Breaking News, World News and Taiwan News.

Updated Thursday, March 11, 2010 9:37 am TWN, The China Post news staff



	Uni-President is to issue icash-EasyCards, a groundbreaking card to be used for paymemts of MRT fares as well as purchases at 5,300 stores including 7-11, Starbucks, Cosmed, MUJI, Mister Donut, Afternoon Tea and Cold Stone on April 1. At the press conference yesterday, the corporation displayed the initial icash-EasyCard set, which consists of 6 designs. (CNA) Enlarge Photo

Sponsors
▪	Save 75% for all hotels in Shanghai, Beijing and whole China. Lowest rates for Flights in China.
▪	Get the best deals for Guangzhou Hotels or choose from more than 10,000 hotels in 499 Chinese cities.
▪	Find great real time deals on China Flights. Book flights to China or China domestic flights 24/7.
▪	Buy china wholesale products from reliable chinese wholesalers on DHgate.com!

EasyCard to be used as cash across the country from April

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- EasyCards are to be used as cash at over 10,000 stores nationwide, including convenience stores, coffee shops, drug stores, bakery stores, cinemas, supermarkets, etc. from April, local media reported yesterday.

Starting next month, the public can make small purchases, below NT$1,000 per transaction, with an EasyCard at 7-11, Ok-Mart, Hi-Life, FamilyMart, Watsons, Wellcome, Matsusei, Ten Ren Tea, Miramar Cinemas, IS COFFEE, Yamazaki, Dunkin Donuts, HSIN TUNG YANG, Domino's Pizza, Pizza Hut, Bread Fast, and the Global Mall's food court at Banqiao Train Station.

So far, more than 17.7 million EasyCards have been issued; around 4 million cards, out of over 8 million active cards, are used on a daily basis. Besides greater Taipei, the card's usage area has also reached central Taiwan as U-bus allows passengers to pay for bus fares between Taipei and Taichung with the card. The acceptance of the card as cash at stores around the country acts as an effective way to further its usage scope to southern Taiwan, added Lien Sheng-wen, president of the EasyCard Corporation.

In addition to EasyCards, 7-11 icash-EasyCards, which can be used to pay for the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) fares, are also to be accepted at its own 4,800 stores and other stores associated with Uni-President (the mother corporation of 7-11), such as Starbucks, Cosmed, MUJI, Mister Donut, Afternoon Tea and Cold Stone, said Hsieh Chien-nan, chief operating officer of Uni-President.

Holders of icash-EasyCards can receive discounts on certain items; although, unlike the existing icash cards, the upcoming cards do not allow cardholders to collect bonus points, explained Hsieh.

Subscribe to The China Post and save 25%. Click here