Payment methods

From January 1, 2019, the HUNGEXPO Budapest Congress and Exhibition Center has been operating with the HelloPay system, a prepaid card-based payment solution. The previously partially introduced HelloPay “Cashless System” has been expanded, so that visitors can now pay for event tickets purchased at the ticket offices, for parking, and at catering units within the venue using contactless bank cards or a HelloPay card (which can also be topped up with cash and redeemed at the end of the event).

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Frequently Asked Questions about Using the HelloPay Card

WHERE CAN I GET A HELLOPAY CARD?
You can obtain a HelloPay card at the ticket offices located at the HUNGEXPO entrance points or at designated HelloPay top-up stations within the event area. A deposit fee is required.

WHAT IS THE HELLOPAY CARD DEPOSIT FEE?
The HelloPay card requires a deposit of 1,000 HUF. The deposit is deducted from the first top-up amount. If you return the card undamaged at a ticket office or HelloPay top-up station within the HUNGEXPO area at the end of the event, the 1,000 HUF deposit will be refunded in cash. If you return the card outside of the HUNGEXPO area, the deposit is non-refundable.

HOW MUCH MONEY SHOULD I LOAD ONTO MY HELLOPAY CARD?
There is no minimum amount required for topping up your HelloPay card. You can load any amount you consider necessary. If your card balance runs out, you can reload it at the top-up stations located throughout the event area, including ticket offices and locations marked on the map.

HOW CAN I PURCHASE AN EVENT TICKET ON-SITE USING THE HELLOPAY CARD?
If you don’t have a contactless bank card, you can use the HelloPay card to buy event tickets by following these steps:

• Obtain a HelloPay card at the entry point ticket offices.
• After redeeming and topping up the card, you can immediately use it to buy tickets at the ticket office.

WHERE CAN I PAY WITH THE HELLOPAY CARD AT HUNGEXPO?
You can buy your tickets at the ticket counters at the HUNGEXPO entrance points.
If you are arriving by car, you can buy your parking ticket at the ticket offices and HelloPay top-up stations.
You can pay with a HelloPay card at HUNGEXPO catering units: the Expo Bistro, the Passage, and the buffets located in the exhibition pavilions.

HOW DO I PAY WITH THE HELLOPAY CARD?
To pay, touch the HelloPay card to the terminal’s card reader. The system first identifies the card. Before confirming the payment, you can adjust the default tip (0–20%). The total amount, including the tip, will then be deducted from the card. Always check the terminal display to ensure the correct amount is shown.

HOW CAN I PAY FOR PARKING WITH THE HELLOPAY CARD?
In the internal parking lots with a barrier, i.e. P1 and P4, we have replaced the previous token system with a card-based payment system (own bank card or HelloPay top-up card). With this system we avoid separate queues and speed up the exit.

If you are parked inside the HUNGEXPO area, the following steps are required to exit the area in car parks P1 or P4:

• After entering and parking, obtain your parking ticket at the ticket offices or at the HelloPay top-up stations indicated on the map.
• Keep the parking ticket with the QR code until you leave the area – you will need it to exit!
• When leaving, please scan the QR code at the barrier and then drive out.

WHERE CAN I TOP UP MY CARD?
The HelloPay card can be recharged at the ticket offices during the opening hours of the event, or at the top-up points located in the fairgrounds – indicated on the map. If you decide to leave the event, you can redeem your card at the ticket offices and at the top-up stations.

DO I NEED TO PAY WITH A HELLOPAY CARD WHEN BUYING FROM EXHIBITORS?
No. The payment method is determined by each exhibitor. A HelloPay card is not mandatory for purchases from exhibitors.

HOW CAN I CHECK MY CARD BALANCE?
The balance of the card can be checked at the time of purchase, at the vendor (e.g. in the buffets), at ticket offices, and at HelloPay top-up stations.

WHERE AND HOW CAN I RETURN MY HELLOPAY CARD AND RECOVER THE UNUSED BALANCE?
If you no longer wish to use your HelloPay card, you can redeem it at the top-up points located within the HUNGEXPO area or at the ticket offices at the entry points during the opening hours of the exhibitions. Upon redemption – provided the card is not damaged – you will receive a cash refund of the deposit fee of HUF 1,000.

Outside HUNGEXPO, HelloPay also offers redemption at the following two locations:

• City Sightseeing Budapest office, 1075 Budapest, Károly krt. 21.
  Opening hours: Monday – Friday: 10:00 – 18:00; Saturday – Sunday: closed.
• HelloPay Zrt., 1037 Budapest, Montevideo u. 10.
  Opening hours: By appointment only, via info@hellopay.hu.

IMPORTANT: If you redeem your HelloPay card outside HUNGEXPO at one of the above two locations, the balance remaining on the card will be refunded, but you will not receive the HUF 1,000 deposit fee back.

IF I DON’T WANT TO REDEEM THE CARD AFTER THE EVENT, WHERE AND HOW CAN I USE MY CARD BALANCE?
You can use the balance on your card at any HelloPay point of sale. The current acceptance locations are listed on the HelloPay website under ACCEPTANCE POINTS – Here you can redeem your remaining balance on your HelloPay card!

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I’VE LOST MY CARD OR IT HAS BEEN DAMAGED?
If you have lost or damaged your card so that you can no longer use it, you can apply for a new card for a fee of HUF 1,000. The balance remaining on the old card can only be transferred to the new card if the card is registered.

HelloPay card balance transfers are only possible for cards registered on the www.hellopay.hu website.

During the event, colleagues at the on-site ticket offices and HelloPay top-up stations can help with balance transfers.
Outside the event, it is possible to transfer the balance at the HelloPay office by appointment. To make an appointment, please contact info@hellopay.hu.

The deposit fee for the old (lost/damaged) card will not be refunded by HelloPay.
A deposit fee will be charged when the new card is first loaded, so the balance to be transferred cannot be less than the current deposit fee of the HelloPay card.

Transfer procedure:

• HelloPay verifies the validity of the card registration.
• The cardholder must then block the card via www.hellopay.hu if not already done.
• The balance transfer is carried out by a HelloPay employee at a physical POS terminal.
• The HelloPay employee will then fill in an online form, which requires the customer to provide some personal data for verification.

HOW DO I REGISTER MY CARD?
Registration of the card is not compulsory, it can be used without it. However, it is recommended to register, because the balance of a lost card can only be cancelled and transferred to a new card if you have registered it first. You can pre-register your card on the official HelloPay website at www.hellopay.hu under the “HP Card” menu.

WHAT IF I ONLY HAVE CASH UPON ARRIVAL?

1. Upon entry, event tickets can be purchased at the ticket offices using cash.
2. Parking tickets can also be purchased with cash at the ticket offices or HelloPay top-up stations.
3. For further purchases within the HUNGEXPO premises, the payment method depends on the service provider or exhibitor: at catering units payments are made with a HelloPay card (which can be topped up with cash), while at exhibitors the payment method is determined individually by each vendor.