Over years of regular commuting, I've paid my TriMet fare just about every way there is: cash, one-ride tickets, mobile app, ticket vending machine, and so on.

Most of the time, I rely on a monthly paper pass. I keep it in my wallet, so it's always at hand. I don't have to worry about exact change or charging my phone. And if I'm dashing up to a departing MAX train, I can just jump aboard.

But for the last few months, I've been using the new Hop Fastpass card for TriMet, C-Tran and the Portland Streetcar.

The cards started to appear last week at Fred Meyer, Safeway and other stores, and TriMet plans an official launch next week, by which time they're expected to be available in most stores.

I've found a Hop card to be a worthy replacement for my paper pass -- if I'm willing to give up a tiny bit of convenience and, potentially, a great deal of privacy.

But to reach the program's promise of faster boarding times and lower costs, it's not me these agencies really need to convince. Rather, it's riders who pay in cash or one-time paper tickets each time they board.

FARE-CAPPING SAVES MONEY

For most riders, the Hop card's big selling point is fare-capping. It works like this:

If you tap to board twice in a day, you'll earn a day pass. Any more rides that day are free. No more guessing whether you might need to make a second or third trip later in the day.

Same goes for travel within a month. Once you've spent the equivalent of a monthly pass -- $100 for an adult on TriMet -- you're set for the rest of the month.

In May and June, the fare-capping system saved me at least $50.

SPEEDIER BOARDING (FOR MOST)

The Hop card doesn't exactly save boarding time compared with my paper pass. In fact, the opposite is true.

Scanning a Hop card on a bus seems to a second or so -- not much time, but enough to wonder if something might have gone wrong. It's not as fast, for example, as scanning my work ID badge to unlock an office door. (TriMet says most transactions should take less than half a second, and fiber-connected rail card readers less than a quarter-second.)

In that brief delay, the validator is communicating via cellular network with the computer system that handles my account balance. The server lets the validator know whether I'm good to go or if I'm lacking funds.

But it's a lot faster than counting quarters, or trying to pull up a digital pass you didn't have ready. If most riders used Hop cards, it would mean faster boarding overall, and less time waiting at bus stops.

AUTO-LOAD HICCUPS

I've set up my Hop card to auto-load funds from a credit card whenever it falls below $5. The dream is that I'd never have to check my balance again.

The reality fell slightly short. My card initially had $5 pre-loaded. When I immediately set up auto-load and used the card, the transaction just didn't happen. I had to reset auto-load with a $2.50 balance before the transaction went through.

A second time, I was caught by surprise at a bus stop with a zero balance. Though my balance had fallen below the $5 threshold, the system failed to re-up my account. I had to pay the fare with cash.

The validators at MAX stations and aboard buses show an icon when your balance is low, but it's easy to miss. Perhaps a slightly different chime would help draw the rider's attention; or maybe bus operators should chime in.

TriMet says auto-load errors were identified and fixed during the beta testing, and I haven't had a problem since May. Still, I'll be carrying an extra paper ticket.

PRIVACY CONCERNS

When you open your Hop card account online, you can quickly pull up a list of where exactly it's been used and even download that information as a PDF or spreadsheet.

If several cards are tied to one account -- people managing cards for their spouse and kids, for example -- they can pull up that same information for each card.

You'd expect that kind of data from any prepaid debit card. Nonetheless, given the inherent geographic considerations of transit use, it can be a little unnerving to know your daily travels and routines are spelled out in the cloud.

TriMet says that information will be available to customer service employees, but otherwise access will be strictly controlled. TriMet fare inspectors will be able to see the last transaction only, and they won't have access to account information.

The agency says users can use the card anonymously, if they wish. They can buy and refill a card with cash, and they can register the card -- protecting their unused balance from theft or loss -- under pseudonym by contacting customer service.

QUICK NOTES

Plays nice with pretax commuter benefits:

Beware the double-tap:

Pay-by-phone option coming soon:

No payment alternatives going away:

One person, one card:

-- Elliot Njus

enjus@oregonian.com

503-294-5034

@enjus