Directions for Use -- Shanghai Public Transportation Card
After knowing the benefits and convenience brought by Shanghai Public Transportation Card, you may want to use it. Here are detailed directions for use showing you how to buy a card, recharge value, transfer value, return and repair a card.
Buy a Card
Hundreds of service sites in Shanghai selling Shanghai Public Transportation Cards, including - all the metro stations; most branches of Shanghai Pudong Development (SPD) Bank, some branches of Alldays, Kedi and Buddies Convenient Store, post offices, and all stations of Jinshan Line.
At the above card-issuing sites, you can buy a card with a deposit of CNY 20 and recharge. The value charged shall be CNY 10 or multiples of CNY 10. The balance on each card should not exceed CNY 1,000.
Value Recharge
Shanghai Public Transportation Card can be used for one time by overdraft when you take buses, subway trains or ferries. The overdraft should be less than CNY8.
However, the card cannot be used if it has a zero or negative balance. At this time, you need to recharge it. In the city, value-recharging centers are scattered everywhere - all the metro stations; most branches of Shanghai Pudong Development (SPD) Bank, some the branches of Buddies, Kedi and Alldays Convenience Stores; ticket offices of some taxi and bus companies.
The value recharged shall be CNY 10 or multiples of CNY 10. You can use the card within five years after you had last recharged it.
Value Transfer
You can transfer all the value of one card to another if only the value on the original card is less than CNY 1,000. The value of ordinary cards, including the balance and the deposit, can be totally transferred. Or else you can just transfer the balance and keep the card as a souvenir. However, for souvenir and transformed cards, only the balance on them can be transferred. The following are some value-transferring sites for your reference:
| Service Site | Address | Business Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Shanghai Public Transportation Card Service Center | No. 609, Jiujiang Road (near the intersection with Zhejiang Road) | 09:30-18:30 (Monday-Friday); 09:30-16:30 (Saturday, Sunday) |
| Some metro stations | Line 1: Shanghai Railway Station, People's Square, Xujiahui, Xinzhuang Line 2: Century Avenue, Zhongshan Park, Loushanguan Rd., Guanglan Rd., Songhong Rd., Lujiazui, Jing'an Temple, Longyang Rd. Line 3: Yishan Rd., Caoyang Rd. Line 4: Dalian Rd. Line 10: T2 of Hongqiao Airport | 09:00-17:00 |
Notes: Over 80 branches of Shanghai Pudong Development Bank (SPD Bank) in the city handle the value transfer of the Public Transportation Card.
Card Refund
Only ordinary cards can be returned. If your ordinary Shanghai Public Transportation Card is complete and clean, it can be recalled and the deposit can be returned to you. The balance on the card can be immediately returned if it is less than CNY 100. If the balance is CNY100 - 1,000, the invoice should be taken to ask for the return of money; however, a 5% handling fee will be charged.
Users can refund the card on the CVM self-service machine at most metro stations, and at most of the branches of Pudong Development Bank, Alldays Convenient Store and post offices.
Card Maintenance
Most metro stations of line 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9 and the post offices provide card maintenance service. The repair is free.