Originally Posted by
tauphi
The OP's card didn't expire, but it became inactive after three years of non-use, thus requiring the payment of a fee HKD15 p. a. to reactivate.
We don't know that. The first batch of Octopus cards (those without a digit in brackets at the end of the nunber) have expired - they cannot be reactivated and need to be replaced. The fee for doing so is $20 plus $20 for each year past November 2022.
Later Octopus cards can be reactivated as you describe.