Philadelphia’s main transport system, SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) recently announced that they would be accepting bank and credit card payments for their services. This will come in this fall which is just around the corner. Although you may have assumed this should have been in place years ago, it’s definitely a welcome change and is a case of better late than never.

The announcement was made on their website via a press release, where they wrote: ‘SEPTA is implementing a new way to pay for bus and Metro (includes BSL, MFL, NHSL & Trolley). Riders will simply tap any credit/debit card or Apple/Google/Samsung Pay on the reader and hop on. Avoid card clash by removing the card you wish to use from your wallet and tap. SEPTA has been piloting this feature since August. Public launch will depend on a successful Pilot, but we are planning to Go Live later this fall….Contactless payment will launch on Regional Rail in phase two (early 2024).’

Arguably, it will be occasional riders and out-of-town visitors who mostly benefit from this change as they will no longer be forced into buying a key card. This will also make life easier for those who choose not to use a key card for whatever reason. The press release also confirmed that the likes of Apple, Google, and Samsung Pay will all be accepted as part of their new changes.