SEPTA has upgraded its fare readers and will now allow riders to use Apple Pay Express Mode or an Apple Watch to pay for rides.
In a program that began to roll out on Monday, July 22, 2024, SEPTA officials said, in a statement, that the effort is intended to make it easier and more convenient for riders to pay for fares on the mass transit system throughout Philadelphia.
To use the new feature, riders must have Express Mode enabled on Apple Pay in their IPhones -- this is available on iPhone SE, iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus, or later, with iOS 12.4 or later, or Apple Watch Series 1 or Series 2, or later, with watch OS 5.2.1 or later.
With this enabled for debit or credit cards, SEPTA officials said riders won’t need to wake or unlock their iPhone or Apple Watch or even open any apps to pay and ride on SEPTA Bus or Metro lines — all users have to do is hold their Apple device near a reader to securely pay with Apple Pay.
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Once a user has chosen which debit or credit card they’d like to use with Express Mode, they can simply tap their iPhone or Apple Watch to an enabled reader to ride, officials said.
Currently only bus and metro -- subway, trolley lines as well as the Broad Street Line, the Market-Frankford Line, and the Norristown High Speed Line -- services can use the new feature but, officials said, riders on SEPTA"s regional rail lines can expect to be able get the same accessibility in the fall.
Also, there are no new fees associated with using these new features, officials said.
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