You’ve probably been in that unfortunate position where you’ve had to miss a train on a day when you’re rushing to work because you forgot to top up your EZ-Link card. While Giro is a glaring option to counter this inevitable problem, there’ll be a new way you can pay for bus and train trips from Mar 20.

Say goodbye to carrying a separate EZ-Link card, as you’ll soon be able to use any Singapore-issued Mastercard contactless credit or debit card to tap and go. Singapore will be the first country in Asia to enable this, thanks to a joint pilot of the Account-Based Ticketing (ABT) for public transport by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Mastercard, and can be used for bus and train rides. Just like any purchase made with a credit or debit card, the fares will be charged and reflected in your monthly bill (there’ll even be an app to track your journeys and fare payment history).

To participate in the pilot, register your interest on the TransitLink ABT Portal.