SEPTA Interim General Manager Scott Sauer demonstrates the contactless payment method.
PROVIDED / SEPTA
Regional Rail riders can now use credit and debit cards to pay fares, SEPTA leaders announced Friday.
In addition to physical cards, passengers can use Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay mobile wallets at turnstiles and platform validators, according to the authority.
Riders are required to tap their card or phone as they board and when they get off, transit officials said. Ticket prices for the contactless technology are the same as for the SEPTA Key card.
“Deploying this technology systemwide is a major achievement,” SEPTA Board Chair Kenneth E. Lawrence Jr. said in a statement. “With this expansion to Regional Rail, SEPTA is the first commuter rail network in the country to accept contactless payments.”
The authority has collected $31 million in fare revenue since implementing the payment method on buses, trolleys and subways two years ago, officials added.
Scott Sauer, SEPTA’s interim general manager, noted that contactless payment will be especially convenient in 2026, when a large number of visitors are expected in Philadelphia for FIFA World Cup matches, the MLB All-Star Game and celebrations surrounding the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, among other events.
Anyone utilizing Apple Pay can enable Express Mode to tap on SEPTA without having to unlock or even wake their iPhone or Apple Watch, the authority said.
Contactless payment is not yet available for customers traveling to or from New Jersey; SEPTA said it is working to install validators at its stations in the state.
Riders are advised to separate their cards and phone while paying to ensure the fare is charged to the correct account.
