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[mks_dropcap style=”rounded” size=”52″ bg_color=”#83b8e4″ txt_color=”#f9f9f9″]M[/mks_dropcap] ost subway riders have at some point considered the idea of a contactless payment system entering the subway. Two years ago Apple teased the idea of a payment system working with the transit authority at some point in the country. Using New York at pivot point, Apple and the MTA is working on using their subway entry point as a test run for the future of contactless payments for subway riders.
Termed the “tap-to-pay” contactless payments, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook says it’s finally coming to, on the heels of the Q2 report where Apple’s iPhone sales is headed in steep decline. According to The verge, the CEO told investors that Apple Pay will begin rolling out to New York City’s MTA transit system starting in “early summer” of 2019 year, letting you tap a phone or watch to pay instantly.
The insertion of technology into the MTA system spare heads the ‘Swipe it forward’ movement where the NYPD often target minority & low income areas in NYC to harass about fare evasion. Metrocard re-sellers and the infamous ‘Not accepting Cash or Card’ MTA machine which litter stations through out the city will also decline. While the technology is useful for many throughout subways, MTA Buses will also be needing the upgrade as many of the NYC bus route are non-existent metro card terminals to purchase from.
This @NYCTSubway turnstile started life accepting tokens. Then it had a magnetic stripe MetroCard reader bolted onto it. Now it has an NFC OMNY card reader for the next iteration of @MTA fare payment. Not activated just yet, but coming soon. pic.twitter.com/xLFfwCBAb7
— Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) March 14, 2019
Usually with technology there is an upside and a downside but it’ll be a 2 years give or take before riders decidedly switch over from card to tap-to-pay on any device both Android or iOS.