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Originally published by Jenny Leung. Last updated by Catharina Cheung and Janice Lam.
Managing your finances can be tricky, but important nonetheless. To make things a little easier, we have put together eight essential mobile apps you need to have on your smartphone right now—you’re welcome.
Whether you want to remind a friend to pay you back for dinner or need to split the lunch bill with a few colleagues, HSBC’s PayMe app can help you do just that. With just a few taps, the app can send and request money to and from your friends without the need to disclose your bank account number to anyone. More and more local shops also allow payments with PayMe, which means no more loose change in your pocket! With the app’s 24/7 fraud monitoring service, you can rest assured that your money is always safe and secure.
Download for free on the App Store or Google Play
Bored of finance management? Or lost in a sea of numbers? Fortune City is the perfect app for you. A gamified finance app with colourful, cute graphics and a handy reminder function, Fortune City encourages you to log your daily expenditure and income, and earn achievements and build a virtual city of your own. Fun, engaging, and functional, bookkeeping is no longer a tedious chore with Fortune City.
Download for free on the App Store or Google Play
Available in Hong Kong, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, and other places around Asia, the FunNow app offers exclusive deals and discounts on everything from hotel stays to a relaxing spa day. Providing real-time information and instant booking services for a wide range of leisure and entertainment activities, the app guarantees low prices and high-quality services, so you can have all the fun you want, whenever and wherever.
Download for free on the App Store or Google Play
The Octopus card is, no doubt, one of the most common means of transaction in Hong Kong. With the mobile app, Octopus card payment only gets more convenient. If you have an NFC-enabled Android or iPhone 7 or above, you can pay with and top up your Octopus Card, view your daily expenditure, manage transport expenses, and even collect your government consumption voucher all on your phone. People using older iPhones can get the separate Octopus Mobile Reader to do the above.
Download the app on the App Store or Google Play
Sick of waiting in line at 7-Eleven to pay your utility bills? PPS is here to help. With over 900 merchants available, this electronic bill payment platform allows you to settle your credit card payments, water and electricity bills, insurance payments, and even your tax bill! Simply register for a PPS account at any designated HKT, Circle K, or Aeon branch, then assign your bill merchant code (usually indicated at the top or back of the billing notice) to your account, and you will be able to stay on top of all your payments, bill schedules, and payment history—all within one app!
Download for free on the App Store or Google Play
Do you need to send money abroad? Then the CurrencyFair Money Transfer App is just for you. Whether moving abroad, sending money home, paying university fees, or transferring your pension, the CurrencyFair app endeavours to give you to best available rates. Avoid the hidden and excessive fees charged by typical banks and brokers, and save on your money transfers on the go.
Download for free on the App Store or Google Play
Keep track of all your spending and transactions with the ultimate spending tracker, Gini. With its unique overview interface and easy-to-read graphs, the app automatically imports all of your daily transactions directly from your bank, enabling you to see where and when money has been spent, your monthly cash-flow, your biggest spends, total transactions, and much more.
Download for free on the App Store or Google Play
Angel Mastercard is a Hong Kong-issued pre-paid card that users can top-up with HKD or RMB, and pay for anything where Mastercard is accepted. By using the app, you can manage everything, from topping up the card with credit to managing your card’s security by changing your pin code and tracking your transaction history. Best of all, Angel Mastercard holders can also enjoy exclusive privileges and discounts offered by over 100 merchant partners, so the more you spend, the more you save!
Download for free on the App Store or Google Play
Covering the hottest new eats, the best places to play, offbeat takes on local culture, and so much more, Localiiz is every Hongkonger’s destination for how to live a well-rounded life in our vibrant city. Why the strange spelling? Well, Localiiz is designed to be your “local eyes”—and for that, you need two i’s.
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