Touch 'n Go

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 East–West Link Expressway toll plaza on 15 April 1997. The Touch 'N Go toll payment system was fully implemented throughout the 848 km North–South Expressway Northern Route North–South Expressway Southern Route 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 to Jitra in Kedah, making it one of the world's longest single stretches of expressway to have electronic toll payment systems. The official launch was at the Sungai Dua toll plaza and officiated by Rangkaian Segar Sdn Bhd's then-chairman, Datuk Dr Ramli Mohamad.

The Touch 'n Go system was implemented in Cityliner Sdn Bhd, a stage bus service in Klang Valley in 2000. Touch 'n Go card users enjoyed discount fares of 10% when it was first introduced. Due to the need to further consolidate company operations, card users were required to pay full fare prices after 13 November 2003. However, the Touch 'n Go card reader system on board buses was not well maintained by the bus operator. Card readers often malfunctioned and were not updated. Another subsidiary of Park May Berhad, City Profile Sdn Bhd, a feeder bus service (service known as Putraline) for PUTRA LRT was also introduced, and the system was successfully implemented until the Rapid KL bus revamp program took place.

The Touch 'n Go facility was also embedded in the 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 are multi-function at the rewards airpoint, MEPS Cash and Touch 'n Go. However, on 16 July 2002, Malaysia Airlines announced that the 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.

The cards can be categorized into three types:

Generally, a standard card can be purchased at the price of RM10, without any loaded value. Cards may be reloaded in multiples of RM 10 (counters and some self-service machines) or RM 5 (self-service machines only).[6]

Cash drive-through counters

• Toll plazas with the "Tambah Nilai" sign

Touch 'n Go reload lane signboard.

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

Specialised Touch 'n Go lanes are provided at toll plazas in Malaysian Highways.

Touch 'n Go eWallet is an integrated mobile app to use the Touch ‘n Go generic card. It allows users to add the Touch 'n Go generic card number to more easily track their transactions. The usage balance in the eWallet is not interchangeable to the physical card and vice versa. However, the eWallet balance can be used if linked to the physical card to activate the PayDirect payment mechanism.

Functions available with the app for easier daily usage:

• Pay for movie tickets, concerts, and events [10]
• Easier transfer money between TnG eWallet
• Top up eWallet for toll usage
• Purchase of flight tickets
• Retail purchase with attached merchants
• Drive through tolls using money from the eWallet

List of highways that accept PayDirect payment method:

• Senai Desaru Expressway (SDE)
• Ampang - Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (AKLEH)
• Besraya Expressway (BESRAYA)
• Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI)
• Duta - Ulu Kelang Expressway (DUKE)
• Guthrie Corridor Expressway (GCE)
• Cheras - Kajang Expressway (GRANDSAGA)
• Lebuhraya Grand Sepadu (GRANDSEPADU)
• Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah Bridge (JKSB)
• Shah Alam Expressway (KESAS)
• Kuala Lumpur - Karak Highway (KLK)
• Kuala Lumpur - Kuala Selangor Expressway (LATAR)
• Damansara - Puchong Expressway (LDP)
• Kemuning - Shah Alam Highway (LKSA)
• Lingkaran Luar Butterworth (LLB)
• Maju Expressway (MEX)
• New Pantai Expressway (NPE)
• Kajang Dispersal Link Expressway (SILK)
• Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART)
• Sistem Penyuraian Trafik KL Barat (SPRINT)

• Add value/reload charge

Free reload is only available as a manual transaction over the counters of Touch 'n Go Hub, Highway Operation Office and selected highway toll lanes, major stations of Rapid KL and KTM Komuter. Reloading through ATM and reload agents incurs an additional fee of RM0.50 and RM1.00 at Cash Deposit machines. RM2.00 is charged for Zingcard autoreload for every RM100.

• Cheque refund

Refunds for card balance and deposit are paid by cheque within one month 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.

• Rebates program

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

• Effectiveness argued

Although the system was introduced in the last 20 years with the support of the government (particularly by incorporation the system into MyKad), card and concessionary users still prefer to use cash. According to a Bank Negara report on the Payment System Act 2003, 39% of non-cash transactions in Malaysia were paid with Touch 'n Go. Non-cash payment via Touch 'n Go (and SmartTAG) accounted for 35% of all toll payments nationwide and 50% in the Klang Valley. However, to date, Touch 'n Go claims their ten years of research and development has resulted in four million card users (in a population of 20 million) and use by all 19 toll concession companies in operation in Malaysia.

• E-statement

All transaction records within three days of the date cannot be viewed through the e-Statement. Fax transactions recorded by phone are however available within 24 hours and mostly dependent on the data server system. There is now a site to view transactions for up to ninety days at MYTouchnGo Portal.

• Limited CTS fare structure

The fare structure is only applicable for adults. The cards are not available for senior citizens, children, students or the handicapped; however, since 2017 RapidKL has introduced Touch 'n Go concession cards for its services, replacing the previous myrapid-based cards.[11]

• KLIA check-in

Touch 'n Go card users can no longer access the airline check-in counters at KL Sentral using their Touch 'n Go card as of June 2015. The Touch 'n Go card can still be used (RM55 each way) to board the KLIA Express itself, but travellers will need to check-in at KLIA instead.

• Reload via eWallet

Despite being introduced for some time, users still need to find reload centers in order to reload their cards. The card balance is not the same with TnG eWallet and not all payment points offer PayDirect features, especially for parking.

• Lack of NFC for Visa cards

After the introduction of the NFC card, Touch n' Go launched their very own prepaid debit cards powered by Visa. The cards received wide criticisms as they were unable to be used to make payments at Touch n' Go terminals, particularly in parking areas.

• Flexibility payment for toll fares

Non-interchangeable toll fares between TnG card with ewallet system (RFID). RFID requires dedicated lanes for the closed toll system, which is different from the open toll system whereby user will be charge once at the entrance at tollgate. On the close toll system, road user require entry & exit at the same RFID dedicated lanes. Otherwise, toll fare collection will be error and the users will be charged a penalty. Due to RFiD transponder does not install on all toll gate, road user have to make sure they are using the right lanes. For hybrid toll gate TnG+RFiD or SmartTAG+RFiD, priority will be taken by RFiD system if road user have RFiD sticker installed at their car. On 15 January 2022, fully migration on all PLUS highway had caused massive traffic jam due to detection issues, wrong lanes by user, low ewallet balance, total conversion on SmartTAG lane into only RFiD lanes also had cause TNG lanes becomes a massive congestion.[12]

• List of smart cards
• Multi-Lane Free Flow in Malaysia (MLFF)
• Malaysian Expressway System

• Touch 'n Go official website
• Teras Teknologi Sdn Bhd Archived 2017-11-25 at the Wayback Machine
• Longbow Technologies Sdn Bhd