SEPTA’s new smart fare card system will soon be more widespread, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The SEPTA Key card will see a city-wide release this week, after a test run of the system on Feb. 9 at the 69th Street Transportation Center in Upper Darby.
The SEPTA Key card was first introduced in a pilot introduction in June 2016 and has since been used for five million trips. The organization is in the process of providing the card at all subway stations and major bus loops. The expansion is planned to continue throughout early March.
SEPTA officials told the Inquirer that the transport organization is aiming to “phase out other fare modes completely, including tokens,” but that the process of transitioning into using solely the Key card depends on how fast users adopt the card.
When the card was first introduced, the organization placed a limit on how many rides someone with the card would be able to take. This limit has since been increased in response to feedback from a public hearing process, according to Phillymag.
"As the cards become available through kiosks at other stations, riders will have to initially pay for a monthly or weekly pass to get the card. Once purchased, though, the card offers flexibility," the Inquirer article states. "Users can maintain a 'travel wallet' on it, allowing them to pay per ride, will be able to reload the card online or through a smart phone, and can register the card to protect its balance if it is lost."
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