Apple Pay Face ID

Apple Pay can be used to quickly buy items, both in physical stores and through online merchants, but it can also be a quick and easy way to use public transit, too. For folks in Singapore, Apple Pay for transit is now live, and it’s coming soon to New York City.

The big news is Apple Pay for transit’s arrival in Singapore. Apple Pay users can now use the service to hop onto public transit in all its forms in the area. As long as they use Mastercard credit or debit cards. However, Singapore’s transit agency is already planning on adopting Visa-branded debit and credit cards as well, with that planned to arrive later this year.

In New York City, it looks like the MTA is already starting to install contactless card readers at terminals across the region. TechCrunch previously reported that New York City is planning on a pilot program at a couple of lines here shortly, and that broader availability will roll out later this year.

Meanwhile, over in Chicago, Illinois, and Portland, Oregon, where Apple Pay for transit is already accepted, things are getting better. In Chicago, Apple Pay users will soon be able to add their Ventra fare cards to the Apple Wallet app to access the CTA and Metra public transit options. In Portland, it’s the same thing, with customers soon able to add their TriMet Hop fare cards to Apple Wallet for faster access.

But wait, there’s more. The blog Ata Distance expects that Ventra and Hop fare cards will also add support for Express Transit in the near future. If that is indeed the case, then that means those card users will be able to skip the authentication process altogether. Right now, Apple pay for transit users need to use Face ID or Touch ID to authenticate access to public transit. With the adoption of Express Transit, though, Ventra and Hop card users will be able to skip that step, making access a bit faster.

Express Transit is already supported in China and Japan.

Apple Pay for transit is already supported in various regions, including the aforementioned Chicago and Portland, but it’s also available in London, Vancouver, Shanghai, Moscow, Beijing, and Tokyo.

Our Take

Using Apple Pay to speed up the process of accessing public transit is a nice feature for the service, especially if Express Transit is starting to expand support as well. But availability in the United States (and across the globe) needs to improve. We did hear back in January that the Los Angeles Metro, in California, might be adding support for Apple Pay.

We Want To Hear From You

If you are in Singapore, and use a Mastercard, do you plan on using Apple Pay to access public transit?

[via TechCrunch; MacRumors; Chicago Tribune; Willamette Week]