FAQs

Hong Kong permanent residents and new arrivals aged 18 or above on or before 29 May 2023, as well as eligible persons who have come to live in Hong Kong through different admission schemes or to study in Hong Kong, are eligible to receive the 2^nd-instalment voucher.

For details of the eligibility criteria and the voucher values for different categories of eligible persons, please click here.

A person who satisfies the eligibility criteria of the Scheme and has successfully registered will receive the consumption vouchers according to the arrangement of the Scheme. Whether the person is holding an adult or juvenile identity card does not affect his/her eligibility under the Scheme.

A valid HKIC refers to a smart HKIC issued on or after 23 June 2003 (click here for a sample). Under the Registration of Persons (Invalidation of Identity Cards) Order (Cap. 177 sub. leg.), all identity cards issued before that date have become invalid. For details on HKIC, please visit the Immigration Department's website (www.immd.gov.hk) or call its enquiry hotline 2824 6111.

For the purpose of the Scheme, valid HKIC refers to an identity card with the words "Hong Kong Identity Card" on the card face. Please click here to learn more on the eligibility criteria of the Scheme.

"Acknowledgement of application for a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card" or "Acknowledgement of application for a Hong Kong Identity Card" (ROP 140/ROP 140A) refers to the document issued by the Registration of Persons Office to an applicant for Hong Kong identity card which indicates that the person has registered for a Hong Kong identity card under the Registration of Persons Ordinance or the Registration of Persons Regulations. Holding the above acknowledgement of application with a collection period not yet expired as at 29 May 2023 (i.e. the eligibility date of the Scheme) will be considered as satisfying the relevant requirement of the Scheme.

Under the Registration of Persons Ordinance (Cap. 177) and the Registration of Persons Regulations (Cap. 177A) of the Laws of Hong Kong, only residents in Hong Kong aged 11 or above are required to register for a Hong Kong identity card. The aged, the blind or the infirm who satisfy a registration officer that their personal attendance for registration of a Hong Kong identity card in compliance with the law will injure their health or the health of others may apply to the Immigration Department for an EC. Persons not residing in Hong Kong are not required to register for a Hong Kong identity card or an EC under the law. For details of the EC, please visit the Immigration Department's website (https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/hkid/appforcert.html) or call its enquiry hotline 2824 6111. Holders of EC who meet the eligibility criteria of the Scheme (please click here to learn more) will be disbursed with consumption vouchers according to the arrangement of the Scheme.

Under the Registration of Persons (Invalidation of Identity Cards) Order (Cap. 177 sub. leg.) of the Laws of Hong Kong, all identity cards issued before 23 June 2003 (i.e. old identity cards) have become invalid. Holders of an old identity card do not satisfy the requirement under the Scheme.

For the purpose of the Scheme, a registrant holding a valid HKIC or EC is also considered fulfilling the requirement of the Scheme if he/she:

1. is eligible for attaining the Hong Kong permanent resident status on or before 29 May 2023; and
2. has submitted an application for verification of eligibility for permanent identity card ("VEPIC") to the Immigration Department on or before 29 May 2023 and the VEPIC application is subsequently approved on or before 31 August 2023.

In general, the loss of an identity card does not affect the holder's eligibility for the Scheme.

For the purpose of the Scheme, a locally-issued HKPIC refers to a permanent identity card which is registered in Hong Kong and does not bear the words "ISSUED OVERSEAS" (海外簽發) on the card face (click here for a sample).

A person holding a valid HKPIC (including an overseas-issued HKPIC) is considered as satisfying the requirement of proof of identity under the eligibility criteria of the Scheme (please click here to learn more). However, the eligibility criteria of the Scheme also include whether the registrant has permanently departed from Hong Kong or has such intention. Whether the HKPIC being held by the registrant as at 29 May 2023 is issued overseas is one of the factors to be considered when verifying the relevant requirement.

A person holding an acknowledgement of application for a HKPIC or Hong Kong identity card (i.e. ROP140/ ROP140A) with a valid collection period as at 29 May 2023 (i.e. the eligibility date) is considered as having fulfilled the requirement of proof of identity under the eligibility criteria of the Scheme (please click here to learn more).

A Permit for Proceeding to Hong Kong and Macao (commonly known as "One-way Permit") is a document issued by the Mainland public security authorities to Mainland residents to settle in Hong Kong or Macao.

A person who "has valid permission to remain in Hong Kong as a dependant" means a person remaining in Hong Kong with permission given by the Immigration Department under the prevailing "dependant policy" and the current limit of stay in Hong Kong is still valid.

The concerned person who is not holding a HKIC or ROP140/ROP140A as at 29 May 2023 but has arrived Hong Kong on or before 29 May 2023 and has obtained a HKIC (or a ROP140/ROP140A with a valid collection period) between 30 May and 27 June 2023 is considered as fulfilling the requirement in respect of HKIC.

If the concerned person has applied for extension of stay (if submitted by post, the postmark date will be regarded as the application date) to the Immigration Department on or before 29 May 2023 (i.e. the eligibility date of the Scheme), and the application has been approved before the close of registration period and has taken effect retrospectively covering 29 May 2023, he/she will be considered as satisfying the relevant requirement of the Scheme.

If the concerned non-permanent Hong Kong residents fulfill criterion B(iii) in the eligibility criteria of the Scheme (please click here to learn more), they will be considered as satisfying the requirement regarding proof of identity under the eligibility criteria of the Scheme.

Depending on their circumstances, the concerned persons may satisfy the requirement in respect of criterion (B)(iii) under the eligibility criteria of the Scheme (please click here to learn more).

The Government will consider all the relevant factors to verify whether a registrant has permanently departed from Hong Kong or has such intention, including checking with the relevant departments/organisations (including the Immigration Department and the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority), and will select registrants to check whether they have been continuously absent from Hong Kong for the 36 months immediately before 29 May 2023. The Secretariat and the contractor it appointed would conduct the above checking. Upon receipt of the SMS issued through designated telephone number (852 2241 9400 or 852 5567 3873) from the Secretariat or the contractor, the registrants concerned should provide the relevant documentary proof as requested as soon as possible.

For this, when registering / amending registration records, registrants are required to make relevant declarations regarding whether they have been continuously absent from Hong Kong for the 36 months immediately before 29 May 2023 and whether they have submitted any valid claim request for withdrawal of his/her mandatory provident fund ("MPF") or benefits under MPF exempted Occupational Retirement Schemes before reaching age 65 on the grounds of permanent departure from Hong Kong under the MPF legislation. For details, please refer to FAQ B9. There is no need for existing registrants who do not apply for amendment of registration records to make any declaration and the Government will conduct eligibility checking based on their existing registration data.

For the purpose of the Scheme, if a person has been continuously absent from Hong Kong for the 36 months immediately before 29 May 2023 not for the following reasons, he/she will be regarded as having permanently departed from Hong Kong:

1. a recipient of assistance under the Portable Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme, allowance under the Guangdong Scheme, or allowance under the Fujian Scheme;
2. studying in a school/university outside Hong Kong which is recognised by the relevant authority;
3. a participant of the Working Holiday Scheme administered by the Labour Department;
4. hospitalised outside Hong Kong for medical reasons;
5. performing duties outside Hong Kong for the Government or for a company/organisation located in Hong Kong on a temporary basis^[Note]; or accompanying an immediate family member performing such duties; and/or
6. having other exceptional reason(s) as may be determined by the Government as valid for the purpose of the Scheme.

[Note] For the purpose of the Scheme, it means the person is employed by a company or organisation located in Hong Kong and has been temporarily deployed to work outside Hong Kong, and has the intention to return to Hong Kong after the deployment.

The Secretariat or the contractor it appointed will request the registrants selected for checks to provide related documents to prove that they have not been continuously absent from Hong Kong for the 36 months immediately before 29 May 2023. Relevant registrants may, depending on their circumstances, provide different kinds of documents. For instance, registrants who have resided in Hong Kong during the 36 months immediately before 29 May 2023 may provide tenancy agreements, work records, sales receipts, etc as proof. Those who have been absent from Hong Kong continuously for the 36 months immediately before 29 May 2023 for reasons recognised under the Scheme (please refer to FAQ A19 for details) have to provide relevant proof (e.g. admission documents from schools outside Hong Kong they are/were studying or certification by hospitals outside Hong Kong they are/were staying).

The Secretariat or the contractor it appointed will contact the registrants through SMS via the designated telephone number (see table below), requesting them to contact the Secretariat or the contractor and provide relevant documents. The Secretariat and the contractor will also contact the registrants via designated telephone number (see table below) for follow-up as and when needed. The selected registrants may drop a copy of the required documents in person or through another person during the registration period into the dropbox at any of the temporary service centres (click here for the locations and office hours of the temporary service centres). The selected registrants may also email the electronic version of the required documents in encrypted form to the designated email addresses (see table below), and send the password of the encrypted file in another email to the same email address.

Considering the policy intent of the Portable Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme, Guangdong Scheme and Fujian Scheme, the concerned recipients will not be considered as not satisfying the relevant requirement of the Scheme because they have been continuously absent from Hong Kong for the 36 months immediately before 29 May 2023.

According to the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance (Cap. 485) and the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes (Exemption) Regulation (Cap. 485B), if a scheme member applies for early withdrawal of MPF or benefits on the grounds of permanent departure from Hong Kong, a claim form and related documents must be submitted to the trustee to prove that he/she has been permitted to reside in a place other than Hong Kong, and also a statutory declaration declaring that he/she has departed from Hong Kong or is about to depart from Hong Kong on a specified date permanently and has no intention of returning for employment or to resettle in Hong Kong as a permanent resident.

For the purpose of the Scheme, when verifying whether a registrant satisfies the requirement regarding "having permanently departed from Hong Kong or having such intention", the Government will consider whether on or before 29 May 2023, the registrant has submitted any valid claim requests (including the abovementioned statutory declaration) for early withdrawal of his/her MPF or benefits on the grounds of "permanent departure from Hong Kong" before reaching age 65, instead of whether on or before 29 May 2023, the registrant has left Hong Kong or has withdrawn the relevant MPF or benefits.

The Government will check with the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority on whether on or before 29 May 2023, the registrant has submitted a valid claim request for early withdrawal of his/her MPF or benefits before reaching age 65 on the grounds of "permanent departure from Hong Kong".

For eligible people who have received consumption voucher(s) under 2023 Consumption Voucher Scheme ("CVS") 1^st Instalment on 16 April 2023, the Government will use their existing registration record to verify their eligibility for the Scheme. In general, they will be notified of the verification result by SMS message in early July. If eligible existing registrants do not want to change their stored value facility ("SVF") account for receiving consumption vouchers in 2^nd Instalment or other registration records, they do not need to go through any procedure and will be disbursed with $2,000 or $1,000 voucher according to their eligibility.

People who want to change their SVF account for receiving vouchers in 2^nd Instalment or amend other registration records may submit application electronically through the registration portal in the Scheme website or by visiting one of the temporary service centres with the assistance of the staff during the registration period (5 to 27 June 2023). In general, an SMS notification will be sent to inform the registrant of the relevant result around one to two weeks after submitting the application. Under normal circumstances, registrants are only allowed to amend the record once. Any subsequent requests for amendment submitted after the first successful amendment of registered SVF record will be regarded as duplicated applications and will not be further processed. Each SVF account can only be registered once under 2023 Consumption Voucher Scheme.

Eligible people may register for 2023 CVS 2^nd Instalment (applicable to new registrants) or amend their SVF account or other registration records (applicable to existing registrants) from 5 to 27 June 2023 through the registration portal (click here to enter) in the Scheme Website.

People may also visit one of the temporary service centres to register or amend their registration records through the electronic registration portal with the assistance of the staff. To avoid waiting, we encourage registrants to make appointment with these centres in advance by calling the Scheme hotline 18 5000.

Existing registrants who were disbursed with consumption vouchers on 16 April 2023 under 2023 CVS 1^st Instalment may click here to learn more.

New registrants may click here to learn more.

Please click here to learn more.

To avoid waiting, we encourage people to make appointment with these centres in advance by calling the Scheme hotline 18 5000.

Existing registrants who were disbursed with consumption vouchers on 16 April 2023 under 2023 CVS 1^st Instalment may click here to learn more.

New registrants may click here to learn more.

Eligible people who do not have an iAM Smart account can still register or amend their registration records through the electronic registration portal after having their identity authenticated by other means including answering security questions or uploading identity card copy.

Existing registrants who were disbursed with consumption vouchers on 16 April 2023 under 2023 CVS 1^st Instalment may click here to learn more.

New registrants may click here to learn more.

Please visit the iAM Smart website for details of registration for an iAM Smart / iAM Smart+ account.

If new registrants have submitted a valid claim request under the MPF legislation for early withdrawal of their MPF or benefits under MPF exempted Occupational Retirement Schemes before reaching age 65 on the ground of "permanent departure from Hong Kong", but consider themselves still satisfying the requirement of "not having permanently departed from Hong Kong nor having such intention" under the 2023 CVS 2^nd Instalment (such as having returned to Hong Kong for years), they may make a relevant declaration and upload the relevant supporting documents^[Note] when registering through the electronic registration portal (click here) for assessment of eligibility by the Secretariat.

For existing registrants, the Secretariat will send an SMS notification informing them that they do not meet the relevant eligibility criteria of the 2023 CVS 2^nd-instalment superficially. If they still consider themselves eligible, they may make a declaration and upload the relevant supporting documents^[Note] through the electronic registration portal (click here) during the registration period. If needed, they may at the same time change the stored value facility account or other information in their registration records.

The registrants concerned may also make an appointment with any of the temporary service centres to seek assistance in uploading the relevant supporting documents^[Note].

[Note] Supporting documents proving a registrant's satisfaction of the requirement of "not having permanently departed from Hong Kong nor having such intention" may include MPF records, tax demand notes and proof of residence. They should be documents dated after the registrant's early withdrawal of MPF or benefits under the MPF exempted Occupational Retirement Schemes and issued within the preceding three months or which remain valid at the time of registration.

People who consider themselves currently satisfying the requirement of "not having permanently departed from Hong Kong nor having such intention" under the 2023 CVS 2^nd Instalment may make a relevant declaration and upload supporting documents^[Note] when submitting electronic registration through the electronic registration portal on CVS website for assessment of eligibility by the Secretariat.

[Note] Supporting documents proving a registrant's satisfaction of the requirement of "not having permanently departed from Hong Kong nor having such intention" may include MPF records, tax demand notes and proof of residence. They should be documents dated after the registrant's early withdrawal of MPF or benefits under the MPF exempted Occupational Retirement Schemes and issued within the preceding three months or which remain valid at the time of registration.

If eligible registrants who received 1^st-instalment voucher on 16 April do not want to change their SVF account or other registration records, they do not need to go through any procedure. The Government will use their existing registration records to verify their eligibility. Eligible existing registrants will be disbursed with $2,000 or $1,000 voucher with the same SVF account according to their category.

Please click here to learn more about the eligibility criteria of the Scheme and voucher values.

Please refer to FAQ B1 and B2. Besides, for verifying a registrant's eligibility, the Secretariat and the contractor it appointed would conduct checks on whether selected registrants satisfy the requirement related to "have not been continuously absent from Hong Kong for the 36 months immediately before eligibility date" during the registration period (5 to 27 June 2023). Upon receipt of an SMS notification sent by the Secretariat or its contractor via the designated telephone numbers (852 2241 9400 or 852 5567 3873), selected registrants have to provide relevant proof documents as required. In light of the complexity of the case and whether the selected registrant has replied in time and provided sufficient information, the disbursement of consumption voucher(s) for some selected registrants may be affected.

If registrants just want to check the information about their SVF account registered for receiving consumption vouchers, they may click here to access such information through a dedicated website.

In order to safeguard the interests of the public, if existing registrants have forgotten the details of their existing registration records (including their registered contact telephone number), they should login the electronic registration portal on CVS website (click here) to check their registration records by using the iAM Smart App for identity authentication. For details of registration for an iAM Smart account, please refer to FAQ B8.

Members of the public may also visit any of the temporary service centres to check their registration record upon identity authentication by the centre staff.

Please click here to learn more about how to check the related number of different SVFs.

Yes. Please click here to see Example 2 in the relevant webpage.

If the registrant has successfully amended the registration record for receiving the consumption vouchers in 2^nd-instalment by another Octopus card, he/she may submit application for receiving/using the remaining value of 1^st-instalment voucher (if any ^[Note]) by the same Octopus card. Please click here to see Example 3 in the relevant webpage. Otherwise, the registrant should amend the registration record in 1^st-instalment by registering another Octopus card for receiving/using the remaining value of 1^st-instalment voucher (if any ^[Note]). Please refer to FAQs F18-20 for more details and consider if it is necessary to register this Octopus card for receiving the 2^nd-instalment voucher.

Note: The collection deadline for consumption vouchers disbursed through Octopus cards under 2023 CVS 1^st Instalment is 30 September 2023.

Yes. If JoyYou card users have returned the Octopus card they used for receiving their 1^st-instalment voucher, they may call the Octopus hotline (2969 5588) to update their registration record.

Please note that if registrants choose to switch to use their JoyYou card for receiving their 2^nd-instalment voucher and the remaining value in their 1^st-instalment voucher (if any ^[Note]) through the dedicated website for relinking Octopus cards or by submitting the "Application Form for Amendment of Registration Information", their old Octopus card will be invalidated. They may also, after collecting the 2^nd-instalment voucher, use the "Easy Transfer" service at Octopus Service Points to transfer the settings in their old Octopus card (including the relevant data of the CVS, e.g. collection and eligible spending records, as well as other information such as Automatic Add Value Service, access control systems, etc.) to their JoyYou card and then use their JoyYou card to receive the uncollected vouchers (including the 1^st-instalment and 2^nd-instalment vouchers) (if any ^[Note]). The old Octopus card will have to be returned.

People may also submit an application for switching to another SVF account for receiving their 2^nd-instalment voucher through the electronic registration portal (click here) in CVS website or by visiting any of the temporary service centres during the registration period (5 to 27 June 2023). (Please click here to see Example 2 for details.)

Note: The collection deadline for the 1^st-instalment voucher disbursed through Octopus cards under 2023 CVS is 30 September 2023.

These people do not need to update their registration record. We will arrange to update the registration record under the CVS on our own accord to let these people use Octopus card on Mobile to receive the 2^nd-instalment voucher under 2023 CVS.

If the registrant has successfully amended the registration record for receiving his/her 2^nd-instalment voucher through another SVF account and the SVF used is the same as that used for receiving the 1^st-instalment voucher, he/she may submit an application for receiving/using the remaining value in the 1^st-instalment voucher (if any ^[Note]) by the same SVF account. Please click here to see Example 3 for details. Otherwise, the registrant has to amend the registration record in respect of the 1^st-instalment voucher by providing another account of the same SVF for receiving/using the remaining value in the 1^st-instalment voucher (if any ^[Note]). Please refer to FAQ F24 for details and consider whether to use this SVF account for receiving the 2^nd-instalment voucher.

Note: Under 2023 CVS 1^st Instalment, the collection deadline for the 1^st-instalment vouchers disbursed through Octopus cards is 30 September 2023, while the expiry date for vouchers disbursed through AlipayHK, BoC Pay, PayMe from HSBC, Tap & Go and WeChat Pay HK is 31 October 2023.

Registrants who fail to answer the SVF related security questions under the CVS for identity authentication may still, by providing the last four digits of the telephone number registered under the 2022 CVS, switch to another SVF account for receiving the 2^nd-instalment voucher through the electronic registration portal in the CVS website. They should follow the on-screen instructions to upload a copy of their identity card for authentication after inputting all relevant information in the electronic form.

Registrants who have an iAM Smart account may also login the electronic registration portal on CVS website by using the iAM Smart App for identity authentication and submit an application for amendment of their registration records.

As to how to access their registration information, please refer to FAQ B13.

To minimise disputes and the risk of fraudulent use of personal data by others, eligible persons are encouraged to use their own SVF accounts to receive the consumption vouchers under the Scheme as far as possible. The same SVF account cannot be used for registration by more than one registrant for receiving consumption vouchers. If it is discovered that a SVF account has already been registered by another registrant, the subsequent registration or amendment request using this account will be regarded as duplicated application by the registration system and will not be further processed.

Please refer to FAQ B2.

Under normal circumstances, registrants are only allowed to amend their registration record related to SVF once. Any subsequent request for amendment submitted after the first successful amendment of registered SVF record will be regarded as duplicated application and will not be further processed. Each SVF account can only be registered once under the Scheme. If a registrant receives an SMS notification of duplicated application and thinks that there is fraudulent use of his/her personal data for submitting application, he/she should immediately contact the CVS Secretariat by calling the Scheme hotline 18 5000. The Secretariat will, in the light of the circumstances of the case, take appropriate follow-up actions, including suspending the disbursement of consumption voucher to the previous amended SVF account and requesting the registrant concerned to contact the Secretariat for verification of identity. Registrants who think that there is fraudulent use of their personal data may also consider calling the Police for assistance.

If registrants fail to change their SVF account but the previous registered account is still valid, they can still receive the consumption vouchers through the previous registered SVF account subject to confirmation of their eligibility. If the previous registered account has become invalid, the registrants have to change their SVF account for receiving consumption vouchers. Please refer to FAQs F19 and F24 to learn more.

Eligible persons (including new eligible persons) who have not registered successfully for the 2022 CVS may register through the electronic registration portal in the Scheme website (please click here to enter) from 5 to 27 June 2023 or visit any of the temporary service centres to complete the registration (please click here to learn more).

Registrants must provide a local phone number. If registrants choose to authenticate their identity by uploading identity card copy but cannot provide an SMS-enabled local mobile phone number, they will not be able to complete the online registration by entering the one-time password for identity authentication which is sent out by the Secretariat. They can only register for the Scheme by means of using iAM Smart app or visiting any of the temporary services centres. Besides, they will not receive notifications from the Government or its contractors regarding the Scheme. Such notifications include acknowledgements of registration and notifications of successful disbursement of consumption vouchers or unsuccessful registration. Missing such notifications may result in missing the opportunity for re-registration or the deadline for submitting the required information which may affect voucher disbursement. The registrant's registration may also be delayed or not be further processed if the Government cannot contact the registrant. Registrants should therefore provide an SMS-enabled local mobile phone number for receiving notifications regarding the Scheme as far as possible. There is no restriction on "registration for once only" for contact telephone number.

The electronic registration portal does not accept overseas or Mainland contact telephone numbers. Please refer to FAQ B25.

The registration period of 2022 CVS has ended. Consumption voucher will not be reissued to people who fulfil the relevant eligibility criteria but have not registered under 2022 CVS.

If they comply with the eligibility criteria of 2023 CVS 2^nd Instalment, they can register for the Scheme from 5 to 27 June 2023.

For registration conducted through the electronic registration portal in the Scheme website, the system will display an on screen notification instantly to acknowledge receipt of the relevant registration after receiving the registration. An acknowledgement through SMS will also be sent to the local contact telephone number provided by the registrant concerned. For registration through the temporary service centres, the registrants will receive a copy of the registration acknowledgement at the service centre. An acknowledgement through SMS will also be sent to the local contact telephone number provided by the registrant concerned. In general, an SMS notification will be sent to inform the registrant of the registration result around one to two weeks after submitting their registration.

Each eligible person may only register once for the Scheme. If a valid registration submitted by a person is being processed/has been processed by the Government, all other registrations received afterwards will be regarded as duplicated registrations. An SMS notification will be sent to the registrant concerned, informing him/her that the duplicated registration will not be processed. If a registrant thinks that there is fraudulent use of his/her personal data for registration, he/she should immediately contact the CVS Secretariat by calling the Scheme hotline 18 5000. The Secretariat will, in the light of the circumstances of each case, take appropriate follow-up actions, including suspending the disbursement of consumption voucher to the SVF account specified by the registrant in the earlier successful registration and requesting the registrant concerned to contact the Secretariat for verification of identity. Registrants who think that there is fraudulent use of their personal data may also consider calling the Police for assistance.

In general, a registrant cannot switch to another SVF or SVF account for receiving the consumption vouchers after successful registration. Therefore, people should consider their choice carefully before registration.

If a registrant discovers after registration that he/she has inadvertently provided incorrect information, he/she may call the Scheme hotline 18 5000 to enquire the progress of his/her registration. Depending on the importance of the information concerned, the staff of the CVS Secretariat may contact the registrant, invalidate the registration received upon verification of identity and the relevant information, and ask the registrant to submit registration again.

People may click the links below or call the SVF operators' respective hotlines for more information. Members of the public should always be mindful of the need to handle their personal data with care. If they have doubts about the identity of the SVF operator's representative who offers to help them register for the Scheme or amend the registration record, they should call the SVF operator's relevant hotline immediately or click the link below to the relevant webpage of respective SVF operator to check the information about the promotion activities.

• AlipayHK (click here to relevant website)
• BoC Pay (click here to relevant website)
• Octopus (click here to relevant website)
• PayMe from HSBC (click here to relevant website)
• Tap & Go (click here to relevant website)
• WeChat Pay (click here to relevant website)

For people who register/amend registration record through the electronic registration portal, the registration system will verify their identity in the process. Duplicated registration or application for amendment of registration record is not allowed under the CVS. If there are more than one registration/application from the same person, we will send an SMS notification to the registrant concerned, informing him/her that his/her subsequent submission is regarded as duplicated registration/application and will not be processed further. If the registrant's contact telephone number has been updated, SMS notifications will be sent to both his/her old and new contact telephone phone numbers. Moreover, the same SVF account cannot be used for registration by more than one registrant under 2023 CVS.

We believe that such arrangements will help prevent impersonation or fraudulent use of identity for registration/amending registration records. Cases involving possible illegal acts will be referred to the Police for follow-up. Members of the public should also handle their personal data with care. They should only ask their trusted relatives or friends to help them register/amend registration records if necessary.

Any person who discovers fraudulent use of his/her identity for registration/amending registration records should immediately contact the CVS Secretariat by calling the Scheme hotline 18 5000. The Secretariat will, in the light of the circumstances of the case, take appropriate follow-up actions, including suspending the disbursement of consumption voucher to the SVF account specified by the registrant in the earlier successful registration/amendment of registration records and requesting the registrant concerned to contact the Secretariat for verification of identity. Registrants who think that there is fraudulent use of their personal data may also consider calling the Police for assistance.

To minimise disputes and the risk of fraudulent use of personal data by other people, it is more secure to disburse consumption vouchers directly to the SVF account specified by registrants. Registrants may donate the products or services purchased with the consumption vouchers received to other persons or organisations as they wish.

To minimise disputes and the risk of fraudulent use of personal data by other people, eligible persons are encouraged to register by themselves as far as possible. They should only ask their trusted relatives or friends to help them register if necessary. People may also visit one of the temporary service centres to register/amend their registration records through the electronic registration portal with the assistance of the centre staff. As for persons with special needs, we will, as we have done under 2022 CVS, offer assistance having regard to their circumstances, such as allowing them to register/amend registration records through a specified agent.

The Government and its contractors will only send SMS notifications to registrants via the designated telephone numbers (click here to learn more) on matters relating to consumption vouchers, including acknowledgement of registration, registration results, successful disbursement of consumption vouchers, etc. The SMS messages will not provide website links or request the recipients to provide personal information. Members of the public should stay alert of phishing emails and online scams, should not click the website links provided in suspicious SMS messages and should be cautious in disclosing any personal information to other persons.

Eligible persons may choose AlipayHK, BoC Pay, Octopus, PayMe from HSBC, Tap & Go or WeChat Pay HK for receiving the 2^nd-instalment consumption vouchers.

Eligible persons may choose to receive consumption vouchers through Octopus Card (including electronic Octopus card), but first generation on-loan Octopus Card (those without brackets for the last digit of the card number) or temporary Octopus Card (e.g. Temporary Octopus Card for persons with disabilities or Temporary Student Octopus Card) are not accepted for receiving consumption vouchers. If you are not sure how to differentiate various types of Octopus, please visit the Octopus website or call its enquiry hotline (click here for the contact).

The Scheme accepts the use of SVF account which has not been real-name registered by eligible persons for receiving consumption vouchers. However, registration by more than one registrants to use the same SVF account for receiving consumption vouchers under the Scheme is not allowed. If more than one registrant register to use the same SVF account to receive consumption vouchers, the subsequent registration will be treated as duplicated registration and will not be further processed.

For registrants who receive consumption vouchers through AlipayHK, BoC Pay, PayMe from HSBC, Tap & Go and WeChat Pay HK, the consumption vouchers will be disbursed directly to the SVF account specified by the registrant. The vouchers have an expiry date. On the other hand, people using Octopus need to tap the card/press the key to collect the vouchers disbursed by the collection deadline. That said, the scope of coverage of the consumption vouchers received through the six designated SVFs are the same. Registrants may choose an SVF that suits their needs and habits as appropriate.

To minimise disputes and prevent fraudulent acts, registrants are not allowed to switch the SVF account for receiving consumption vouchers in the midst of 2^nd Instalment unless under exceptional circumstances. Even if the concerned account has become invalid, the registrant may only apply to use another account of the same SVF to receive/use the remaining vouchers. This may also result in delay in receiving consumption vouchers. Therefore, people should think carefully and choose a suitable SVF and account for receiving consumption vouchers before registering or amending their registration records.

Registrants who choose to receive and use consumption vouchers through the six SVFs designated by the Scheme need not pay the operators concerned any fees. As for how to use the various SVFs and the relevant terms and conditions, please visit the SVFs' websites or call their enquiry hotlines (click here for the contacts of SVFs).

No. Each eligible registrants may only choose one SVF account for receiving consumption vouchers under 2^nd Instalment.

No. To minimise disputes and prevent fraudulent acts, the Scheme does not allow the same SVF account to be used by more than one registrant for receiving consumption vouchers under 2^nd Instalment.

People are required to provide a valid related number of the SVF account used for receiving 2^nd-instalment consumption vouchers when registering / applying for amendment of SVF account. Upon receipt of the registration/application, the Government will verify with the relevant SVF operator whether the SVF account provided by the registrant is a valid account. If the SVF operator confirms that the account is invalid, the related registration / application will be rejected. As the operation of SVF account is governed by the service agreement and relevant clause(s) between the SVF operator and the registrant, people should enquire with the relevant SVF operator directly. The Government will provide the telephone number of the relevant SVF operator in the SMS notification of registration / application result to facilitate the registrant's enquiry and follow-up.

Under normal circumstances, eligible existing registrants will be disbursed with $2,000 or $1,000 consumption vouchers according to the category they belong. Please click here for details.

Please click here to learn more about the disbursement arrangements for receiving vouchers through different SVFs.

Under normal circumstances, existing registrants will not receive the 2^nd-instalment consumption vouchers later due to switching of SVF account.

The collection arrangements and validity periods of the vouchers disbursed through different SVFs are as follows (please click here to learn more about the details of the disbursement timetable):

For existing registrants who are eligible to receive $2,000 2^nd-instalment voucher:

For existing registrants who are eligible to receive $1,000 2^nd-instalment voucher:

Eligible existing registrants who have received the 1^st-instalment voucher through Octopus and choose to receive the 2^nd-instalment voucher through the five e-wallets will be disbursed with the 2^nd-instalment voucher on 16 July 2023, regardless of whether they have met the cumulative total "eligible spending" requirement in respect of the 1^st-instalment voucher.

Eligible existing registrants who have received the 1^st-instalment voucher through the five e-wallets and choose to receive the 2^nd-instalment voucher through Octopus will be disbursed with the 2^nd-instalment voucher on 16 July 2023, regardless of whether they have used up the value of the 1^st-instalment voucher.

There is no cumulative total "eligible spending" requirement for 2^nd-instalment consumption voucher received through Octopus as it is the last-instalment voucher disbursed under the 2023 CVS.

Under normal circumstances, new eligible registrants will be disbursed with a total of $5,000 or $2,500 consumption vouchers in two separate vouchers according to the category they belong (Please click here for details).

Please click here to learn more about the disbursement arrangements for receiving vouchers through different SVF.

The collection arrangements and validity periods of the vouchers disbursed through different SVFs are as follows (please click here to learn more about the details of the disbursement timetable):

For new registrants who are eligible to receive vouchers of a total value of $5,000:

For new registrants who are eligible to receive vouchers of a total value of $2,500:

Under normal circumstances, eligible registrants (including existing registrants and new registrants) will be disbursed with the consumption voucher at the same time on 16 July 2023.

After receiving the notification from the Secretariat or its appointed contractor, the registrant who has been selected for check should provide the required documents as soon as possible within the specified time, and the Secretariat or the contractor will complete the verification as soon as possible. We will try our best to disburse consumption vouchers to eligible registrants according to the original disbursement timetable. However, in some individual cases, such as late submission of the required documents by the registrant or additional time is required for the Secretariat and the contractor to verify the documents, etc., the time for eligible registrants to receive the vouchers may be affected. We appeal to people for their understanding.

Upon verification of the eligibility of a registrant, the Government will directly inject the consumption vouchers into the SVF account specified by the registrant via the SVF operator concerned on the disbursement date. To use the consumption vouchers, the registrant only needs to open the relevant SVF App.

The SVF operator will send a push notification via the App (eligible registrant has to enable the Push Notification function in the App) / SMS/ e-mail to notify the eligible registrant that the consumption voucher has been disbursed to his/her account. Please check the details through the mobile apps, websites or enquiry hotlines of individual SVF operators (Click here for the contacts of SVF operators).

There are dedicated sections for the Scheme in the Apps for those eligible registrants who choose to receive consumption vouchers through AlipayHK, BoC Pay, PayMe from HSBC, Tap & Go and WeChat Pay HK. Relevant users may go to the dedicated sections in those Apps to check the relevant records under the Scheme, including the value disbursed and used, available balance and validity period in respect of the vouchers collected.

Eligible registrants who receive consumption vouchers through Octopus (including Octopus card on Mobile) may tap their cards registered under the Scheme to collect the vouchers disbursed in each instalment through the following channels:

• Subsidy Collection Points under the Public Transport Fare Subsidy Scheme at MTR stations, Light Rail Customer Service Centres, designated piers and public transport interchanges
• All outlets of 7-Eleven, Circle K, Wellcome, Market Place by Jasons, Market Place, 3hreesixty and Jasons ichiba (Registrants just need to notify the staff without having to make a purchase first)
• Octopus Service Points
• Octopus App (by tapping cards on mobile phones^[Note])
  • Android – NFC-enabled mobile devices
  • iOS – iPhone 7 or newer models with iOS 13 or above, or connected with an Octopus card Mobile Reader
  
  

  Note : Eligible registrants who have transferred their physical Octopus cards to Octopus card on Mobile (including Octopus card on iPhone or Apple Watch, Huawei Pay Octopus card or Samsung Pay Octopus card) need not tap their cards. They may collect the vouchers after disbursement via Octopus App directly by pressing the key.

People who choose to collect consumption vouchers through a physical Octopus card but has not installed the Octopus App may collect his/her consumption vouchers through the Octopus App installed in another person's mobile phone by tapping the card on it, and the value of his/her consumption vouchers will be stored in that Octopus card. The mobile phone used will not read or record the information of the concerned Octopus card.

If the stored value of an Octopus card has reached its limit (in general $3,000 at present), people may use the stored value of his/her Octopus card for payment first and then tap the card/press the key to collect the consumption vouchers disbursed but not yet collected when the balance of the stored value is below the limit. Registrants may collect vouchers disbursed by tapping the card several times separately according to the stored value of the Octopus card before the end of collection period. Under the Scheme, the deadline for collection of consumption vouchers disbursed on or after 16 July 2023 is 30 June 2024.

Eligible registrants receiving consumption vouchers via Octopus card may check their records relating to cumulative amount of "eligible spending", "ineligible spending" transaction, the value of the consumption vouchers collected and deposited into the Octopus card, the value of the consumption voucher(s) yet to be collected and the deadlines for collecting consumption vouchers by the following means:

• Octopus website (voucher.octopus.com.hk)^[Note]
• Octopus Service Points (Click here to check the locations of Octopus Service Points)
• Customer Service Hotline: 2969 5588
• Octopus App ^[Note]
  • Android - NFC-enabled mobile devices
  • iOS - iPhone 7 or newer models with iOS 13 or above, or connected with an Octopus Mobile Reader

  Note: People may check the transaction records in respect of their "eligible spending" by entering their Octopus card number and registration reference number in the Octopus website, or by adding the relevant Octopus card to the Octopus App.

People are not required to make purchases at these outlets for collecting the vouchers. They may simply tell the staff that they want to collect consumption vouchers and then tap their cards to collect them.

The order of collection depends on the sequence of disbursement dates of the public transport fare subsidy and consumption vouchers. When tapping the card, people will collect the public transport fare subsidy or consumption voucher which has been disbursed earlier. If both are disbursed on the same date, the public transport fare subsidy will be collected first.

Whether people have tapped their card to fully collect all the consumption vouchers disbursed under the previous CVSs will not affect the Government's arrangement for disbursing consumption vouchers to them under the 2023 CVS 2^nd Instalment on or after 16 July 2023.

The validity periods of the consumption vouchers received through different SVF are as follows:

In general, consumption vouchers can be used at local retail, catering and service outlets or their online platforms which accept payments by AlipayHK, BoC Pay, Octopus, PayMe from HSBC, Tap & Go and WeChat Pay HK. Examples include retail shops, market stalls, department stores, supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants, fast food shops, coffee shops, recreational facilities, beauty salons, public transport, etc.

In principle, consumption vouchers cannot be used for the following transaction items ^[Note]:

• payments to the Government (e.g. tax, fines, licence fees, tunnel fees, parking meters)
• payments to public utilities (i.e. water, electricity and gas)
• payments to public organisations (e.g. Hospital Authority, Hong Kong Housing Authority, Hong Kong Housing Society)
• education expenses (i.e. payments to primary and secondary schools providing local and non-local curriculum, and UGC-funded universities)
• purchase of financial products or services (e.g. insurance)
• donation (including charitable, religious and political organisations)
• direct purchases from merchants located outside Hong Kong (including online purchases through non-local online platforms made locally)
• person to person payments
• encashment

Note: Consumption vouchers received through AlipayHK, BoC Pay, Tap & Go, PayMe from HSBC and WeChat Pay HK cannot be used for the above purposes. Octopus will not count such transaction amounts in the calculation of the cumulative total "eligible spending". For transactions made by Octopus cards registered under the Scheme, those falling under the coverage of consumption voucher will automatically be counted in the calculation of the cumulative total "eligible spending" for determining whether and when an eligible registrant can receive the 2^nd-instalment consumption voucher or the second voucher (if applicable).

If you are not sure whether consumption vouchers can be used at a particular merchant, please contact the relevant SVF operator (click here for contacts of SVFs) or the merchant.

The coverage of consumption vouchers is extensive. Except for the transaction items set out in FAQ F2, consumption vouchers can be used at local retail, catering and service outlets or their online platforms which accept payments by the six SVFs designated by the Scheme (namely AlipayHK, BoC Pay, Octopus, PayMe from HSBC, Tap & Go and WeChat Pay HK). If you are not sure whether consumption vouchers can be used at a particular merchant, please contact the relevant SVF operator (click here for the contacts of SVF operators) or the merchant.

It is not possible to provide a list of the merchants covered as there are tens of thousands of them. We can only set out the scope of coverage for consumption vouchers including the transaction items that are excluded. If you are not sure whether consumption vouchers can be used at a particular merchant, please contact the relevant SVF operator (click here for contacts of SVF operators) or the merchant.

Consumption vouchers cannot be used in specific transaction items under the Scheme (please refer to FAQ F2 for details). However, generally speaking, the coverage of consumption vouchers is extensive, including spending at merchants of local retail, catering and service sectors.

Consumption vouchers must be used at local retail, catering and service outlets, including their online platforms. Consumption vouchers cannot be used for direct purchases from merchants located outside Hong Kong (including online purchases through non-local online platforms made locally). The applicability of consumption vouchers to individual online platform depends on whether the platform is a local merchant, such as whether it has a Hong Kong business registration.

To facilitate spending by public, consumption vouchers can be used for transport services which accept payments by the six SVFs designated by the Scheme, including the public transport services covered by the Public Transport Fare Subsidy Scheme and taxis. The calculation of the subsidies under the Public Transport Fare Subsidy Scheme will not be affected.

When people register for the Scheme (including 2021 and 2022 CVSs), the relevant guidelines have clearly stated that consumption vouchers can only be used for local consumption and cannot be encashed or used for other purposes. The SVF operators will monitor the transactions of merchants. If they suspect that individual merchants have act of irregularities, they will take appropriate follow-up actions, including terminating the SVF services provided to the merchants concerned. If individual or merchants are involved in fraudulent, deception or similar activities, they may violate the law and we will refer the case to law enforcement agencies for follow-up.

During the 2023 CVS period, the Octopus App will not allow transferring funds from the Octopus card registered for the Scheme to the Octopus Wallet, until the cumulative total "eligible spending" of the concerned Octopus card has reached the total value of consumption vouchers to be disbursed to the registrant through Octopus card under the Scheme.

Merchants can decide what payment methods to accept. However, if they accept payments through any of the six SVFs designated by the Scheme, they cannot reject the use of consumption vouchers through that facility or impose surcharge on use of consumption vouchers.

People may approach the merchants concerned directly and enquire about whether consumption vouchers can be used to purchase their goods or services by instalments.

Each merchant has its own terms and conditions as well as arrangements for goods return or refund, and the goods purchased, in general, can be exchanged by mutual agreement. If a refund is to be made by mutual agreement after a transaction involving the use of a consumption voucher through AlipayHK, BoC Pay, PayMe from HSBC, Tap & Go or WeChat Pay HK has been completed, the amount will be refunded to the consumption voucher of the customer concerned. Due to the difference in mode of operation, the refund arrangements for a transaction involving payment through Octopus will be decided through negotiation between the merchant and the customer concerned.

Each merchant has its own terms and conditions and arrangements for goods return or refund, and the goods purchased, in general, can be exchanged by mutual agreement. If a refund is to be made by mutual agreement after a transaction involving the use of a consumption voucher through AlipayHK, BoC Pay, PayMe from HSBC, Tap & Go or WeChat Pay HK has been completed, the amount will be refunded to the consumption voucher of the customer concerned. A one-off special arrangement will be made by the SVF operators in the light of the validity periods of consumption vouchers. If a refund is made within one month after expiry of the consumption voucher used, the amount will be refunded to the customer concerned in the form of a new consumption voucher, which will be valid until the end of the following month.

We encourage businesses and the SVF operators concerned to organise promotional events so as to enhance the effectiveness of the consumption vouchers. The merchants may introduce special offers for users of consumption vouchers in the light of promotional events they organised. As to whether consumption vouchers can be used in conjunction with other promotional offers, it depends on the terms and restrictions imposed by different merchants or SVF operators on the promotional offers. Please contact the relevant merchants and SVF operators for details.

For registrants who receive consumption vouchers through Octopus card (including electronic Octopus card), after tapping the card or pressing the key at the designated channel to receive the consumption vouchers disbursed, the consumption vouchers will be directly deposited into their Octopus cards in the form of stored value. When checking transaction records at Octopus enquiry machines/Octopus Service Points or those printed on receipts etc., one will see the amount of consumption voucher collected by tapping the cards/pressing the key being indicated as "Voucher Scheme" or "CVS". To use the consumption vouchers through Octopus card, one only needs to, as usual, tap his/her Octopus card on the card reader of the merchant concerned or through the Octopus app to make online payment using Octopus card. Transactions falling under the scope of coverage of the consumption voucher (please refer to FAQ F2 for details) will automatically be counted in the calculation of cumulative total "eligible spending" for determining whether and when the eligible registrant concerned can receive the 2^nd-instalment consumption voucher or the second voucher (if applicable). For details on how to use the Octopus card, please visit the Octopus website or call its enquiry hotline (click here for contacts of SVF operators).

For registrants who receive consumption vouchers through AlipayHK, BoC Pay, PayMe from HSBC, Tap & Go and WeChat Pay HK, the amount of consumption vouchers disbursed will be separated from the existing e-wallets in their accounts, and they can choose whether to use the consumption vouchers when making payment, and then make payment as usual. For details on how to use e-wallets and consumption vouchers, please visit the websites of individual SVF operators or call their enquiry hotlines (click here for contacts of SVF operators).

Most smartphones currently available in the market can be used to download and install the six SVFs selected under the Scheme. Those who do not have smartphones can receive and use the consumption vouchers through physical Octopus cards. For details on how to open SVF accounts and to receive and use consumption vouchers through them, please visit the websites of individual SVF operators or call their enquiry hotlines (click here for contacts of SVF operators).

If a registrant has lost an Octopus card used for receiving consumption vouchers, he/she may visit the Government's dedicated website (please click here to enter) to update his/her registration record under the Scheme and apply for using another Octopus card to receive the consumption vouchers that are not yet disbursed. After the application is approved, all relevant information (if the registrant uses the same Octopus card for receiving consumption vouchers disbursed previously, such relevant information will include the data in relation the 2023 CVS 1^st Instalment and 2022 (Phase II) CVS (if applicable)) will be transferred from the lost Octopus card to the Octopus card in the updated Scheme registration record, including the consumption vouchers not yet received (if any) and "eligible spending" records. The lost Octopus card will be invalidated. As for the arrangement for reporting of lost card, please visit the website of Octopus Cards Limited or call its hotline (click here for contacts of SVF operators).

If a registrant's Octopus card used for receiving consumption vouchers is malfunctioned, he/she may visit the Government's dedicated website (please click here to enter) to update his/her registration record under the Scheme and apply for using another Octopus card to receive the consumption vouchers that are not yet disbursed. After the application is approved, all relevant information (if the registrant uses the same Octopus card for receiving consumption vouchers disbursed previously, such relevant information will include the data in relation the 2023 CVS 1^st Instalment and 2022 (Phase II) CVS (if applicable)) will be transferred from the malfunctioned Octopus card to the Octopus card in the updated registration record, including the consumption vouchers not yet received (if any) and "eligible spending" records. The malfunctioned Octopus card will be invalidated and should be returned to the Octopus Cards Limited through an MTR Customer Service Centre. For details, please visit the website of Octopus Cards Limited or call its hotline (click here for contacts of SVF operators).

A registrant may need to update his/her registration record under the CVS at the Government's dedicated website due to the loss or malfunctioning of his/her Octopus card (please refer to FAQ F18 for details). In case of a lost card, the unspent amount therein (including the collected vouchers) will normally be transferred to the Octopus card provided in the updated registration record after verification ^[Note]. However, according to the prevailing practice of Octopus Cards Limited ("OCL") in handling the loss of personalised Octopus cards, the registrant concerned will be liable for the transaction amount that the lost Octopus card has been made (including the collected vouchers) within three hours after the registration record is successfully updated. In case of a malfunctioned card, the registrant needs to return the card through any MTR Customer Service Centre to OCL, which will make a refund of the unspent amount in the card (including the collected vouchers). For details, please visit the website of OCL or call its hotline (click here for the contact information of the SVF operators).

Note: If the lost or malfunctioned Octopus card is a bank co-brand Octopus card, OCL will refund the unspent amount in the lost or malfunctioned card (including the collected vouchers) to the relevant card issuing institution after verification. The card issuing institution will then arrange a refund in accordance with its service agreement with the cardholder.

No. To avoid disputes and prevent frauds, registrants are not allowed to switch to another Octopus card for receiving consumption vouchers in the midst of the 2^nd Instalment unless under exceptional circumstances. If a registrant, during the period of 2^nd Instalment, returns his/her normal functioning Octopus card which has been registered for the Scheme in his/her own accord, he/she will not be able to get the consumption vouchers that are yet to be collected/disbursed through another Octopus card or SVF.

If a bank co-brand Octopus card used for receiving consumption vouchers needs renewal, the registrant concerned may update his/her registration record under the CVS at the Government's dedicated website (click here) and apply for using the new bank co-brand Octopus card or another Octopus card to receive the consumption vouchers yet to be disbursed. Upon approval of the application, all relevant information (if the registrant used the same bank co-brand Octopus for receiving consumption vouchers disbursed previously, such relevant information will include the data in relation the 2023 CVS 1^st Instalment and 2022 (Phase II) CVS (if applicable)) will be transferred from the expired Octopus card to the Octopus card provided in the updated registration record, including information about the consumption vouchers not yet collected (if any) and his/her "eligible spending" record ^[Note].

Note: The Octopus Card Limited will refund the unspent amount in the expired card (including the collected vouchers) to the relevant card issuing institution after verification. The card issuing institution will then arrange a refund in accordance with its service agreement with the cardholder.

The "eligible spending" records can be transferred from the lost, malfunctioned or expired card to the newly registered Octopus card if approval has been given to the registrant to relink the card used for receiving the 2^nd-instalment voucher. However, if a registrant returns, in his/her own accord, a normal functioning Octopus card used for receiving consumption vouchers for a refund, the "eligible spending" records cannot be transferred from the returned card to another Octopus card.

Generally speaking, a person who has lost his/her phone/SIM card can reactivate his/her account by reinstalling the relevant SVF App in another phone and entering information in relation to his/her account, such as his/her login number and password. If he/she has forgotten his/her password and hence fails to login his/her account, he/she may apply for resetting his/her password. If the relevant account has become invalid, he/she may contact the relevant SVF operator (click here for SVF operators' websites and hotlines) to resolve the invalid account problem.

If the invalid account cannot be reactivated, he/she may update his/her registration record under the CVS at the Government's dedicated website (click here) and apply for using another account under the same SVF operator to receive the consumption vouchers yet to be disbursed. Upon approval of the application, the unspent and unexpired voucher amount (if any) in the invalid/cancelled account will be transferred to the new registered account.

If a registrant discovers fraudulent use of the SVF account that he/she uses for receiving consumption vouchers, he/she should call the Police for assistance and inform the CVS Secretariat as soon as possible, and inform the SVF operator concerned to request for freezing his/her account by the following means:

• call 2245 3201; or
• visit (www.alipayhk.com/en/support/freeze-account) to freeze the account yourself

• call 3988 1822

• call 2969 5588

• call 2996 7288

• call 2888 0000

• call 3929 1666

If a registrant has disagreement to his/her registration result, he/she may make a review application within 14 days after the receipt of the SMS notification. He/she should complete an Application Form for Review (CVS-REVIEW) and send it together with related documents to the Consumption Voucher Scheme Secretariat, by fax (fax number: 3106 0701), by email (enquiry@consumptionvoucher.gov.hk) or by post (GPO P.O. Box 185000, Hong Kong), or to the nine temporary service centres located in various districts by hand. Late applications for review will not be accepted unless with justifications.

A registrant or the agent who has registered on his/her behalf under the Scheme with his/her authorisation may seek a review of the registrant's eligibility.

Upon receipt of an application for review, the CVS Secretariat will acknowledge receipt of it and review the case. Where necessary, the Secretariat may contact the applicant by letter or email to obtain further information or contact the applicant via a designated telephone number (3852 7500). Depending on the merits of the case, the Secretariat may consult the relevant Government bureaux and departments. The Secretariat may, after reviewing the case, uphold or vary the original decision, and the applicant will be notified in writing of the result of the review, the follow-up action taken and his/her right to appeal (where applicable).

The Secretariat will normally notify the applicant of the result of the review in writing within six weeks after receipt of his/her application for review and relevant documents. If it is not possible to complete the review within that time frame, the Secretariat will issue an interim reply, and notify the applicant of the result of the review as soon as possible.

If an applicant is not satisfied with the result of the review by the Secretariat, he/she may lodge an application for appeal to the CVS Appeal Board within 14 days after receipt of the result of the review (click here for the membership of the CVS Appeal Board).

For details of the review and appeal procedures, please call the Scheme hotline (telephone number: 18 5000).

Any local retail, catering and service outlets who accept payments through any of the six SVFs designated by the Scheme can accept the use of consumption vouchers and benefit from the Scheme, except for purchases which fall under the transaction items where consumption vouchers cannot be used (please refer to FAQ F2 for details). There is no need for merchants to register with the Government.

The major reason why consumption vouchers cannot be used at individual merchants is that the purchases involved fall under the transaction items where consumption vouchers cannot be used (please refer to FAQ F2 for details) or no relevant SVFs devices are installed at the merchants concerned. The merchants may contact the relevant SVF operators for enquiries. To avoid disputes, merchants should make things clear to their customers and let them decide whether to continue the transactions before they make payment.

We encourage businesses to organise various promotional events during the implementation of the Scheme so as to enhance the effectiveness of the consumption vouchers.

In general, local retail, catering and service outlets which accept payment through the six SVFs designated by the Scheme can accept the use of consumption vouchers whether at their physical outlets or online platforms, except for purchases which fall under the transaction items where consumption vouchers cannot be used (please refer to FAQ F2 for details). Individual merchants who have doubts should contact the relevant SVF operators (click here for contacts of SVFs).

To attract more merchants to join the Scheme, the SVF operators have agreed to waive, as far as practicable, fees for the installation and use of payment devices by local merchants (particularly small and medium enterprises), as well as administrative fees for handling payments made with consumption vouchers. If the merchants apply directly to the relevant SVF operators for payment codes or simple devices instead of applying through a third party supplier, no installation fee will be charged. In addition, the SVF operators have also undertaken to provide assistance to those small business operators through rebates and promotional activities so as to attract customers to spend at the relevant merchants. For details of the promotional offers from the SVFs, please contact the respective operators (click here for contacts of SVFs).

Merchants have to sign contracts with the operators concerned before using the relevant SVFs. If they decide to discontinue the use of such payment systems, such will be handled according to the terms of the contracts signed. Merchants are encouraged to continue the use of the electronic payment systems installed after the Scheme has ended, so as to grasp the business opportunities arising from and enjoy the convenience brought by the development of electronic payment.

The Government will make special arrangements for eligible persons who are mentally incapacitated or mentally unfit to make a statement and thus unable to go through the registration or amendment process.

Recipients of CSSA and SSA

If such persons are receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance ("CSSA") or Social Security Allowance ("SSA") payments and have received the 1^st-instalment voucher on 16 April 2023 through their legal guardians, appointees or agents (collectively known as "authorised representative"), their authorised representative may change the SVF account or other registration records (if necessary) under the 2^nd Instalment. They should call the Scheme hotline 18 5000 requesting for a relevant form and mail the completed and signed form together with a copy of the registrant's Hong Kong Identity Card ("HKIC") or Certificate of Exemption ("EC") (where applicable) back to GPO P.O. Box 180005, Hong Kong (no postage stamp is required if posted in Hong Kong) or return it to any of the temporary service centres during the registration period (5 to 27 June 2023). If necessary, the CVS Secretariat will contact the authorised representative to follow up.

If such persons are receiving CSSA or SSA payments through their authorised representatives but are not existing registrants of the Scheme (i.e. those who were not disbursed with the 1^st-instalment voucher on 16 April 2023 ), the Social Welfare Department will send specific letters by post to their authorised representatives, who only need to complete and sign the letter and mail it together with a copy of the registrant's HKIC or EC (where applicable) back to GPO P.O. Box 180005, Hong Kong (no postage stamp is required if posted in Hong Kong) or return it to any of the temporary service centres. If necessary, the Secretariat will contact the authorised representative to follow up. After the eligibility of the mentally incapacitated persons is confirmed, the authorised representatives will receive consumption vouchers on their behalf through the specified SVF accounts. The authorised representatives must administer and use the consumption vouchers disbursed for the benefit of the mentally incapacitated persons.

Non-recipients of CSSA and SSA

As for mentally incapacitated persons who do not fall under the above categories, their relatives may, in the light of actual circumstances and needs, register for the Scheme and receive consumption vouchers on their behalf as agents.

If the agent has received the 1^st-instalment voucher on 16 April 2023 on behalf of the mentally incapacitated persons and needs to change the SVF account or amend other registration records, the agent should obtain a specified form D from the Scheme hotline 18 5000 or click here to download, then complete the form and attach a copy of the mentally incapacitated registrant's Hong Kong identity card ("HKIC") or Certificate of Exemption ("EC") to it, and mail it back to GPO P.O. Box 180005, Hong Kong (no postage stamp is required if posted in Hong Kong) or return it to any of the temporary service centres during the registration period.

For those who were not disbursed with the 1^st-instalment voucher on 16 April 2023 , the agent may click here to download Form D or request it by calling the Scheme hotline 18 5000, attach a copy of the mentally incapacitated registrant's HKIC or EC to the completed Form D, then mail it back to GPO P.O. Box 180005, Hong Kong (no postage stamp is required if posted in Hong Kong) or return it to any of the temporary service centres during the registration period. The CVS Secretariat will call the agent using a designated telephone number (3852 7500) and arrange an interview after receiving the registration form. Upon receipt of the phone notification, the agent must visit the Secretariat (address: 17/F, Pioneer Centre, 750 Nathan Road, Mong Kok, Kowloon) to complete the registration procedure in person and produce the following documents for verification by the staff of the Secretariat:

1. the original and a copy of the HKIC of the agent;
2. the original and a copy of documentary proof of the relationship between the mentally incapacitated registrant and the agent (e.g. marriage certificate or birth certificate);
3. documentary proof certifying that the registrant concerned is mentally incapacitated and unfit to complete the registration procedures, such as:
   • medical certificate issued by a local registered medical practitioner (the CVS Secretariat will also, in the light of the circumstances of individual cases, consider accepting other supporting documents, including medical certificate issued by an overseas or Mainland registered medical practitioner). For medical certificates, only those issued within one year before the eligibility date of the Scheme (i.e. 29 May 2023) will be considered valid (except for persons who are permanently mentally incapacitated); or
   • guardianship order issued by the Guardianship Board; or
   • court order stating that the registrant concerned is incapable of managing his/her property and affairs by reason of mental incapacity; or
   • record of residence in a local mental hospital (e.g. discharge slip/follow-up card or bill for hospital fee) of the registrant.

The agent must undertake that the consumption vouchers disbursed to the registrant by the Government under the Scheme will be collected and used on behalf of the mentally incapacitated registrant for the benefit of the registrant.

To minimise disputes and the risk of fraudulent use of personal data by other people, eligible persons are encouraged to register or amend their registration records by themselves as far as possible. They should only ask their trusted ones for assistance if necessary or they may visit one of the temporary services centres for completing the registration/amending the registration records through the electronic registration portal with the assistance of the centre staff. Please refer to FAQs B3 and B24 to learn more.

For individual persons with special needs, we will offer assistance having regard to their circumstances, such as allowing them to register or amend registration records and receive consumption vouchers through a specified agent.

If individual eligible persons have difficulty in registering for the Scheme or amending registration records, they or their family members may call the Scheme's enquiry hotline. The Secretariat will make every effort to provide assistance.

Existing registrants (who have received 1^st-instalment voucher on 16 April 2023) holding an EC and want to change SVF account or amend other registration records, and new registrants (who were not disbursed with 1^st-instalment voucher on 16 April 2023) holding an EC, may request for the specified form E by calling the Scheme hotline 18 5000 or click here to download. The registrant should mail back the completed form with a copy of his/her EC to GPO P.O. Box 180005, Hong Kong (no postage stamp is required if posted in Hong Kong) or return it to any of the temporary service centres during the registration period (5 to 27 June 2023).

Prisoners who have received 1^st-instalment voucher on 16 April 2023 and want to change SVF account or amend other registration records, and those eligible prisoners who are not existing registrants (i.e. who have not received 1^st-instalment voucher), may fill in a specified registration form (Form C), which can be obtained through the Correctional Services Department during the registration period (5 to 27 June 2023). The completed form can be returned to the Scheme Secretariat through the Correctional Services Department.

Relevant people who have received 1^st-instalment voucher on 16 April 2023 and want to change the SVF account or other registration records, or eligible people who are not existing registrants (i.e. who have not received 1^st-instalment voucher on 16 April 2023 may register or amend their registration records through the electronic registration portal (click here to enter the registration portal) in the Scheme website during the registration period (5 to 27 June 2023). Please click here to learn more. If individual eligible persons have difficulty in registering for the Scheme or amending registration records, they or their family members may call the Scheme hotline. The Secretariat will make every effort to provide assistance.

These people may register or amend their registration records through the electronic registration portal in the Scheme website. Please refer to FAQs A22, B3 and B24 to learn more. If the relevant person is a new registrant (i.e. who has not been disbursed with the 1^st-instalment voucher on 16 April 2023), the Social Welfare Department will send a specific letter by post to him/her. A registrant who is not able to register through the electronic registration portal needs to complete and sign the letter during the registration period and mail it together with a copy of the his/her Hong Kong Identity Card or Certificate of Exemption (where applicable) back to GPO P.O. Box 180005, Hong Kong (no postage stamp is required if posted in Hong Kong). If individual eligible persons have difficulty in registering for the Scheme or amending registration records, they may call the Scheme hotline. The Secretariat will make every effort to provide assistance.

People who need help may visit any of the temporary service centres during the registration period (5 to 27 June 2023) for completing the registration and amendments procedures through the electronic registration portal in the Scheme website with the assistance of centre staff. Various SVFs are available for selection by people under the Scheme. Those without smartphones may choose to receive and use consumption vouchers through Octopus card.

In general, a registrant should provide the following information:

1. English name;
2. Chinese name (optional);
3. Hong Kong identity card number;
4. date of issue of the Hong Kong identity card;
5. an SMS-enabled local mobile phone number; and
6. the SVF account for receiving consumption vouchers and its related number.

While collecting the information for the purpose of disbursing consumption vouchers under the Scheme, we will seek the consent of people to the keeping of their information by the Government through the Personal Information Collection Statement of the Scheme during registration. This will enable the Government to use their personal information for similar schemes launched in future which are aimed at, amongst others, encouraging local consumption, relieving people's financial burden, and/or returning wealth to the people. It is hoped that such an arrangement will help enhancing the efficiency in implementing such schemes and bring greater convenience to the public. Without the prior consent of the registrants, the Government will not use the information collected under the Scheme for purposes other than those mentioned above. People who do not want to have their registration information kept by the Government for future use may make a request to the CVS Secretariat.

After the registration period, registrants may make a request to the CVS Secretariat for updating the data kept in the database.

The Government will handle with caution the personal data of registrants in accordance with the requirements of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance. Moreover, the computer systems for and the process of handling registration and disbursement of consumption vouchers, as well as the arrangements for data keeping, have passed the security risk and privacy impact assessment conducted by an independent consultant, thus ensuring that the business flow and related system design of the CVS are in compliance with statutory requirements. Unless the registrants express disagreement, the Government will keep the data collected under the CVS for use when launching similar schemes in future. The relevant data will be kept for seven years (except the copy of the Hong Kong identity card uploaded through the electronic registration portal and the paper forms including the documents attached, such as the copy of the Hong Kong identity card, which will be kept for one year), after which a review will be conducted.

The Government will handle with caution the personal data of registrants in accordance with the requirements of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance. The computer systems for and the process of handling registration and disbursement of consumption vouchers will be in compliance with statutory requirements. The Personal Information Collection Statement displayed on the electronic registration platform also sets out the purpose of collecting the data and that the Government will not use such data for other purposes without the prior consent of registrants.

All computer systems and equipment supporting the implementation of the Scheme, including the computer systems and the operational process developed by the six participating SVF operators for the Scheme and those of the outsourced contractors responsible for handling registration forms, have to pass the privacy impact assessment conducted by an independent consultant, so as to ensure that the business flow and related system design for handling registration are in compliance with statutory requirements, thus protecting the personal data of registrants.

The Government and the relevant organisations (including the six participating SVF operators) will handle with caution the personal data of registrants in accordance with the requirements of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance.

To protect the personal data of registrants and prevent fraudulent acts, the staff of the CVS Secretariat are not allowed to amend for the registrants the information provided for registration. Neither will they call the registrants to obtain information relating to their registration, including but not limited to the related number of the SVF account and information on Hong Kong identity cards. The Secretariat and the contractors it engages will only contact registrants via the designated telephone number. People who have doubts about the authenticity of calls may call the Scheme hotline 18 5000 for verification.

People should always be mindful of the need to handle their personal data with care. They should note the following if NGOs or other persons offer to help them register for the Scheme:

1. Understand the purpose of data collection by the NGO or the person concerned and whether the data will be transferred to parties and persons other than the Government (including its contractors and agents). If the NGO or the person concerned indicates that such data will be used for purposes other than registration for the Scheme, the registrant should seriously consider if he/she agrees to the use of the data for those additional purposes before providing them to that NGO/person;
2. Do not provide excessive personal data. If registrants are asked to provide more data than are required for registration under the Scheme, they should ask for an explanation; and
3. Keep a record of the name and contact information of the person collecting the data and the name of the NGO that he/she represents.

Before an NGO collects personal data from registrants and helps them register for the Scheme, it needs to obtain the consent of the registrants and ensure that the purpose of collecting the data is directly related to its function or activity. Registrants should be explicitly informed of the aim and purpose of data collection and where their personal data will be transferred to. The NGO concerned should also provide necessary details about the organisation and the contact person(s) whom the registrants may approach for enquiries. If the sole purpose of collection of personal data is to assist the registrants in registering for the Scheme, the NGO concerned should not collect more data than are required under the Scheme. The NGO should also avoid bundling the purposes of registration or amending registration records under the Scheme with other purposes of collecting the data.

While the NGO is holding a registrant's personal data, it is required to take all practicable steps to ensure that the data are protected against unauthorised or accidental access, processing, erasure, loss or other use. Unless the NGO has obtained the registrant's explicit and voluntary consent, his/her personal data should only be used for the specified purpose or a purpose directly related to that purpose. When the personal data collected are no longer required, the NGO should safely and completely erase them.

Eligible persons who are outside Hong Kong during the registration period may register or amend registration records through the electronic registration portal in the Scheme website.

Existing registrants (who have been disbursed with 1^st-instalment consumption vouchers on 16 April 2023 under 2023 CVS) may click here to learn more.

New registrants may click here to learn more.

Any person who meets the relevant eligibility criteria may register for the Scheme.

Under the Bankruptcy Ordinance, an undischarged bankrupt shall report on a regular basis to his/her trustee details of any property he/she acquired during the bankruptcy period, and the trustee may by notice in writing claim for that property.

For bankruptcy cases in which the Official Receiver ("ORO") acts as the trustee, an undischarged bankrupt shall notify the OR in respect of the consumption vouchers he/she has received under the Scheme for the OR to decide whether to make a claim or not. For enquiries, a bankrupt should contact the responsible case officer of the ORO direct by:

1. clicking "Contact Us" and searching for the officer concerned under "Contact Responsible Case Officers" on the ORO's website; or
2. calling the ORO hotline 2867 2448.

For other cases where the OR is not the trustee, it is up to individual trustees to decide how to deal with the disbursement. An undischarged bankrupt should contact his/her trustee direct.

Under the Inland Revenue Ordinance, only income or profits derived from an office or employment or from carrying on a business or letting of premises are subject to tax. The consumption vouchers received under the Scheme are not income or profits as defined above, and are therefore not subject to tax.

Having regard to the objectives of the Scheme, the Social Welfare Department has agreed that the consumption vouchers received under the Scheme by CSSA and OALA recipients will not be counted as income. Such vouchers will also not be counted as their assets for 12 months from the date of receipt.

Having regard to the objectives of the Scheme, the HD has agreed that the consumption vouchers received under the Scheme will not be counted as income and assets when the recipients apply to the HD for public housing or under the well-off tenant policy of the Hong Kong Housing Authority.

For calculation of income and assets when applying to the HD for public rental housing, please contact the Applications Sub-section of the HD.

Enquiries about whether the consumption vouchers received under the Scheme will be counted as the recipients' assets under other government assistance schemes should be made to the departments concerned.

Eligible persons must register for the Scheme in order to receive consumption vouchers. Consumption vouchers will not be disbursed to an eligible person who has passed away before registration, and the family members of the deceased cannot register for the Scheme and receive consumption vouchers on his/her behalf.

Consumption vouchers will not be disbursed to an eligible person who has passed away after successful registration, and the family members of the deceased cannot receive consumption vouchers on his/her behalf. In cases where an eligible person passes away after receiving consumption vouchers, while the vouchers already received or used need not be returned, any remaining vouchers that are not yet disbursed will not be disbursed to him/her. If an eligible person is found to have passed away before receiving consumption vouchers, the vouchers disbursed will be void.