【Updated 2025.1】There is currently an AMEX Offer for $80 back on $400 in purchases, and multiple transactions can be combined to reach the $400 threshold. If you already need to book tickets, it’s a decent discount. Disney tickets worldwide, attraction tickets across Asia, and transportation purchases should all qualify. Gift card purchases may also trigger it.
- Klook sign-up link (new users get a ¥10 coupon, valid for one year)
- You can also download the App directly and enter GDS5H2 in the "Promo Code" field
Here’s another useful trick for buying Japan Disney tickets and other attraction tickets. If you have a new account, first book any refundable attraction ticket in Japan. The system will then automatically issue you a 10% off coupon. You can use that coupon to book Japan Disney tickets. After you finish booking the Disney tickets, just cancel the original attraction booking.
WeChat reader CK recently shared a very interesting travel app called Klook. If you are already in China or need to travel back to China, Klook is worth downloading. It is also a very practical tool in other parts of Asia, and I strongly recommend it. It works especially well for planning trips to Japan or Hong Kong.
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What Is Klook
Klook, known in Chinese as 客路, is a travel technology company founded in May 2014 by three entrepreneurs from Hong Kong. In April 2019, Klook raised $225 million (about HK$1.765 billion) in D+ round funding, and later that year launched its app and registration promotions. Unfortunately, that happened right before the COVID-19 pandemic, but Klook managed to make it through. Its services now cover more than 250 cities around the world, with over 80,000 booking options for attractions, unique experiences, transportation, and dining. Transportation options in particular are often priced similarly to official booking channels.
Using mainland China high-speed rail as an example, when you book train tickets through Klook, the ticketing process is the same as on 12306, and you can still earn 12306 points. The most powerful feature is that Klook accepts PayPal plus Visa/Master/Amex/UnionPay/JCB cards, which effectively means it supports almost every major credit card worldwide.
Klook Registration and Promotions
Registration
If you sign up for Klook now, you can also get a ¥10 coupon. You can register using a social media account, email, or phone number.
- Klook sign-up link (new users get a ¥10 coupon, valid for one year)
- You can also download the App directly and enter GDS5H2 in the "Promo Code" field
Promotions
According to WeChat reader 青葉 from Taiwan, Klook periodically offers some solid promo codes that are worth using. If we find any especially good codes, we will post them as soon as possible.
If you use the mobile app, there is also a code, "Mobile10," for HK$10 off your first mobile order.
- For detailed promo code terms, see: https://www.klook.com/zh-CN/conditions/
Using Klook
Klook has both a web version at Klook.com and an App version. Here we will mainly talk about the App.
App Interface
You can switch languages and currencies at any time, and any coupons you receive can be converted into other currencies at the real-time exchange rate. Overall, the design is quite good. A few screenshots are shown below:
Main Services
From the screenshots above, you can already see the types of services Klook offers. Under "Categories," it provides a fuller summary of everything available:
- Local experiences: attraction tickets, dining, special activities, day tours, and small-group tours
- Wi-Fi and SIM cards in various destinations: pricing is pretty good. KUKU thinks this is especially useful. Even though there is Google Fi, having another option is always nice.
- Train tickets and rail passes: including mainland China 12306 train tickets (extremely useful), Taiwan train tickets, Japan JR rail passes, and European train tickets
- Hotels: essentially an OTA
- Other transportation
These services, especially those in mainland China, make it possible to pay for travel expenses with US credit cards. While WeChat can also do this through its app ecosystem, Klook seems simpler. The most practical feature here is probably buying mainland China train tickets.
Traveler Management
It supports linking up to 30 travelers, which should be more than enough for most people.
Payment Methods
- PayPal (which effectively means support for nearly all credit cards)
- Direct card entry: Visa/AMEX/Mastercard/UnionPay/JCB
When the App first launched last year, it also supported Apple Pay, which could in theory be used with nearly all credit cards including UnionPay, but that option appears to have been removed.
Cashback Portals
Quite a few cashback portals currently offer good rates on Klook, including TopCashback and RebatesMe.
Do note that cashback rates may differ by category.
How Charges Post
- Visa/Master: coded as travel purchases, with the merchant location showing as Hong Kong or the Netherlands
- AMEX unknown
This is especially interesting, because it effectively lets you travel or ride trains in mainland China while having the purchase post as a foreign transaction. Combined with mainland China credit card promotions for overseas online spending, that can be unusually rewarding.
Example: Buying Train Tickets
Here is a walkthrough for buying mainland China bullet train / high-speed rail tickets, which many readers may find especially interesting.
Basic Process
The process is basically the same as buying directly on 12306, but do not forget to click through a cashback portal before placing the order.
The following ID types are supported:
Then you buy the ticket and choose seats. The exchange rate matches Google’s real-time rate, so at checkout, feel free to pull out a US travel rewards card that earns bonus points on travel purchases, such as the CSP or CSR.
When you buy train tickets on Klook, you can still earn 12306 points just as you would on other platforms.
Changes and Cancellations
For mainland China train tickets, it currently appears that you cannot directly change or cancel tickets on Klook. You need to go to a ticket counter, and refunds are returned to the original payment method. This is currently the biggest downside.
Klook Points System
Klook has its own points system, though at the moment points can only be earned from experience bookings. They can be used toward future discounts, which is still better than nothing.
My Take
Klook has a lot going for it, and a few features are especially powerful.
- Real-time exchange rates, travel-category coding, and support for essentially all credit cards plus PayPal
- Cashback portal support, mostly from Asia-focused portals, with fairly good rates
- Usable in mainland China, with purchases posting as foreign transactions, making it a strong tool for mainland China credit card promotions on overseas online spending
- Buying mainland China train tickets is basically the same as 12306, except for changes and cancellations
Klook is still in a relatively early stage, and it should continue improving over time. Although Alipay and WeChat also support foreign credit cards for spending on 12306, and using WeChat with US credit cards can also earn elevated rewards, having another stable merchant-category option is not a bad thing. Hopefully the app will eventually support direct train ticket changes and cancellations, because having to go to a counter every time is a real hassle.
According to reader 青葉 from Taiwan, this website/app is also very popular in Taiwan and frequently has promo codes.
It is easy to imagine that mainland China banks may eventually exclude Klook purchases from overseas-spend promotions, since banks are not charities.
Hopefully Klook keeps going strong. There are not many genuinely useful apps left.
Klook Registration
- Klook sign-up link (new users get a ¥10 coupon, valid for one year)
- You can also download the App directly and enter GDS5H2 in the "Promo Code" field