After years of delays, SEPTA’s long-awaited new payment technology, SEPTA Key, will finally make its public debut on Monday.

Well, kind of.

Starting at 5:30 Monday morning, up to 10,000 riders will be able to join an “Early Adopter” public pilot of the new fare card system. During the pilot, SEPTA Key holders will be able to get weekly and monthly passes, as well as $8 all-day passes. Not part of this initial pilot: SEPTA Key’s “Travel Wallet” —the aspect we’ve all been waiting for, the thing that will replace tokens and exact change. During the pilot, SEPTA Key will only work on SEPTA’s buses, trolleys, Broad Street Line, Market-Frankford Elevated, and Norristown High Speed Line.

To be part of the 10,000, show up to one of the 12 stations that will have activated kiosks to purchase the new fare cards. You can also pick one up at SEPTA’s HQ, 1234 Market Street.

Around 101,000 riders use weekly or monthly passes, so should you get up before dawn to make sure you’re one of the lucky few? Probably not, said Leslie Hickman, SEPTA’s deputy chief officer for SEPTA Key integration.

“[Go] as soon as you’d normally travel to one of those stations,” she said, before cautioning that SEPTA really doesn’t know how many people will want to sign up for the pilot. Hickman recommended that riders give themselves a few more minutes than they usually would, in case there is a line at the kiosks.

SO WHEN DOES IT REALLY LAUNCH?

This phase of the pilot will last a few months, said Hickman. The next step, which will happen “sometime over the summer” will remove the 10,000 person cap, allowing everyone who missed out on the pilot to get a SEPTA Key for weekly or monthly passes. The kiosks will also expand: All 53 stations will have an active one, instead of the 13 locations for this pilot.

But what about the tokens? When will Philadelphians at long last get to toss their tokens?

“I’m confident that by the end of this year, early next year, we’ll be in a position to really start rolling out those features of the full transit launch,” said Hickman.

That’s just SEPTA Key’s first phase, mind you. Regional Rail riders: You’ll be waiting a few months longer before SEPTA Key will replace your trailpasses and punched-out tickets.