Touch 'n Go

The Touch 'n Go or smart card is used by Malaysian toll expressway and highway operators as the sole electronic payment system (EPS). The credit card sized smartcard made of plastic with Philips' MIFARE microchip technology embedded in it.

The Touch 'n Go systems are designed to process up to 800 vehicles per hour to ease the queue congestion at toll plazas and if used together with SmartTAG (a non-stop electronic toll collection system), will be able to process up to 1,200 vehicles per hour.

History
Touch 'n Go was developed by Teras Teknologi Sdn Bhd while the brand and the Real Time Gross Settlement (central clearing house systems) are owned and operated by Rangkaian Segar Sdn Bhd as now known as Touch 'n Go Sdn Bhd. The first Touch 'n Go system was installed and used at Jalan Pahang Toll Plaza on 18 March 1997. It was then immediately extended to Jalan Cheras toll plaza and the East-West Link Expressway toll plaza on 15 April 1997. Touch 'N Go toll payment system is fully implemented throughout the 848 km  North-South Expressway on 15 November 1998. This was made possible when the service was extended to the northern sections of the highway from Jelapang to Jitra. As such the smart card can be used to pay toll from Kempas in Johor right up to Jitra in Kedah, making it one of the world's longest single stretch of expressway electronic toll payment systems. The official launch was done at the Sungai Dua toll plaza and officiated by Rangkaian Segar Sdn Bhd then chairman, Datuk Dr Ramli Mohamad.

The Touch 'n Go system was implemented in Cityliner Sdn Bhd, one of stage bus service in Klang Valley somewhere in 2000*. Touch 'n Go card users enjoyed discount fare of 10% when its was first introduced. Due to needs to further consolidate company operations and meeting current customer demands at that time as well as operational restructuring exercise, card users have to pay full fare after the new announcement made on 13 November 2003. However the Touch 'n Go card reader system in the stage bus was not well maintained by the bus operator. Card readers often malfunction and no further updated information to replace/upgrading afterward were requested. Another subsidiary of Park May Berhad, City Profile Sdn Bhd, a feeder bus service (service known as Putraline) served for PUTRA LRT was also introduced and the system was successfully implemented until the Rapid KL bus revamp program took place.

Touch 'n Go facility was also embedded in Buy N Fly loyalty card rewards program for Malaysia Airlines retail arm, Golden Boutiques Sdn Bhd's which was launched in December 1999. The hybrid cards have multi function on rewards airpoint, MEPS Cash & Touch 'n Go. However on July 16, 2002, Malaysia Airlines announced that "Buy N Fly" Programme had ceased operations and consolidated its loyalty rewards into one entity; Malaysia Airlines Enrich Frequent Flyer Programme. Buy N Fly cards are no longer issued but active hybrid card users are still able to use them to perform transactions.

Card categories
The cards can be categorize into 4 types:

Multi-purpose card


Purchase and reload
A standard card can be purchased at the price of RM20. It consists of RM10 deposit value and RM10 usage amount. The cards may be reloaded from 10 denominations ranging from RM10, RM20, RM50, RM100, RM150, RM200, RM250, RM300, RM400 and RM500. The minimum reload value for a credit card issued in Malaysia is RM100.

Cash counters

 * Touch 'n Go Hub at KL Sentral, The Sphere (Bangsar South) & Sultan Iskandar Complex
 * Toll Plaza Office: e.g. Ayer Hitam, Johor & Ayer Keroh, Malacca
 * RapidKL Rail major stations
 * KTM Komuter major stations
 * Reload Agents
 * Petronas Kedai Mesra
 * Kiosk
 * Mini Mart
 * Mobile Phone Shops

Cash drive-through counters

 * Faber Tower
 * Toll Plaza with sign "LORONG TAMBAH NILAI & "

Credit card counters

 * Touch 'n Go Hub at KL Sentral & Faber Tower
 * Toll Plaza Office

Auto Teller Machines

 * Maybank 🇲🇾 Malaysia & 🇸🇬 Singapore
 * Public Bank
 * CIMB Bank CIMB Bank waives Touch 'n Go reload charge at ATMs    source - www.nst.com.my -  2010/08/19
 * RHB Bank
 * Bank Muamalat
 * AmBank Cash Deposit Machine

Card usage
Touch 'n Go card is not only for toll fare but also parking services, public transport, theme park and cashless payment at retail outlets. Touch 'n Go reader touch signs



Toll fare
Main article: Malaysian Expressway System

Touch 'n Go can be used in entire highways stretches in Malaysia with the familiar & Smart sign marked on the road. Two systems were introduced on toll fare collection instead of manual ticket. Due to highways with numerous junctions or intersections serving short distance trips, most of Malaysia's highways use open system toll collection.

Toll fare collection on open system
Card users only have to touch at the reader at lanes counter or drive thru  lanes at certain toll plazas. Toll fares charged are fixed regardless the distance travelled. The highways that using open system on toll collection are

Toll expressways

 * North-South Expressway (PLUS)
 * Second Link Expressway (LINKEDUA)
 * Shah Alam Expressway (KESAS)
 * North-South Expressway Central Link (ELITE)
 * Cheras-Kajang Expressway (CKE)
 * Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway and East Coast Expressway (LPT/ECE)
 * Sungai Besi Expressway (BESRAYA)
 * New Pantai Expressway (NPE)
 * Damansara-Puchong Expressway (LDP)
 * Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (AKLEH)
 * Kemuning-Shah Alam Highway (LKSA)
 * Butterworth-Kulim Expressway (BKE)
 * Butterworth Outer Ring Road (BORR)
 * Kajang Dispersal Link Expressway (SILK)
 * Maju Expressway (MEX)
 * Kajang-Seremban Highway (KASEH/LEKAS)
 * Senai-Desaru Expressway (SDE)
 * Sprint Expressway (Damansara Link, Kerinchi Link & Penchala Link)
 * Kuala Lumpur-Kuala Selangor Expressway (KLS/LATAR)
 * South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE)
 * Penang Second Bridge
 * Seremban-Port Dickson Highway (SPDH)
 * New North Klang Straits Bypass (SHAHPADU)
 * Duta-Ulu Klang Expressway (DUKE)
 * Guthrie Corridor Expressway (GCE)
 * Penang Bridge
 * SMART Tunnel

Toll highways

 * Federal Highway
 * North Klang Straits Bypass

Checkpoints

 * Sultan Iskandar Complex at Johor Causeway
 * Sultan Abu Bakar Complex at Second Link Expressway (LINKEDUA)
 * Bukit Kayu Hitam Checkpoint at North-South Expressway, Malaysia (PLUS)

Toll fare collection on closed system
Card users "touch in" before entering the expressway at respective toll plazas and "touch out" at the exit toll plaza. Vehicle with card have to drive thru lanes and  lanes for SmartTAG users. Toll fares are charged based on the distance between the entry plaza and the exit plaza. Card users have to make sure the amount balance should more than RM2 before "touch in", otherwise the system will not function. If card balance less than the amount of toll fare, exit payment balance after deducted card balance should be pay by cash at the "LORONG TUNAI" lanes. Highways for closed system include:
 * North-South Expressway (PLUS)
 * North-South Expressway Central Link (ELITE)
 * East Coast Expressway (ECE)
 * Kajang-Seremban Highway (LEKAS)
 * Senai-Desaru Expressway (SDE)

SmartTAG
Main article: SmartTAG An extension of Touch 'n Go is SmartTAG or  on board unit, which allows users to insert the card into a reader device installed in the vehicle for fully automatic/non-stop payment at toll plazas. Payment is made automatically as the toll charge is deducted from the value stored in the Touch 'n Go card.

Public Transportation
The cards can be use as an integrated ticket on the Public transportation system in Kuala Lumpur. To date, 3 companies have implemented this into their fare collection system.


 * RapidKL
 * RapidKL RAIL
 * RapidKL BUS
 * KL Monorail
 * KTM Komuter
 * Express Rail Link
 * KLIA Ekspres
 * KLIA Transit
 * Cyberjaya Shuttle Services

A value deduction method (capping system) was developed for people who pay their RapidKL fares using a TnG card, to save money. The maximum fare will be deducted through a RM7 daily usage for Rail and Bus and RM4 daily usage for Bus. However, starting 1 December 2008, the capping system will be terminated due to lukewarm response from the TnG commuters.

Ticketless parkings
Touch 'n Go can also be used in selected parkings:

Kuala Lumpur area:
 * Bangsar Shopping Centre
 * Berjaya Times Square
 * Publika, Solaris Dutamas
 * Suria KLCC
 * Sg. Wang Plaza
 * Pantai Medical Centre
 * Gleneagles Intan Medical Centre
 * Pusat Bandar Damansara
 * Hospital Pakar Damansara
 * Dataran Palma, Ampang
 * Megan Avenue I & II, Ampang
 * The Mines Shopping Fair, Balakong
 * Wangsa Walk Mall
 * KL Festival City

Petaling Jaya area:
 * 1-Utama Shopping Centre
 * Atria Shopping Centre
 * Kelana Square
 * Kelana Parkview
 * Armada Hotel
 * Selangor Tuff Club
 * Assunta Hospital
 * Phileo Damansara I & II (Out of service since Dec 2009)
 * Damansara Intan
 * Jaya 33
 * Jaya One

Subang Jaya area:
 * The Summit, USJ
 * Taipan, USJ
 * Sunway Pyramid
 * Sunway Medical / Hotel / Tower / Resort / Pyramid
 * Subang Parade
 * Leisure Commerce Squarecoming soon

Others
 * Century Square, Cyberjaya
 * KLIA
 * LCCT
 * Galleria @ Kotaraya, Johor Bahru
 * Gurney Plaza, Penang
 * Plaza Shah Alam

Admission fees
Currently only three theme parks has Touch 'n Go facility as an alternative in paying its admission fees:
 * Bukit Merah Lake Town Resort
 * Aquaria KLCC
 * Desa Water Park

Merchants

 * A&W
 * Burger King
 * Dunkin' Donuts
 * Baskin-Robbins
 * Steven's Tea Garden Café
 * Daily Fresh
 * Kaya Kopitiam
 * Golden Oven
 * Station 1 Café
 * 7-Eleven
 * Caltex Star Mart
 * Carrefour
 * Cathay Cineleisure

(*) merchant at selected location only & most in Klang Valley. Please refer to Touch 'n Go website for update.

Criticisms

 * Add Value/Reload Charge
 * Free reload only available from manual transaction over the counter of Touch 'n Go Hub, Highway Operation Office & selected highway toll lanes, major stations of Rapid KL & KTM Komuter. Reload over the ATM and reload agents will incur an additional fee of RM0.50 and RM1.00 at Cash Deposit machine. RM2.00 will be charged for Zingcard autoreload for every RM100.


 * Cheque Refund
 * Refund for card balance and deposit will be paid by cheque in one month processing and sent by post by Rangkaian Segar Sdn Bhd.


 * No Usage Discount
 * Concessionary users are charged between 2.0 - 2.5 percent of the profit for using the system. No discount is given but instead card users may have to pay the commission fee. Car park operators usually pass on the Touch 'n Go commission fee onto card users, resulting in users paying 10% more.

Effective 5 Oct 2009, users can claim rebate if their usage exceeds 80 tolled transactions per month. The rebate amounts to 20% of total usage and given in points credited to the card, not cash. It is only can be claimed at the Touch 'n Go counters at the toll offices.


 * Effectiveness Argued
 * Although the system was introduced in the last 10 years, with the support of the Government (particularly by incorporation the system into MyKad), card and concessionary users still prefer to use cash.


 * However to date, Touch 'n Go's 10 years research & development has resulted to 4 millions of card users (from 20 million of population) and use by all 19 toll concession companies in operation in Malaysia.


 * According to Bank Negara report on Payment System Act 2003; 39% of non-cash transaction in Malaysia is of Touch 'n Go. Non-cash payment via Touch 'n Go (and SmartTAG) accounted to 35% of all toll payments nationwide and 50% at Klang Valley.


 * E-Statement
 * All transaction records within 3 days from the date cannot be viewed through the e-Statement. Fax transactions recorded by phone are however available within 24 hours and mostly depended on data server system. However, recently there is a site to view the transactions, up to months at http://e-services.touchngo.com.my/e-Statement/


 * Limited CTS Fare Structure
 * Fare structure only applicable for adult. The cards is not available for senior citizen, children, school uniform & handicapped.

Trivia

 * The dormant Touch n' Go card (no transactions in 1 year), will be deactivated and incur a RM5 fee every 6 months until the card is reactivated or the balance and deposit is used up.
 * Use your Touch n' Go at least once every 6 months.
 * Touch 'n Go Achievement in 10 years development
 * Company background

Company website

 * Touch 'n Go official website
 * Teras Teknologi Sdn Bhd

Zing card website

 * Hong Leong Bank
 * Maybank
 * MBF Cards
 * Affin Bank

ATM reload website

 * Maybank 🇲🇾 Malaysia & 🇸🇬 Singapore
 * CIMB Bank
 * RHB Bank
 * Bank Muamalat
 * AmBank