How To Use YouBike: Taipei’s Public Bike Rental Service

[UPDATE: As of December 2019, a Taiwanese ID card is required when registering for YouBike. ARCs and APRCs are not accepted. We will update the post if there are any changes to this policy.]

Bike share services are becoming increasingly popular in countries all over the world and Taipei is no exception. YouBike (also known as Ubike) is an efficient bicycle rental program offered by the Taipei City Department of Transportation in collaboration with Giant Bicycles.

It’s a cheap and convenient service that is easy to register for and simple to use even as a foreigner. Here’s how you can be travelling Taipei by bicycle in minutes.

Important:

Before you can register for YouBike, there are 2 things you need:

1. An EasyCard, as pictured above
2. A local phone number that can receive SMS messages

You can find both an EasyCard and a SIM card at most convenience stores. They’re easy to get – just make sure you have both of them when you go to register for YouBike.

How to Register:

1. Approach a YouBike (Ubike) terminal like the one pictured above. These bicycles are yellow/orange and must be parked in docking stations, unlike the other major bike share service oBike.
2. On the kiosk screen, select English in the bottom-left corner.
3. Choose JOIN YOUBIKE.
4. Confirm that you’ve read the privileges and notices on screen (more on this below).
5. Input your local phone number. Make sure that you’re able to receive text messages, as they’ll send you a confirmation code via SMS.
6.  Check your phone for the numerical authorization code that you should receive instantly, and then input it on the kiosk screen.
7. Choose a password for your account and type it in twice.
8. Confirm the bike rental procedures (more on this below).
9. Select the registration mode. The simplest way is to hold your EasyCard over the sensor zone located below the screen for a few seconds.
10. That’s it! Your registration is confirmed and you should be able to rent a bike immediately.

How to Use:

1. Find a docked YouBike that looks suitable (check the seat height and inspect the condition of the bicycle – especially the tires).
2. Approach the docking station like the one pictured above.
3. Hold your registered EasyCard over the corresponding sensor zone until it beeps and the light flashes.
4. Pull the unlocked bicycle straight back from the dock. You’re good to go!
5. Ride it to your next destination and find a docking station (more on this below).
6. Slide the bicycle into an empty dock. The light should change and you’ll hear a beeping sound.
7. Hold your registered EasyCard over the corresponding sensor zone until the beeping stops and the bicycle is secured.

Charges:

• NT$5 for the first 30 minutes
• NT$10 per 30 minutes under 4 hours
• NT$30 per 30 minutes between 4 and 8 hours
• NT$40 per 30 minutes exceeding 8 hours (who does this?)

What You Need to Know:

• After returning a YouBike, you cannot rent another bicycle from the same station within 15 minutes
• A lost YouBike must be reported to the police immediately. If the bike isn’t found within 3 months, the renter is liable for an operating loss of NT$9000

How to Find YouBike Stations:

The best way is to download the YouBike app on your phone. Search for 微笑單車 in the Apple Store or Google Play to find it.

The app is in Chinese, but you can easily pull up a map (shown above) that displays all nearby YouBike stations relative to your location. The markers even change colour based on the real-time availability of bicycles at each station.

You could also simply search “YouBike” on Google Maps. Some of the stations will pop up but the list is not comprehensive.

Consider biking next time!

We absolutely recommend using YouBike. It’s easy to register, convenient and cheap to use, and a fun, efficient way to get around the city.