TriMet riders now have the option of buying a virtual transit fare card for rides on buses, the MAX and streetcar by tapping any Android or Apple smartphone instead of buying a physical ticket.

Android users have had that capability for months, but on Tuesday, TriMet announced that it now had a virtual Hop card for Apple smartphones users as well.

Riders can hold their phone (or Apple Watch) near TriMet’s Hop readers on MAX platforms or buses to pay their fare. They must first download the free Hop Fastpass app and buy a virtual Hop card, then load it into Apple Wallet to pay. The digital payment option is now available on C-Tran, Portland Streetcar and the WES commuter rail as well.

“TriMet has long been a leader in the transit industry, focused on the customer experience and ways to simplify riding transit,” said Doug Kelsey, TriMet’s general manager. “Now with the Hop card in Apple Wallet, our riders and our region take a major leap forward in transit fare payment.”

The development is the latest example of the transit agency shifting away from paper tickets and toward electronic fares. Riders can still buy paper Hop cards on MAX platforms or purchase a fare in cash while boarding a bus, but much of the payment options are now electronic.

Visitors or people who don’t want to sign up for a Hop card can still pay on their phone using their mobile wallet and a credit or debit card but it wouldn’t make much sense for locals who ride frequently.

TriMet in 2017 launched its Hop Fastpass system, an electronic fare card that allows riders to pay for only the amount of rides they take on the system. Instead of buying a daily or monthly pass, riders just pay for whatever amount they use the system.

If you have a physical plastic Hop card you can convert to an electronic version through the smartphone app. (This doesn’t work for honored citizen, low-income, LIFT or passes issued by employers at the moment).

-- Andrew Theen

atheen@oregonian.com

503-294-4026

@andrewtheen

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