Spokane Transit Authority rolls out new contactless pay option with INIT

Spokane Transit Authority (STA) has implemented a way for customers to pay their fares with contactless debit and credit card payments in collaboration with INIT, giving riders the convenience of using credit or debit cards and digital cards in their mobile wallets to pay for bus fares. STA will be utilizing INIT's real-time fare validators located onboard STA buses. Passengers simply tap their card or scan their barcode and ride.

"The convenience of our Connect system is now even better with contactless payments" said Carly Cortright, STA's chief of communications and customer service officer. “We are thrilled with the adoption rate of Connect and are excited to offer our customers another option to make riding the bus even easier.”

STA recommends frequent riders use a Connect card, which will give them the ability to manage their own accounts by registering online. With the account website and mobile app, riders can add funds, employ an autoload option, view their ride history and check their existing balance. The mobile app enables riders to establish a virtual card (eConnect) and pay their fare using a timed barcode. A Connect card offers the benefit of monthly fare capping in addition to daily fare capping. To take advantage of fare-capping, passengers must use the same form of payment for each ride.

In the first six months following STA’s introduction of the Connect fare system in 2022, mobile and smart card payments obtained a 54 percent adoption rate among riders. STA expects the use of credit and debit cards to be popular due to the convenience of paying for transit with the same media as paying for everyday purchases such as a cup of coffee.

STA marks the fourth contactless open payment system by INIT in the United States, following Portland, Ore., Grand Rapids, Mich., and Tampa, Fla. In 2023, Nashville, Tenn., is expected to join the ranks as the next INIT-built open payment project.