SimplyGo Fare Integration: Unified Payment for Buses, Trains & More
Singapore's public transport fare system has undergone a significant consolidation. The previously separate EZ-Link and TransitLink SimplyGo applications have been merged into a single enhanced SimplyGo app, centralising fare management for all bus and rail journeys.
From Two Apps to One
For years, commuters had to navigate between two separate applications: the EZ-Link app for card management and the TransitLink SimplyGo app for travel history and journey planning. The enhanced SimplyGo app integrates all features from both, eliminating the need to maintain two accounts. Existing EZ-Link account holders can sync their data to the new app without creating fresh credentials.
The consolidation addresses a longstanding source of confusion. The previous two-app system meant that some functions, like checking card balance, were available in one app while viewing trip history required the other. The merged interface puts balance checking, top-ups, travel history, and journey planning into a single navigation structure.
Key Capabilities
The unified SimplyGo app handles the following functions:
Travel History & Payments
Every bus and MRT trip is logged with boarding and alighting stations, fare charged, and timestamp. Users can view up to three months of transaction history and export records for expense claims.
Auto Top-Up Configuration
EZ-Link and NETS FlashPay cards can be linked to bank accounts or credit cards for automatic value replenishment. The trigger threshold and top-up amount are user-configurable, with minimum top-up set at S$20.
Concession Card Management
Students, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities can apply for concession cards directly through the app. Replacement requests for lost or damaged cards are also handled digitally, with new cards dispatched to the registered address.
Journey Planner
The integrated planner calculates exact fares and provides bus and train route combinations with estimated journey times. It accounts for transfer discounts and displays alternative routes sorted by travel time, number of transfers, and walking distance.
EZ-Link card reader on a Singapore bus. Contactless fare deduction occurs on boarding and alighting. Image: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
EZ-Link Motoring Extension
Beyond public transport, SimplyGo now incorporates EZ-Link Motoring, which covers Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) charges and car park payments. Motorists can link their In-Vehicle Unit (IU) to the app and receive real-time notifications when ERP charges are deducted. Car park entry and exit records, along with charges, appear in the same transaction history as bus and train fares.
Distance-Based Fare Structure
Singapore's public transport fare calculation uses a distance-based model. The per-kilometre rate decreases as trip length increases, meaning longer journeys cost less per kilometre than shorter ones. A transfer discount is applied when commuters switch between buses and trains within a 45-minute window, ensuring that multi-leg journeys are not penalised compared to equivalent direct trips.
For a 10 km journey combining bus and MRT, the fare typically ranges from S$0.99 to S$1.30 for adult card users, depending on the exact route and transfer points. Cash fares are higher and do not receive transfer discounts, which acts as an incentive for commuters to adopt contactless card or mobile payment methods.
Contactless Bank Card Integration
Visa and Mastercard contactless bank cards, as well as mobile wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay), can be used directly at fare gates and bus card readers without an EZ-Link card. The system calculates the best fare at the end of the day, aggregating all trips and applying transfer discounts retroactively. This post-trip fare calculation model differs from the real-time deduction used for stored-value cards.