Apple Pay and credit card tap for bus and SkyTrain fares being considered

Apr 5 2017, 11:47 pm

Transit users in Metro Vancouver may soon be able to use their credit card or phone just like their Compass Card when riding the bus or SkyTrain.

The idea of an open-payment tap feature for transit fares is currently being mulled by TransLink.

“Open payment is a new feature we are considering for the Compass program,” spokesperson Jill Drews told Daily Hive. “This could allow customers to tap with debit cards, credit cards, or apps like Apple Pay at the fare gates or on buses.”

The feature would offer a “convenient way to pay, especially for those who don’t use transit frequently enough to require a Compass Card,” Drews added. “The ideal open payment customer would be perhaps a tourist who may only be in the area for a limited amount of time.”

She noted that open payment would not be meant as a replacement for the Compass Card, adding that Compass Card users would still get the best rate, while the open payment fare would be the standard $2.75.

As part of its assessment, TransLink is gathering feedback from customers through an online panel.

Allowing open payment could be implemented “fairly quickly” across the system, as the fare gates are already capable of accepting it, Drews noted.

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