To say that the fare collection system in Hong Kong has been well received would certainly be an understatement. Today, there are actually more Octopus Cards in circulation than there are residents in Hong Kong. Nearly 9 million of the contactless fare collection cards have been issued since the program began in 1997, making it among the largest and the oldest contactless fare collection systems in the world. Cardholders move between ferry, bus, light rail, heavy rail and underground services–provided by nearly 100 different service providers–with the help of the same contactless card.