GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Rapid is expanding payment options for riders, making it the first transit agency in the state to offer contactless payments.
The Rapid says customers are now able to use Visa, Mastercard, and Discover cards that have the contactless symbol or chip for tapping. They will also have the option to pay with their mobile phones or smartwatches using Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay.
According to The Rapid, all current payment methods such as cash, tickets and Wave cards are still available, but the contactless method promotes greater accessibility and a reduction in carbon footprint.
“We’ve been asked for additional convenient payment options by our customers. We are proud to be able to provide a new flexible payment type that preserves our daily fare-capping equity,” said Deb Prato, CEO of The Rapid.
According to a press release, the new payment will include transfers and daily fare capping.
The Rapid says cashless systems allow passengers to move quickly through the transit system while improving schedule performance.
Here’s how it works:
Customers will tap their card or device at the payment validator, with no need to enter their PIN code.
Customers will use the same card or device for each trip during that day to earn the daily fare capping.
Riders can check their previous trips and payment history by visiting the contactless page at wave.ridetherapid.org.
