Hmmm... I thought ez-link eases things significantly. You do not have to calculate how much you pay before you board, which is especially useful if you have no idea how far things are. Just tap your card at the entry point and tap again when you exit.

Recharging of card, we call it "top-up" here, can be done at minimum of $10, I think. But if you have leftover values in your trip, you can always go to any of the Ticket Office to refund whatever is left inside, minus the $5 card cost.

This ez-link was introduced to reduce the 'fare-cheaters', i.e. those people who just paid the minimum (it was at 60c) and take the ride, hoping that no bus conductor will catch them. Some SGD3 million (approx. USD1.7 million) are lost due to the fare-cheaters; cant remember whether this is an annual figure or monthly, though...

I think London has "Oyster Card" which works on similar concept.