Originally Posted by
cbn42
Yes, but there is also the hassle and extra time involved with tapping your card twice instead of once, plus you have to keep track of the prices for each different route
I highly doubt riding the London Underground is that much of a hassle. You've been to London, right? You just fill up your Oyster Card, you tap in when you enter, and tap out when you exit. A lot of Americans visit London each year and no one is utterly confused about this system.
And as open contactless payments become the norm, which London is currently moving to, you wouldn't even need your Oyster Card in the near future.
You can just tap in your favorite credit card that has contactless capability, tap out with the same credit card, and the fare gets charged to your credit card.
That ideally would be the dream for me: the ability to use my $0 FTF credit card with EMV and contactless capability, to tap-n-go for all transit everywhere. No more TAP card for Los Angeles, NY MetroCard for NYC, no more OV Chipkaart for Amsterdam, Suica/PASMO for Tokyo, etc. etc.
Just one credit card with contactless capability for all transit all over the world.
Originally Posted by
cbn42
Looking at this in the context of EMV, does anyone know if the EMV could "remember" where you tagged onto the system, so that when you tag out it knows how much to charge? If there is a flat charge then using EMV at the point of entry (and eliminating the proprietary transit cards altogether) would be feasible, but can it be done with distance-based pricing?
Absolutely! London is actually moving to that system soon:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/proj...mes/19976.aspx
Originally Posted by tfl
Contactless payment cards are making life easier. You can already use them to pay for things wherever you see the contactless symbol - and now you can use them on buses as well.
It is similar to using an Oyster card, only using your contactless credit, debit or charge card instead. That means no topping up or buying credit in advance - just touch in and go.
Find out more about using contactless payment cards on buses (Youtube link)
In early 2014, you'll be able to use your contactless payment card on:
Tube
Docklands Light Railway (DLR)
Trams
London Overground
You'll also be able to check your journey history online, which means you can see where you've been and how much it cost. And because everything will be managed by your card issuer, it means the whole system is secure. There's no need for PIN numbers, and at no point will we have access to your account.
When the new system is in place, you'll be able to use your contactless payment card for all pay as you go journeys. The card readers at ticket gates will look the same, but you'll be able to touch in using either your contactless payment card or an Oyster card.
Once the system has been rolled out across all our services, fares will be capped for the day you travel like with Oyster.
I'm sure the
reclusive46 (resident of the UK) can chime in on how it's going on right now.
And there's also SLC which is also using that system in the US:
http://www.rideuta.com/mc/?page=Ridi...rFare-EFC-FAQs
Originally Posted by UTA
What type of contactless cards can be used?
There are three types of contactless cards that may be accepted:
Bank-issued contactless credit/debit cards
Certain ID cards issued by organizations such as schools, employers, and ski resorts
UTA contactless transit passes
[snip]
Do I have to tap on and tap off?
Yes. Be sure to tap on when boarding and tap off when exiting to complete your trip. It is important to remember to tap off with the same card when exiting in order to close out the trip, as failure to tap off would leave the trip incomplete. The only exception to the tap off requirement is when you transfer from a TRAX vehicle to another TRAX vehicle. Other than TRAX-to-TRAX transfers, you are always required to tap off when exiting.
Failure to tap off voids any transfer credits that you would normally receive.
If you tap on within the free fare zone and fail to tap off when exiting within the free fare zone, you will be charged the full single adult cash fare
If you fail to tap off on FrontRunner, you will be charged the maximum fare, instead for only the distance that you have traveled.
It specifically says "you can use contactless bank credit and debit cards" and it mentions that you need to tap off so that the proper fare can be charged. If a SLC can do it (and they're not even the biggest transit agency in the US), I doubt it can't be done elsewhere.
Furthermore, as stated several posts back, the 2014 Smart Card Alliance is taking place in SLC. And the two keynote speakers on EMV and contactless payments are the transit agencies in NY and Washington DC. NY uses distance base fares for LIRR. DC Metro uses distance based fares on their subway. And SLC is already using contactless bank cards for their own variable pricing system. It wouldn't surprise me that NY and Washington DC are taking a close look at what SLC has done and has a big interest to see that implemented in their own system as well.
As an optimistic millennial, I hope that by this decade is out, we'll all have in our wallets, an EMV chipped, contactless capable, no FTF credit card, or NFC enabled smartphone that we can use to ride transit in any city in the world. No more "ok, I'm going to be in London next week, don't forget my Oyster Card...hmm, how much do I have in there? Wait after London, I'm going to Tokyo so I need my Suica too; how much is it in there again...?" Here's hoping to that future!