Welcome back to another episode of Ask Us Anything, where we gather your questions from the internet and answer them.
In today’s episode, we find out where can you use Touch ‘n Go’s Visa-enabled prepaid card, which network Astro uses for its broadband service, and whether you can subscribe to Astro Fibre broadband à la carte?
Where can you use Touch ‘n Go’s Visa-enabled prepaid card?
The Touch ‘n Go (TnG) Visa card is primarily aimed at people without a debit or credit card from a bank. But essentially, anyone with a TnG eWallet account can apply for the Visa card.
Similar to how a debit card is linked to your bank account, the TnG Visa card is linked to your TnG eWallet account. Therefore, transactions made with the card will be deducted from the eWallet balance.
The TnG Visa card can be used like any other Visa debit card issued by a bank at Visa payment terminals worldwide. There is also an NFC chip allowing for Visa payWave support.
This card is also Malaysia’s first numberless card and the actual card details can be viewed from the TnG eWallet app, which you can use for online transactions. By doing this, TnG aims to provide greater privacy and fraud prevention.
Besides that, the Visa card can be used to withdraw cash at ATMs under the Visa Plus network. It will cost you RM1.40 for a domestic ATM withdrawal and RM15 for a cross-border ATM withdrawal.
Can you use the card at TnG terminals?
Now the part that confuses most people is whether this card can be used at TnG terminals, like at a toll both. Unfortunately, the answer is a big fat NO.
TnG explained that they have tried to integrate both TnG and Visa Paywave in a single card, but they are unable to do so due to technical challenges like interference issues between the chips for TnG and Visa payments.
Some card terminals, for example, like those in a car park, accept TnG, Mastercard PayPass and Visa Paywave on a single card reader.
So, there could be a chance when a user taps the card during entry, it may read TnG but during exit, it may detect Paywave which may cause the user to get stuck as the system couldn’t match the entry and exit records.
If you’re interested, you can apply for the card through the TnG eWallet app. At the moment, the application fee of RM5 and the annual fee of RM8 for the card are waived, but you must pay the card’s delivery fee of RM5. TnG allows you to customise the name on the card but up to a very limited 17 characters.
You’ll be given the card number first which you can view through the app and use for online purchases and in-app payments while you wait for the physical to be delivered to you.
You can find more details in Alex’s coverage of the Touch ‘n Go Visa card.
Which network does Astro use for its broadband service?
Well, when Astro first started offering broadband internet back in August of 2019, it partnered with Maxis. Then in April 2020, it switched over to TNB’s Allo.
But in September 2021, Astro announced a new partnership with Telekom Malaysia or TM. For those of you who are unaware, the internet service provider, Unifi is under TM. Through this partnership, Astro can tap into TM’s high-speed broadband (HSBB) network, bandwidth, backhaul, and internet access through TM’s wholesale business.
Currently, Astro Fibre offers speeds of 50mbps, 100mbps, 500mbps and 800mbps with a free WiFi 6 router bundled with every plan.
While the 100mpbs plan is priced the same as Unifi’s, Astro’s 500mbps and 800mbps plans are cheaper than Unifi’s.
As for coverage, you can easily check if Astro Fibre is available in your neighbourhood by using the coverage map on Astro’s website.
Can you subscribe to Astro fibre broadband ala carte?
You can subscribe to Astro Fibre broadband as a standalone service without the need to get a TV Pack. If you choose to subscribe to Astro Fibre via its website, you’ll be presented with the option to add on TV Packs during the checkout process. Simply ignore these and proceed with the checkout to get just the internet service.
But should you decide to bundle a TV Pack with your Astro Fibre purchase, you will get a discount on the broadband plan. Now, whether the total value of the package is worth it or not comes down to your opinion.
