Originally Posted by US HK UK flyer

Unlike mainland China, people in HK prefer cash to app payments for privacy reasons. Octopus is also dramatically more popular than AliPay or WeChat, which are seen as mainlandy by many in the population. There has been some growth of AliPay but not by so much that it feels like a standard payment method compared to Octopus. Don't underestimate how much people in HK don't want to be like the mainland and will resist any little thing that takes them in that direction.

As for credit cards, many in HK also prefer to travel internationally and so have/use them for this reason. Gathering points for travel etc. is very popular. Cathay just introduced a big new credit card line. So don't see these fading so easily either. Hell, Amex and Chase even have credit card lounges in HKG airport, the latter of which just opened recently, so the credit card companies clearly think there is a future there...