Comparison

BoC Pay+ vs Octopus for Tourists

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

BoC Pay+

Manage credit cards, apply for installments, and earn rewards. This app allows you to top up value with BOC Credit Cards, track points, and redeem them for spending. Enjoy convenient small amount payments without a password.

Highlights
  • Top up with BOC Credit Cards
  • Manage credit cards
  • Apply for installments
  • Earn and redeem points
  • Check gift points balance
  • Small amount payment without password
Features
Read full description

New functions with better experience: • Top up value by all BOC Credit Card • One stop platform to manage all your Credit Cards and apply for instalment • Earn Points by all payments • Offset spending with points for local and cross-border spending • Check gift points balance and redeem rewards • No password required for local small amount payments Reminder: To borrow or not to borrow? Borrow only if you can repay! SVF License Number: SVFB072

About

Octopus for Tourists

This app allows tourists to easily add and manage a digital transit and payment card on their iPhone or Apple Watch for use in Hong Kong. It enables seamless travel and shopping by simply tapping your device, with convenient top-up options and balance checking.

Highlights
  • Add Octopus card to iPhone/Apple Watch
  • Top up with credit/debit cards
  • Check balance and spending
  • Refund deposit and remaining value
  • Tap to pay at readers
Features
Read full description

Octopus on iPhone or Apple Watch simplifies the way you ride transport and shop in Hong Kong. Breeze through turnstiles or pay at retail outlets just by tapping your iPhone or Apple Watch on Octopus readers. No need to open an app or wake your device. Check your balance and skip queues by topping up using your favourite credit / debit card. It is easy to get an Octopus before or after you arrive in Hong Kong. If you have an iPhone X or later, or Apple Watch Series 3 or later, simply download the Octopus App for Tourists to add a new Octopus. It is a breeze to check your balance and top up using your favourite credit card / debit card. If you already have a physical Octopus card, you can transfer it to your iPhone or Apple Watch easily. With Octopus App for Tourists, you can: - Add an Octopus Card to your iPhone or Apple Watch with just a few steps - Top up anytime, anywhere, with your favourite non-Hong Kong issued Mastercard, UnionPay or Visa credit or debit cards - Check the balance and spending records of your Octopus - Apply for a refund of the deposit and remaining value on your Octopus before departing Hong Kong For more details, please visit www.octopus.com.hk Licence Number: SVF0001

Screenshots

BoC Pay+4 screens
Octopus for Tourists4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: BoC Pay+ at 3.7 against Octopus for Tourists's 2.2. BoC Pay+ also leads on review sentiment (43% vs 29%) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.2). Octopus for Tourists's advantage is ratings volume (229 vs 11). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BoC Pay+ holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 2.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Octopus for Tourists has 229 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of BoC Pay+'s written reviews are positive against 29% of Octopus for Tourists's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BoC Pay+ ships an update every 4 weeks, Octopus for Tourists every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
BoC Pay+ versus Octopus for Tourists: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBoC Pay+Octopus for Tourists
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (11 ratings) — better2.2 (229 ratings)
Positive reviews43.0% of reviews — better28.7% of reviews
Number of ratings11229 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS14.0 — better16.2
Further details — not scored
Size243 MB54 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBank of China (Hong Kong) LimitedOctopus Cards

Customer experience

BoC Pay+

All ratings11 ratings
Positive54.5%
Neutral18.2%
Negative27.3%
Written reviews79 reviews
Positive43.0%
Neutral8.9%
Negative48.1%

Octopus for Tourists

All ratings229 ratings
Positive27.9%
Neutral3.5%
Negative68.6%
Written reviews293 reviews
Positive28.7%
Neutral2.7%
Negative68.6%

Bugs and requests

BoC Pay+

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Octopus for Tourists

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Transactions failing after initial use
  • Card not showing up in Apple Wallet after purchase
  • Inability to transfer existing physical card to app

Requested features

3 requests
  • Allow payment in local Hong Kong dollars
  • Improve top-up reliability and stability
  • Provide better customer support channels

In-app purchases

None

BoC Pay+

No in-app purchases

None

Octopus for Tourists

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BoC Pay+ free?
BoC Pay+ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Octopus for Tourists free?
Octopus for Tourists is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, BoC Pay+ or Octopus for Tourists?
BoC Pay+ is rated higher. BoC Pay+ averages 3.7 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Octopus for Tourists averages 2.2 from 229 ratings.
Do BoC Pay+ or Octopus for Tourists have ads?
Neither BoC Pay+ nor Octopus for Tourists shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BoC Pay+ or Octopus for Tourists?
BoC Pay+ ships an update every 4 weeks, and Octopus for Tourists every 2 months. Most recently, BoC Pay+ was updated on September 19, 2026 and Octopus for Tourists on September 23, 2026.

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