Your Smartphone May Soon be Your SmarTrip Card

• April 11th 2018

by Nena Perry-Brown

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Starting next year, Metro riders will be able to pay for trips with their smartphones.

Yesterday, Metro announced that it is upgrading its fare payment system, an endeavor that will include the development of a new app that will enable riders to replace their physical SmarTrip card with a wave of their smartphones.

The fare payment process will not change, but riders will be able to tap their phone to the target instead of tapping their SmarTrip card. The app will also enable users to add to their fares and get live service updates. 

These upgrades are expected to be complete next year, although each cell phone provider will likely have different timetables for when these capabilities will be available for their users. Following the initial mobile upgrades, each farebox and faregate will be replaced on a rolling basis by 2020.

“Mobile fare payment is the future of transit, giving customers the ability simply to tap their phone and go, all without stopping at a fare vending machine or using a separate card,” Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld said in a statement. “Not only will this be a better, easier experience, but will cost less to operate.”

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.production.logicbrush.com/articles/blog/your-smartphone-may-soon-be-your-smartrip-card/13823.