Forum: Remove friction for SimplyGo app users
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I have found using the SimplyGo app to top up my ez-link card to be convenient because it removes the need to queue at kiosks. However, there are some limitations.
You cannot make top-ups in the middle of your journey. On many occasions, my card failed when exiting MRT stations or alighting from buses after I topped it up during the journey. I then had to seek help from station staff or file refund requests through the app. These are processed only after a few days.
While I understand that the system may not be robust enough to support mid-journey top-ups, it is still inconvenient, especially when your balance runs low during a trip and topping up before exiting would make sense.
A bigger issue is reconciling SimplyGo app transactions with my credit card statements. Every month, my “App top-up” entries are not reflected in my statement, leading me to call the hotline to tally the top-ups.
The customer service agent explained that these entries disappear after 30 days. Yet my October transactions vanished even before the 30-day mark. I was also told that only users who have converted fully to SimplyGo cards can see their top-ups consistently reflected.
There was a major push not long ago encouraging users to switch to SimplyGo. I support innovation, but creating friction just to push adoption feels counterproductive. This practice increases the workload for customer service agents – resources that could be better spent on real service improvements.
People are far more willing to adopt new systems when the advantages are clear, and without unnecessary friction or added inconvenience.
Charme Yan
