San Diego public transit passengers can now pay for bus and trolley fares with the tap of a credit card or phone, transit officials announced Friday.
The change, which was spearheaded by the upstart transit advocacy group RideSD, is meant to make transit more accessible for occasional riders who don't need a monthly pass. The payment option works with contactless credit cards as well as mobile wallets such as Apple Pay on both phones and wearable devices like smart watches.
Riders have complained about the fare payment system, PRONTO, which is used by both the Metropolitan Transit System and the North County Transit District. RideSD found it takes 191 clicks on a smartphone to download the PRONTO app, create an account and load money.
The PRONTO app also requires users to scan a QR code to pay their fare. Some passengers have reported the scanners can be slow to recognize their QR code, which can cause delays while boarding.
Connor Proctor, vice president of RideSD, said contactless payments would be especially useful for locals going to sports games or tourists attending major events like Comic Con or San Diego Pride.
"They won't have to learn a new system, they won't have to Google and figure out how transit works in San Diego," Proctor said. "It's going to be super fast … and hopefully get them out of a rental car, get them on the bus, get them on the trolley, get them using public transit."
Paying a transit fare with a credit card or phone will still allow the passenger to transfer for free within two hours. Each passenger has to pay their fare with a unique card or payment method.
The new payment option will not allow "fare capping," which automatically loads a daily or monthly pass onto a passenger's PRONTO card after they've paid the equivalent cost in single-ride fares. Passengers can earn a day pass after spending $6 on fares in a single day or a monthly pass after spending $72 in a calendar month.
San Diego City Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, who chairs the MTS board, said the agency wants to remove as many barriers as possible to people taking public transit.
"Being able to just tap a credit card makes taking transit easier," Whitburn said in a press release. "Contactless payment is a great example of how we are making the transit system a more convenient option for residents to get around town."
