PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — It’s something SEPTA riders have longed for: the ability to pay for a fare by tapping a credit card or mobile wallet, without needing a Key card or even a SEPTA account. If all goes well, riders won’t have to wait much longer.
Since early August, about 90 riders have been enrolled in a pilot program for the open payment process.
“You just pull your bank card out of your pocket or pull your phone out of your pocket with Apple Pay or Google Pay or Samsung Pay, or your iPhone, and you just tap it on the reader and travel,” said SEPTA Key project manager Kevin O’Brien. “They won’t have to worry about calculating their fares or buying the right instrument. They just tap and ride.”
SEPTA hopes to have 200 riders taking part in the pilot by next month to thoroughly test how different bank card brands work. If all goes well, O’Brien said the long-awaited feature should roll out for everyone this fall.
“Probably late September or October,” he said. “We’re hoping to get it to the public on the transit side” — buses, subways and trolleys. The Regional Rail would follow early next year.
Participants can apply for the pilot program here.
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