TriMet to roll out touchscreen vending machines at five locations in December
TriMet will be rolling out touchscreen vending machines at five locations in December to make it more convenient for customers to purchase and reload Hop fare cards. The vending machines will allow riders to buy and reload plastic Hop cards at MAX stations and transit centers rather than the single-day-use Hop tickets dispensed by ticket vending machines today.
Following an initial pilot of the new Hop card machines running through early 2025, the agency plans to start replacing all ticket machines across the MAX system in February 2025 as it phases out its ticket vending machines to help improve reliability.
The five new locations are:
- Willow Creek Transit Center
- Beaverton Transit Center
- Rose Quarter Transit Center
- Gateway Transit Center
- Portland International Airport
TriMet notes that while installation of the machines began Nov. 20, they will not be ready for riders to use until early December. The machines will offer adult fare, honored citizen cards (people 65 and older or who receive Medicare cards) and youth fare. All new cards purchased cost $3, but once riders have the card in hand, there are no additional service fees. Customers can reload at one of the machines or online. Card holders also have the option of setting up auto reload.
The agency notes the new Hop card vending machines will come with an updated look and more options for riders. TriMet will have personnel on hand at the stations and transit centers during the initial launch to help guide riders through the process of working the touchscreen vending machines if they have questions.
To improve accessibility, TriMet says the machines offer Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, Russian and Simplified Chinese language options. For visually impaired riders, audio instructions are available and the buttons and labels are marked in Braille and raised letters.
According to the agency, the first five machines are part of a pilot. TriMet will make any needed adjustments before it begins adding the Hop card machines to more MAX stations and transit centers in February 2025.
TriMet notes that currently, reloadable Hop cards are available at hundreds of supermarkets, pharmacies and convenience stores throughout the metro area but with Hop card machines at stations, riders will have access to the cards when and where they need them most with an easy reload option, especially for those using cash or a payment card. In all, 169 of the machines will be added to locations across the MAX system.
The agency says people with a disability or who qualify for honored citizen fare based on income or military status must apply in advance to receive an honored citizen photo ID Hop card.
Why switch from tickets to cards?
TriMet notes the introduction of Hop card vending machines will mean the retirement of paper Hop tickets sold at platforms. The agency says the machines are obsolete, with parts no longer made. The new transit fare card machines will be more reliable and give riders more options.
According to TriMet, the old machines only issue tickets that cannot be reused after a day, leading to extra waste. They also lack the monthly fare-capping benefits of Hop cards, where riders never pay more than $100 for standard adult fare or $28 for reduced honored citizen/youth fare in a calendar month. Paper Hop tickets will still be available at TriMet’s Customer Support Center and on TriMet buses for riders who pay with cash.
The agency says riders without Hop cards will still be able to purchase adult fare by tapping a contactless payment card or their mobile wallet on a green Hop reader. If riders use the same fare payment device throughout the day and month to pay adult fare, they will receive the same fare-capping benefits as a Hop card user and never pay more than $5.60 per day or $100 in a month.
