Another Step Toward Convenience For SEPTA Riders
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- No more searching for tokens or exact change.
SEPTA is allowing some subway and El riders to pay for single rides with plastic.
Now you can use credit or debit cards to buy a paper ticket with a magnetic strip to take a one-way ride on the Broad Street or Market Frankford Lines.
You pay $2.25 -- the regular cash fare. And if all you have is cash, you can get change from the kiosk. The paper ticket is only good at the stop where you buy it, and it's only good for one day.
SEPTA spokesman Andrew Busch says it's a feature of the SEPTA Key program the transit agency calls "Quick Trips."
"For riders who are just taking one trip on SEPTA and maybe aren't a regular rider, they don't have to worry about having exact change beforehand. They also have the option of using a credit or debit card."
SEPTA started rolling this out at fare kiosks a few days ago. It's at 18 kiosks now, and plans are to have the function available at every stop by October 17.
It doesn't work on buses, only the El and the subway.
Busch says SEPTA plans to roll out a stored-value SEPTA Key card with a feature called the "Travel Wallet" in November.
