If you are planning a trip to China, make sure to get a T-Union Card. This prepaid transportation pass can be used in over 300 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Shenzhen, and more. It will give you convenient access to the extensive bus, tram, and metro lines with no need to pay in cash each time you ride. To save time and not have to look for a card upon arrival, our team at Travlists recommends booking a China T-Union Card here. You will have the option to pick it up at the airport or have it delivered to your hotel.
In a nutshell
- Tourist transportation card in China. It’s called the China T-Union Card, and it provides access to metro trains, trams, and buses in at least 349 cities in the Mainland. It can also be used to pay for fares in cabs, high-speed Maglev trains, ferries, and long-distance or provincial buses. (There is also the China T-Union + Octopus Card, which can be used in both China and Hong Kong. Book one here.)
- Where to buy. The easiest way to get your hands on a T-Union Card is by booking online here (like thousands of travelers did). Not only can you book at a cheaper price, but you will also have the option to redeem your preloaded transit pass at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, Beijing Capital Airport, Beijing Daxing Airport, or Suzhou Railway Station. It is also possible to have the card sent to your hotel or accommodation by selecting the Delivery option. See more details ➜
- Cost. You can book a China T-Union Card here for only $8.8. The price includes one card and a preloaded amount of CN¥30 or around $4.2.
- Top-up. If you need to top up your China T-Union public transportation card, you can do so at the bus terminal or metro station. You can either use an e-kiosk machine or top up from the ticketing booth. Top up is also available via the SilkPass App, as noted here. (One-way bus and metro fares in China vary based on distance. However, for easy reference, a one-way base fare covering up to 6km of travel costs CN¥3 or $0.42.)
- Airport transfers in China. Aside from buying your bus and metro card, also consider booking these affordable airport transfers in Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing, Shenzhen, and more.
Also read: 10 Best China eSIMs with VPN & Unlimited Data for Tourists
Quick Book
Where to Book a T-Union Card for China
Klook
KKDay
Meet T-Union Card: Mainland China’s Integrated Transportation Card
If you haven’t yet, take some time to look at the red and teal China T-Union logo above.
Done? Great! Know that if you have a transit card that bears this logo, you will be able to use it to pay for public transportation fares (mostly buses, trains, trams, and ferries) in at least 349 cities and counting. It does not matter the design of your card — as long as you see the China T-Union logo, you will be able to use it to take public transportation nationwide where the card is supported.
Other transit passes, such as the ones above, bear China T-Union’s logo with the logo of another transportation card. For example, the top photo shows Hong Kong’s Octopus Card in the upper left corner, while the bottom image shows the logo of Lingnan Card in the same position. (Both feature China TU on the lower right.) This signifies that the former can be used to take public transportation in Hong Kong and Mainland China, while the latter can be used in Guangdong Province and the rest of the cities in the Mainland.
If you are looking to purchase any of these cards, click below to check availability:
Supported Modes of Public Transportation
The China T-Union (交通联合), or more commonly referred to as TU, is widely used by locals in China for their daily commute. Citizens usually have the China T-Union transportation embedded in their debit or credit card, and they use it for other purposes like identity verification.
For tourists, the TU serves as a prepaid transit card that can be used to ride the following:
- Buses or city bus lines and long-distance or provincial buses
- Subway and metro city lines
- Taxis (except for non-Dazhong taxis in Chongming Island)
- Maglev Trains, specifically the train that runs between Pudong International Airport and Longyang Road Station (Metro Line 2)
- City ferries or water buses
China T-Union Cards can also be used to pay for parking fees and gas stations in select areas.
Where to Use the China T-Union Card
Before the all-access T-Union became the national public transit card in China, citizens and tourists used to purchase transportation cards that are specific to each city. Bus and metro cards in one city used to not work in another, so people needed to purchase various transportation cards to get around in various cities. This made commuting quite expensive.
However, with the introduction of the China T-Union, one only needed a single pass to travel in almost 350 cities and provinces. Below are the popular locales where you can use the card:
| CITY | WHERE TO USE |
|---|---|
| Beijing | Subway (including APM line), bus (Beijing BRT), tram, city ferry (except private ferries), and Intercity Railway (Guangdong Intercity Route) |
| Chongqing (Districts of Wanzhou, Fuling, Qijiang, Dazu, Qianjiang, Jiangjin, Hechuan, Yongchuan, Nanchuan, Bishan, Tongliang, Tongnan, Rongchang, Kaizhou, Liangping, Wulong, Chengkou County, Fengdu County, Dianjiang County, Zhong County, Yunyang County, Fengjie County, Wushan County, Wuxi County, Shizhu Tujia Autonomous County, Xiushan Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, and Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County. | Subway, monorail, city bus, and most district and county buses |
| Shanghai | Subway, Jinshan Railway (including airport line), Songjiang Tram, and ferry (intra-city ferry), & Maglev train |
| Shenzhen | Subway, Pingshan Cloud Bus, city bus, and Shenzhen Tram (Shenzhen Tram) |
| Nanjing | Subway, bus, ferry, tram, taxi, & public bicycles |
| Hangzhou (including Tonglu County, Chun’an County, and Jiande City) | Subway, bus, ferry, and Shaoxing Intercity Line |
| Shuangliao City | Bus |
| Wuhan | Subway, bus, ferry, & select trams (Optics Valley Suspended Monorail is currently unavailable) |
Other cities where the China T-Union can be used include Shijiazhuang, Qinhuangdao, Tangshan, Handan, Baoding, Datong, Jincheng, Fuxin, Liaoyang, and so many others.
Moreover, the China T-Union Card can also be used to pay for parking and fuel at gas stations in select cities.
Discount Benefits & Freebies for Card Holders
Apart from the convenience of having an integrated transportation card (you don’t have to purchase one-way tickets each time you ride), there are some discounts and freebies available for China T-Union cardholders. These include:
Beijing Discounts
- Free subway transfer between the following lines within 30 minutes (for Beijing Transit Cards with China T-Union Logo)
- Muxidi (Line 1 Batong Line ↔ Line 16 )
- Fuxingmen ↔ Taipingqiao,
- Guang’anmennei ↔ Niujie,
- And Dazhongsi (Line 12 ↔ Line 13)
- Take the following lines before 7am to enjoy a 50% discount (for Beijing Transit Cards with China T-Union Logo)
- Tuqiao and Gaobeidian on the Batong Line
- Nanshao and Zhuxinzhuang on the Changping Line
- Beiyunhe West and Qingnian Road on Line 6
Chongqing Discounts
- 10% off on select city routes, routes to Jiangjin, Dianjiang, and Wansheng Development Zone (for Chongqing Transit Cards with China T-Union Logo)
- 15% off on routes to Rongchang (for Chongqing Transit Cards with China T-Union Logo)
Shanghai Discounts
- Free subway transfer between the following lines within 30 minutes (for Shanghai Transit Cards with the China T-Union logo)
- Shanghai Railway Station (Line 1 ↔ Line 3/4 )
- Hongqiao Terminal 2 (Line 2 ↔ Line 101)
- Loushanguan Road (Line 2 ↔ Line 152)
- Nanjing West Road (Line 2 ↔ Line 12 ↔ Line 133↔ Line 2 )
- Longyang Road (Line 2/7 ↔ Line 16/182)
- Caoyang Road (Line 3/4/11 ↔ Line 144
- Hongkou Football Stadium (Line 3 ↔ Line 82)
- and Changqing Road (Line 7 ↔ Line 13)
- CNY 1 discount for transfers (within 120 minutes) between the following:
- Subway (including the Pujiang Line)
- Urban rail
- Buses
- Trams
- Ferry routes between the three Chongming islands
Note that discounts are not extended to the airport bus line and the tourist bus line. Some other cities where discounts are available include Foshan, Zhaoqing, Maoming, Jieyang, Shaoguan, Yunfu, and Yangjiang.
Where to Book a China T-Union Card for Airport Pick-up & Hotel Delivery
Now that we know what the China T-Union Card is, which cities it can be used in, and which modes of public transportation are supported, let’s now take a look at the various options that you can book at a cheaper price online.
1. China T-Union Card (Shanghai Hongqiao Airport Pick-up)
This option includes a preloaded TU card — select from CN¥30, CN¥50, or CN¥100
- PRICE: Book here from $8.69 (vs. regular price of $9.59)
- WHAT’S INCLUDED: T-Union Card with preloaded credits worth CN¥30, CN¥50, or CN¥100
- LOCATION: Hongqiao International Airport, Terminal 1, Arrival Hall
- HOURS: 9am-9pm (customized pick-up hours can be arranged if your arrival is outside of the business hours)
- BEST REVIEW: “Easy to redeem… [we purchased] the one with [CN¥100]… we stayed [in Shanghai] using the metro… [and] we [haven’t] used up all the [CN¥100]… [that’s] how cheap [the transportation cost is in Shanghai],” reads a review for T-Union Card on Klook.
2. China T-Union Card (Beijing Capital Airport Pick-up)
Getting a China transportation card at Beijing Capital Airport is also easy. After booking this option, you will receive a mobile voucher that confirms your reservation. On the day of your arrival, simply proceed at the counter or meet-up point to receive your card.
- PRICE: Book here from $8.69 (vs. regular price of $9.59)
- WHAT’S INCLUDED: T-Union Card with preloaded credits worth CN¥30, CN¥50, or CN¥100
- LOCATION: Beijing Capital Airport Terminal 3, International Arrival, Gate B Counter
- HOURS: 8am-11:59pm
- BEST REVIEW: “…[Very] easy to pick up at Beijing [Capital Airport]… so [far,] we have [used] in Beijing subway and bus… no problem. [All] is good.”
3. China T-Union Card (Beijing Daxing Airport (PKX)
If you are entering China via PXK or Beijing Daxing Airport, select this option for convenient redemption.
- PRICE: Book here from $8.69 (vs. regular price of $9.59)
- WHAT’S INCLUDED: T-Union Card with preloaded credits worth CN¥30, CN¥50, or CN¥100
- LOCATION: Beijing Daxing Airport, Terminal Passenger Service Counter
- HOURS: 8am-11:59pm
- BEST REVIEW: “The card is very convenient to use for…transportation… picking up of [the card] in the airport terminal is [also] very easy,” reads a review for TU Card in China on Klook.
4. China T-Union Card (Suzhou Railway Station)
Aside from airports, picking up a China transportation card at the Suzhou Railway Station is also possible. Below you will find the details, but please note that the card is not preloaded (separate top-up is required).
- PRICE: Book here from $4.15
- WHAT’S INCLUDED: T-Union Card only
- LOCATION: Suzhou Tourism Information Center (located at Exit 1A)
- HOURS: 9am-5pm
- BEST REVIEW: “It is very convenient and fast to exchange the tickets…”
5. China T-Union Card (Nationwide Hotel Delivery)
If you will not need a T-Union Card to get to your hotel upon your arrival in China, you can choose the hotel delivery option. While most reviews for this service, there are a few feedback sharing about their not-so-good experience with China T-Union delivery. (To be safe, our team at Travlists recommends picking up the card at Shanghai or Beijing airport.)
- PRICE: Book here from $8.69 (vs. regular price of $9.59)
- WHAT’S INCLUDED: T-Union Card with preloaded credits worth CN¥30, CN¥50, or CN¥100
- LOCATION: Your hotel or accommodation
- NOTE: It takes two (2) business days for delivery in Eastern cities and four (4) business days for deliver in non-Eastern cities.
- BEST REVIEW: “[The] subway in [the Mainland] is so cheap. We used our cards [in Shanghai, Harbin,] and Beijing. [They sent] it to my hotel address before [I] arrived in the [Mainland].”
6. China T-Union & Hong Kong Octopus Card (Hong Kong Airport Pick-up)
Traveling to China, Macau, and Hong Kong? Just purchase one card instead of three with this integrated T-Union and Octopus Card for Mainland China and Hong Kong!
- PRICE: Book here from $12.2
- WHAT’S INCLUDED: Octopus & T-Union Card with preloaded HK$50 (usable in Hong Kong, Macau, and Mainland China)
- LOCATION: Hong Kong International Airport, Arrival Hall, Counter A01
- HOURS: 8am-9pm
- BEST REVIEW: “As soon as I [walked out of the arrivals gate], I went to the counter to pick [the card] up… took less than a minute,” reads a review on KKDay.
- Shanghai Airport Private Hotel Transfers (10k+ booked)
- Shanghai Disneyland (1M+ booked)
- 4G/5G China eSIM with VPN (80k+ booked)
- Universal Studios Beijing (300k+ booked)
- Beijing Mutianyu Great Wall Day Tour (30k+ booked)
- Beijing Palace Museum/The Forbidden City (70k+ booked)
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- Chongqing 1949 Show (5k+ booked)
- Chongqing Two Rivers Tour (1k+ booked)
How to Top-up your China T-Union Card
As noted here, the easiest way is to download the SilkPass app and top up your card using the NFC function of your phone. However, you can also reload your card at trains and bus stations using an e-kiosk machine or by going to the ticketing counter.
Transportation Fares in Mainland China
Like what many tourists said on their China T-Union Card reviews, transportation fares are quite cheap in China. The one-way base fare for buses or metro train ride in China (covering up to 6km) of travel only costs CN¥3 or $0.42. Refer to this if you’re thinking how much credits to purchase or top-up.
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After using the China T-Union transportation card, let us know some tips and insights to help other travelers!
