Philadelphia Transit Authority Confirms Plans for Launch of Open-Loop Payments after Delays
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, or SEPTA, in Philadelphia plans to introduce open-loop payments of fares, with a pilot scheduled for around June, a spokesman confirmed to NFC Times. It makes SEPTA part of a small but growing number of U.S. transit agencies that are accepting payments of fares from contactless bank cards and NFC wallets or are planning to do so.
Use of Contactless EMV to Pay Transit Fares Accelerating, According to Two Agencies
Two transit agencies, one large and one small, that began accepting contactless bank cards and NFC wallets to pay fares in recent months are reporting that use of the new payments services is accelerating among their customers.
Apple Launches Express Transit in London; Mobility Service also Adds NFC Payments Feature in Apple Wallet
Apple has expanded its Express Transit service to another major market, enabling Apple Pay users to pay for fares on Transport for London-run trains and buses without first authenticating themselves on the NFC devices.
Contactless EMV Card Rollout in U.S. to Pick Up Speed in 2020, but Shape of Adoption Remains Unclear
With contactless EMV cards expected to have a significant footprint in the U.S. in 2020, the debate continues over whether the rollout will promote or harm take-up of NFC mobile payments and whether contactless open-loop transit payments will make a real impact on use of contactless at the retail point of sale.
More Open-Loop Transit Payments Services to Launch in Taiwan
Taiwan’s airport train service will begin accepting Visa- and Mastercard-branded credit cards starting in January 2020, making it the second mass-transit service on the island nation to support open-loop payments for fares.
NFC Wallets Make Up Growing Share of Contactless Payments on London Transit
Use of NFC wallets continues to steadily increase as part of Transport for London’s landmark contactless payments service, with payments from NFC-enabled smartphones and smartwatches now accounting for 20% of all contactless payments, NFC Times has learned.
Miami Latest U.S. City to Introduce Open-Loop Transit Payments
Transit officials in Miami-Dade County, Fla. are the latest in the U.S. to introduce open-loop payments of fares with contactless credit and debit cards and bank card credentials on NFC wallets, launching the service in August 2019 on the city's relatively small metro network, with plans to expand to buses later.
UK Tram Riders Take to Tapping with NFC phones to Pay for Fares, According to Early Results
Transport for Greater Manchester, which last month launched open-loop payments on its large Metrolink tram network, said Thursday that contactless credit and debit cards and NFC wallets accounted for a combined 170,000 rides during the first four weeks of the service.
In-Depth: 5 Years After Transport for London Launched Contactless Across Transit Network, Open Loop in UK Remains Uneven
Five years ago next month (September 2019), Transport for London introduced open-loop contactless payments across its transit network, including metro, trams and commuter rail, following an earlier launch on buses. The service now accounts for more than half of all pay-as-you-go journeys and has become a global showcase for the technology.
Rome Latest Transit System to Launch Open-Loop Fare Payments; also Enables Monthly Passes with EMV Cards
Rome has become the second major city in Italy–and one of a small but growing number of large cities globally–to enable riders to pay transit fares with EMV contactless credit, debit and prepaid cards and NFC devices.