Contactless Fare Payments Coming to Public Transit in Philadelphia and Seattle

Public transportation riders in the greater Philadelphia and Seattle regions will soon be able to pay fares using contactless bank cards or NFC-enabled devices.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has awarded a $211 million contract to Cubic Transportation Systems to develop and manage a new digital ticketing system across five counties in the Greater Philadelphia area. The SEPTA Key 2.0 system will introduce virtual cards, support equity-focused fare policies, and enhance reliability and ease of use. Additionally, SEPTA’s website, mobile app, and call center will receive upgrades.

Meanwhile, in Seattle, transit riders using the One Regional Card for All (ORCA) system are a step closer to tapping to pay with their contactless bank cards. The ORCA Joint Board has approved integrating Tap to Pay for iPhone and NFC devices into the myORCA system, which launched in 2022. While Android users can already store a digital myORCA card, the new system will allow payments directly via bank cards.