The short answer
Get an EasyCard or iPASS when you arrive. In Taichung it works on the MRT and on every city bus, and the buses are where you will use it most. Your own contactless bank card works on the MRT gates, but the city's bus fare information lists only stored value cards. If you plan a full day of buses, the Taichung Go 24-hour pass (NT$180) covers the MRT and all city bus routes.
- Stored value cards EasyCard, iPASS or icash 2.0: MRT and city buses
- Bank cards and phones contactless Visa, Mastercard, JCB and UnionPay: MRT only
- Visitor pass Taichung Go: NT$180 for 24 hours, NT$280 for 48, NT$380 for 72, MRT and all city buses
- MRT-only passes One-Day NT$120, 24 hours NT$150, 48 hours NT$250
EasyCard, iPASS and icash
These three stored value cards work the same way on Taichung's MRT and buses: tap on, tap off, and the fare comes off the card. Pick whichever is easiest to find.
- Where to buy. Convenience stores (7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Hi-Life and OK mart) sell EasyCards and top them up. At MRT stations, the Passenger Agent Office sells cards with a Taichung MRT design for NT$100 each, with no stored value included.
- Topping up. At convenience store counters, and at MRT ticket machines and Passenger Agent Offices, in any amount up to a balance of NT$10,000.
- On the bus. Visitors pay NT$15 when they tap on, NT$5 less than the cash fare, and the rest of a distance-based fare when they tap off. → City buses
- Refunds. You can return an EasyCard at an MRT Passenger Agent Office; there is a NT$20 fee unless you have had the card at least 3 months and used it at least 5 times. The price of the card itself is not refunded.
Good to know: the "10 km free" bus fare you may have read about is for Taichung residents who register their card, not for visitors. A plain EasyCard or iPASS still gets you NT$5 off each bus ride compared with cash.
Tapping a bank card or phone
Taichung MRT gates take contactless Visa, Mastercard, JCB and UnionPay credit and debit cards, plus Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay. Use the wide accessible gate marked for bank cards (銀行卡感應) on the way in and out; you pay the normal fare. The gates also scan QR ride codes from EasyWallet, iPASS MONEY, icash Pay, LINE Pay Money and TWQR banking apps, mostly used by people with Taiwanese accounts. → The MRT Green Line
Passes
| Pass | Price | Covers | Where to get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taichung Go hourly pass (QR code) | NT$180 (24 hours), NT$280 (48 hours), NT$380 (72 hours) | Unlimited Taichung MRT and all Taichung city bus routes | Online at Taichung Go; the QR code on your phone is the ticket, and you choose when to start it |
| MRT One-Day Pass | NT$120 | Unlimited MRT rides until the end of service that day | MRT Passenger Agent Offices |
| MRT 24-hour and 48-hour passes | NT$150 and NT$250 | Unlimited MRT rides for 24 or 48 hours from first use | MRT Passenger Agent Offices |
| Taichung monthly pass (TPASS), non-resident price | NT$599 for 30 days | Taiwan Railway within set sections in Taichung, MRT, city buses, the first 30 minutes of each YouBike ride, and intercity buses with both ends in Taichung | MRT stations, Taiwan Railway stations in central Taiwan, bus stations, 7-Eleven ibon and FamilyMart FamiPort (EasyCard only); loaded onto an EasyCard, iPASS or icash |
Which to choose: with MRT fares capped at NT$50, the MRT-only passes pay off only on a busy day of long rides. The Taichung Go pass is the better buy for most visitors, because it covers the buses, which is where you will ride most. The monthly TPASS is for stays of a couple of weeks or more. MRT passes cannot be refunded once you have used them, and unused ones carry a NT$20 refund fee.
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Sources
Taichung MRT ticket types, ticket types (English) and how to ride; Taichung city bus fare information; Taichung Go hourly QR passes and Taichung Go monthly pass (TPASS) rules; EasyCard service points. Checked October 2026.