Contactless Payment: Metro Makes TAP Cards Available On Apple Devices
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Mayor Eric Garcetti Thursday announced that the long-awaited mobile app for the Metro Los Angeles' TAP cards is now available on Apple devices.
TAP is now available in Apple Wallet! Add your TAP card to iPhone or @Apple Watch for a safer, faster, and more convenient way to ride throughout LA County. #applepay https://t.co/aK3VQiRpBL pic.twitter.com/S6j8uOjuz4
— LA Metro (@metrolosangeles) September 3, 2020
"We have to eliminate barriers between our transportation system and our essential workers, front line heroes, hard-hit households and Angelenos from every neighborhood," Garcetti said. "This is always important, but even more critical in this current crisis. The new mobile TAP app makes Metro one of the first transit agencies in the country to put the power to pay your fares in the palm of your hands."
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Riders who download the app will be able to add fare to their TAP cards through the app and check the arrival times for buses and trains.
Those who add the TAP card to their Apple Wallet will be able to add fare value to the cards using Apple Pay and ride trains and board buses by holding their device near the validator without needing to unlock their phones.
"In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, this new feature offers a great option for essential workers, honors social distancing with no bus operator interaction needed by the rider and works on all TAP participating agencies," Phillip Washington, Metro CEO, said.
The app is compatible with iPhone 8 and later and Apple Watch Series 3 and later. An Android version of the app is expected to launch later this year.
More information about the app can be found on the TAP website. To download the app, click here.