanic Gardens-Bencoolen. This would cost $S6.19 using a card.

If you’re only going to be in Singapore for a few days and plan to pack a lot in, then the Singapore Tourist Pass might be worth the investment.

If you’re there for longer and are going at a more leisurely pace, then simply tapping on and off with either your credit/debit card or the EZ-Link is more likely to suit your needs.

NETS Prepaid card

This card seems to be very popular with Singapore residents. I’ve noticed most of the POS terminals at hawker centres have NETS symbols on them.

It’s basically just a prepaid card that you can use with an app, which makes topping up easy.

Top up amounts have to be between $10 and $100 each time using a credit/debit card. You can only top up a maximum of 5 times per card per day.

If you’re not a local (and can’t use a Visa/Mastercard credit/debit card issued by a local bank), you’ll pay a fee of $0.50 per top-up.

The card lasts for five years. You can get a full refund of any remaining amount via the NETS App. You can buy the card from similar places to the EZ-Link card – MRT ticketing offices and 7-Elevens

Conclusion

You’ll find it much easier to travel around Singapore if you use a card. Depending on your plans, that could be contactless credit cards, an EZ-Link card, a Singapore Tourist Pass or a NETS prepaid card. Cash isn’t really an option any more unless you’re using it to buy a card.  For me, the EZ-Link card works the best.