Touch ‘n Go Group group CEO, Effendy Shahul Hamid, said the demand for the “upgraded” Touch ‘n Go card will likely be higher than supply thanks to the “global chip shortage”.
Those who can’t get their hands on the cards are advised to “register their interest” on the Touch ‘n Go eWallet app and will be notified when the cards become available again.
Previously, when the cards were sold before their launch, scalpers took the opportunity to resell the cards at a higher price.
With the “upgraded” Touch ‘n Go Card finally launched, scalpers on popular online retail sites are already selling the supposedly widely available card at over 600% of its original value.
In a simple search we saw listings that go as high as RM65.
According to Touch n’ Go Group, the RM10 card can be bought on the Touch ‘n Go eWallet app and selected retail locations nationwide.
However there’s no mention if it is going to put a limit on how many cards a single customer can purchase.
The new card lets its users reload their card from the Touch ‘n Go eWallet app with no surcharge – a feature that would have been useful during the pandemic when most top-up lanes on the highway were closed.
According to TNG, the upgraded Touch ‘n Go card also comes with higher encryption levels to promote better security as opposed to their previous card.
To use it, the “upgraded” card must be bound to a Touch ‘n Go eWallet and requires its user to have a smartphone with NFC.
Up to five cards can be linked to a single Touch ‘n Go eWallet.