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Philadelphia transit systems adopt contactless smart cards
3 Aug 2009

Philadelphia is set to eliminate cash for transit system tokens with a new payment system.

Chief officer for new payment technology at the SEPTA transport system John McGee is looking at proposals for smart cards.

He told the Philadelphia Daily News: "I would like for folks to be able to pay for a SEPTA trip by using whatever they have in their pocket - a credit or debit card, a student ID card, a cell phone with a computerised sticker that acts as a surrogate credit or debit card, whatever."

Mr McGee also pointed out that in many stations, machines cannot sell tickets to people who do not have the exact change for their fares and said the new system would solve this problem.

Under the proposed scheme, contactless smart cards with computerised chips would be used to pay for travel, with accounts kept topped up online.

Travellers would tap their cards on electronic sensors to be charged and move on without the need for buying tokens.

In the UK, users of Bolton Council’s smart card will soon to be able to use their contactless smart card to pay for travel on buses in the area.