A limited series of 8,888 iPass cards in the shape of a mahjong tile went on sale yesterday at official distributors in celebration of the Lunar New Year holiday.
The Lunar New Year is on Saturday next week.
The company selected the qing fa (青發) mahjong tile, with the fa on the card made to glow, the Kaohsiung-based iPass said.
Photo: Wang Jung-hsiang, Taipei Times
In Mandarin, the number eight, ba (八), has a similar sound to fa and is used for “be prosperous,” while the colloquial term for the qing fa piece is fa cai (“get rich,” 發財).
Along with the number of cards in the series being “lucky,” the limited edition is meant to wish the iPass user a bright and prosperous new year, the company said.
When the card is swiped or used for a purchase, the fa on the card glows, it said, adding that the card costs NT$390.
The mahjong-themed card and its packaging make an excellent — and auspicious — gift during the holiday, the company said.
Another series of iPass cards presents the popular Sumikko Gurashi characters, with a card for each of the four characters, it said.
One of the character-themed cards can be purchased for NT$150 at 7-Eleven, FamilyMart and Hi-life convenience stores; the Kaohsiung Metropolitan Rail system’s Formosa Boulevard Station and Xinzuoying Station; and iPass Taipei and Taichung branches.
The cards are also sold on PChome, the nation’s No. 1 online shopping platform.
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