Metro to launch credit card fare payments
Metro is gearing up to launch Tap Ride and Go, a new system allowing riders to tap their credit card or debit card on a turnstile instead of a SmarTrip card or phone app.
WMATA staff testing is underway, WMATA General Manager Randy Clarke tweeted. “Stay tuned for more details later this month.”
According to WTOP, 130 employees and volunteers are taking part in the test at a variety of stations.
New York and many other cities already allow riders to use credit or debit cards for trains and buses. It’s not clear whether Tap Ride and Go will be implemented for Metrobus at the same time as Metro.
SmarTrip cards will still work, and Metro will continue to issue commemorative cards, like the one celebrating the return of the pandas.
In related news, Metro launched a new mobile app, MetroPulse, with real-time bus and train arrival times, maps, and a customer service chat feature.
7 responses to “Metro to launch credit card fare payments”
Leave a Reply to Mark Cancel reply
Thumbs Up! – Now, just arrest and jail people that fare gate jump. Start giving out 30 day jail sentences and fare gate jumping will grind down to barley a trickle….
Those credit cards are going to get swiped right out of peoples hands.
What’s the big deal. Singapore has had it for years. Works like a charm. Glad to see Metro reinvented the wheel instead of acquiring Singapore’s system. Any bets it will be full of bugs for years to come. How are senior fares bring incorporated into the credit card. System?
In Singapore kids get caned for theft, and adults thrown in prison. They take law and order a little more seriously.
Unless I can tie a credit card to my senior pass it won’t work for me.
Oh good maybe I’ll stop fairgate jumping finally lol
Based on wmata history of ineptitude … expect massive data breech within a year or two