The single most useful thing to pick up on arrival in Taipei is an EasyCard (悠遊卡). It's a rechargeable tap card that covers the Taipei Metro (MRT), city buses, the YouBike public bicycle-sharing scheme, and even convenience stores and vending machines — one card for almost everything a visitor needs to move around and pay for small purchases, without working out fares or fumbling for coins.
Where to buy one
EasyCards are sold at MRT station customer service counters and vending machines, at convenience stores (7-Eleven, FamilyMart and others, widely present across the city), and at Taoyuan Airport on arrival. There's no deposit in the way some other cities' cards require — you simply pay a fixed price for the card itself, which includes a small amount of starting value, then top it up as needed. See our Taipei airport to the city guide for exactly where to pick one up before boarding the Airport MRT into the city, since a loaded EasyCard works for that journey too.
Topping up
Add value at MRT station machines and counters (cash), at convenience stores when you make a purchase, or via top-up machines found at many stations. There's no need to plan top-ups carefully — machines and convenience stores accepting EasyCard top-ups are genuinely everywhere in Taipei, so running low simply means your next stop at a 7-Eleven doubles as a chance to reload.
Using it: tap in, tap out
On the MRT, tap when entering and exiting the paid area — fares are calculated by distance, so both taps are required to get the correct fare rather than the maximum. On buses, Taipei's system is a little different from many cities: some routes charge a flat fare tapped once, while others use a "get on, tap; get off, tap" system depending on whether you're crossing a fare-stage boundary, with signage on board indicating which applies. When in doubt, tap both boarding and alighting — the system only deducts what's actually due.
Where the card works beyond transport
EasyCard functions as e-money well beyond the MRT and buses: convenience stores, many vending machines, some fast-food chains, parking meters and even the Taipei Zoo and some museums accept it directly. This is part of why it's worth having even for a relatively short visit — it removes the need for small cash for a surprising range of everyday purchases.
Getting a refund before you leave
Unused balance on an EasyCard can be refunded at MRT station counters, generally minus a small processing fee, or the card itself can simply be kept for a future visit, since EasyCards don't expire from disuse. If you're only in Taiwan briefly and don't expect to return soon, refunding the balance before you head to the airport is worth the few minutes it takes at a station counter, rather than leaving value stranded on a card in a drawer.
EasyCard beyond Taipei
EasyCard is accepted on public transport in most other Taiwanese cities too, including Kaohsiung's MRT in the south, which makes it a genuinely national card rather than a Taipei-only convenience — useful to know if your trip extends beyond the capital. Coverage of smaller regional bus routes can vary, so it's worth checking locally if your itinerary goes off the main urban networks. If your itinerary includes intercity travel by coach rather than Taiwan's High Speed Rail, our bus travel hub has more on how long-distance coach networks work in Asia and beyond.
Discounted fares and transfer bonuses
Paying by EasyCard on the MRT and buses is consistently cheaper than buying single paper tickets from a machine, and the system also applies an automatic small discount when you transfer between bus and MRT (or between two buses) within a set time window, deducted without you having to do anything beyond tapping normally. Paper single-journey MRT tokens exist and work fine for a one-off ride, but for anyone making more than a couple of trips, an EasyCard pays for itself in fare savings alone, on top of the convenience.
Practical tips
- Keep a small buffer balance — an insufficient balance at an MRT exit gate means a stop at a fare adjustment machine before you can leave.
- Register your EasyCard for YouBike early in your trip if you plan to use the bikes at all — it takes only a couple of minutes at a kiosk or in the app.
- Card and cash both work at MRT ticket machines for topping up, so language isn't a barrier — the interface has an English option.
- One card per person is simplest; EasyCard doesn't support tapping for multiple riders in one go.
If Taiwan is one stop on a wider East Asia trip, our guides to Japan's Suica and Pasmo and Korea's T-money card cover the equivalent systems in neighbouring countries, none of which are interchangeable with EasyCard despite working in a broadly similar way.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to tap out as well as in on the Taipei MRT?
Yes — MRT fares are distance-based, so you must tap both entering and exiting the paid area to be charged correctly rather than the maximum fare.
Can I use my EasyCard for YouBike bikes?
Yes, once you've registered it with the YouBike system via a kiosk or the app. After that, tapping your EasyCard at a docking station unlocks a bike and deducts the rental fee from your balance.
Can I get a refund for unused EasyCard balance when I leave?
Yes — MRT station counters will refund remaining balance, usually minus a small processing fee, or you can simply keep the card for a future trip, since it doesn't expire from disuse.
Does EasyCard work outside Taipei?
Yes, on public transport in most other Taiwanese cities, including Kaohsiung's MRT, though coverage of smaller regional routes can vary — check locally if your trip goes beyond the capital.
Sources and further reading:
- Taipei Metro (Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation) official EasyCard information.
- EasyCard Corporation official card, top-up and refund information.