[Transport] All About Singapore Tourist Pass (STP)

All About Singapore Tourist Pass (STP)

The public transport card that you need.

Are you visiting Singapore soon?

So are you planning your whereabouts and couldn't decide which STP to choose?

Read on our recent experience and hopefully it would be insightful. :)

I just came back from a short trip to Singapore last weekend.

Despite been travelling to Singapore for a couple times now,

what makes this trip different from previous ones is that I'm travelling without my family.

Most of the times I travel with my family,

and I tend to leave the travelling-related decisions to other members.

This time round I'm travelling with two friends.

It really get us to do our own research before go onto this trip.

You know-lah, the currency rate between Malaysia and Singapore,

it makes everything so expensive when converted into our own currency.

So being cheap-skate as we are,

we are looking for the one travelling pass card that is most "worth it".

Maybe at this point, you would have found out that

there are two types of Singapore Tourist Pass (STP) available? :)

Don't worry.

There are two options available at the moment:-

1. Singapore Tourist Pass (STP); and

2. Singapore Tourist Pass Plus (STP+).

The two pass cards look as below.

Source : yqtravelling.com

They have changed the design of the pass cards recently.

The normal STP card was in red font white background;

and the STP+ was in white font light blue background.

Source : www.ezlink.com.sg

While the EZ-Link card design remains (above, right).

************************************

Let's us breakdown the features of these two Tourist Pass Cards.

Function

(applies to both pass cards)

Unlimited travel for basic public bus and train services. The pass EXCLUDES rides on premium services, such as Sentosa Express, RWS8, Fast Forward, Night Rider and Nite Owl buses.

Pass coverage of the day begins from your first usage of public transport.

Example: First usage on 18 Jan 2019, 2PM. Pass coverage starts from 18 Jan 2019, 00:00AM to 20 Jan 2019, 23:59PM.

Usage of 3-day card must be consecutive days.

Price

STP:

3-day pass for SGD30 (inclusive SGD10 refundable deposit).

STP+:

3-day pass for SGD38 (non-refundable)

Available at

STP:

Selected TransitLink Ticket Office or Automated STP Kiosk.

Yes, available at Changi Airport MRT Station.

STP+:

Exclusively at Changi Recommends counters at all Changi Airport terminals.

Special Perks / Discounts

STP:

none.

STP+:

-> Free admission to Chinatown Heritage Centre

-> Complimentary Singapore Sling Cocktail at ;D Happy Factory

-> Complimentary Xplore Half-Day Tour

-> Complimentary $10 Hooters Dining voucher (Valid till 31 May 2019)

-> Complimentary Limited Edition Post Card Set worth $8

-> 5% off Merchandise at Resort World Sentosa

-> 10% off at Good Old Days, Sentosa

-> 10% off at Spuds & Aprons, Faber Peak Singapore

-> 1 for 1 Main Course in HYFE Travel Cafe

(please further read on theirs terms and condition here)

**Disclaimer:

Herein stated the perks and discounts available at the time of writing.

Please check on Changi Recommends Official Website to find out the latest goodies.

Expiry

(applies to both pass cards)

Yes you may choose to retain the card after expiration. The pass card will be automatically converted to normal ez-link card. To use, you will need to top up the card with cash at any of the top-up machines located within the MRT station. The card can be used across our public transport network of trains and buses, as well as at selected merchants that accepts ez-link card as a mode of payment.

Refundable Deposit

STP:

Entitle to get a refund of SGD10 rental deposit within five days from the day of first usage.

Refundable at SMRT Passenger Service Centres located at the Changi Airport, Kranji, Lavender, Dhoby Ghaut and Marina South Pier MRT stations.

STP+:

none.

************************************

Our stay in Singapore was 4D3N.

At last, we decided on taking the normal STP card.

Minus the SGD10 rental deposit, it gives us an average of SGD6.67 travel expense per day (SGD20 divided by 3 days).

An average MRT adult fare in Singapore is around SGD0.81 to SGD2.06.

If you can foresee that you'll be visiting a lot of places during your stay in Singapore,

like more than 5 trips, it would be rather "worth it" to go for normal STP card.

Say if you are planning to visit the places where STP+ has special offers,

perhaps you can consider to go for this.

We bought STP via Automated STP Kiosk at Changi Airport MRT Station.

Take note that the kiosk only accepts payment by NETS, Mastercard, Visa and JCB credit/debit card.

No cash payment.

It has been a hassle-free travelling experience around the city.

We simply just hop onto any train or bus,

whichever fastest transport mode that could bring us to our travel destinations,

without worrying about travel fare or topping up credit.

On our last stay in Singapore, which is the 4th day from purchase,

instead of topping up our now ez-link card (automatically converted upon expiry),

we hop onto Grab car to Changi Airport.

Why so?

The minimum top up amount is SGD10.

However, taking MRT to Changi Airport costs less than SGD1;

that would leave our remaining balance being forfeited.

Taking Grab car from our place to the airport is SGD15

(divided by 3 persons, so SGD5 each).

Still cheaper than topping up the travel pass.

The refund process is so much easier than you could imagine!!

We simply head to the customer service staff at Changi Airport MRT Station,

handed over our STP cards to her, and she straight away gave us SGD10.

Everything settle in less than 10 seconds (lol).

That's all from my recent experience with STP. :)

Hope this information would be helpful to you on your upcoming trip.