SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego MTS and the North County Transit District are now accepting express pay for Apple Pay, the agencies announced Wednesday, a move that expands contactless payment options for transit riders.
In July 2024, MTS and NCTD began accepting tap payments from not just PRONTO cards, but also contactless-payment-enabled credit and debit cards, and Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay from smartphones.
Now, riders using Apple Pay won’t have to unlock or open their iPhones with readers accepting Apple’s Express Mode, which automatically reads a chosen Apple Pay card when tapped on the reader.
Express Mode even allows iPhone users to access their card or transit pass while their phone is out of battery.
All SDMTS buses and trolleys, along with NCTD COASTER, SPRINTER, BREEZE and FLEX will now accept Express Mode payment.
Fares that are paid with Apple Pay or other contactless options offer free transfers to many other services, and each rider will need their own card or contactless device to ride – only one fare per device is allowed.
To learn more about how to ride with contactless fares, follow this link.
