Utah Transit Authority Showcases Open Payment System for Transit

New electronic payment system unveiled at annual Smart Card Alliance event

Editor's Note:  Earlier I posted about how even though PIN Debit is preferred 45% over 35% over SIG Debit, one of the underlying reasons for those who preferred SIG Debit is they couldn't remember their PIN.  With that said, it would make sense that there could be a flaw in this system.  Specifically: 

Tap on. Tap off. Be sure to tap on when boarding and tap off when exiting to complete your trip. It is important to remember to tap off with the same card when exiting in order to close out the trip, as failure to tap off would leave the trip incomplete. This is especially important for FrontRunner, which charges you based on the distance you travel. If you fail to tap off on FrontRunner, you will be charged the maximum fare, instead for only the distance that you have traveled.

The Utah Transit Authority is showcasing its new electronic fare collection system this week at an event held in Salt Lake City by the Smart Card Alliance. The new electronic payment system for the transit agency is the first full-system rollout of a transit payment system based on the open payment network.

UTA’s new EFC system accepts major contactless credit and debit cards such as Visa payWave, MasterCard PayPass and American Express expresspay for a single adult cash fare on more than 600 buses and a fleet of light rail and commuter rail trains.

Payment authorization is initiated when a customer taps a contactless credit or debit card to an electronic reader on a train platform or bus. Riders are also asked to tap off when exiting in order to complete their trip and get an electronic transfer. The rider is then able to tap onto a new bus or train without being charged for a new trip. The final charge is processed through a back office system that matches up individual card “taps” within the two hour transfer window to create a complete trip and calculate the final charge. Customers may also pay for more than one rider by tapping on and tapping off multiple times, once for each rider.

In addition to providing a new method of payment for customers, the “tap on/tap off” approach provides UTA with valuable data that the transit agency will use to adjust services to better reflect the actual travel patterns of its riders.

“The new EFC system is an investment in the future that will pay big dividends for our riders,” said John Inglish, UTA general manager. “The EFC system will help UTA better determine ridership patterns and be more responsive when planning service.”

The system, which officially launched in January, is used daily by thousands of UTA riders. In addition to accepting credit and debit card payments, the new EFC system is also being used to validate UTA-issued passes carried by corporate and educational customers as well.

A technical tour demonstrating the new electronic payment system and supporting infrastructure will be held on Friday, Feb. 27, from 8 to 11:30 a.m. at the UTA corporate offices located at 3600 South 700 West, Salt Lake City, Utah. To attend, please RSVP to Carrie Bohnsack-Ware at (801) 634-1864 or e-mail cbohnsack-ware@rideuta.com.

For more information, visit www.rideuta.com/electronicfare.



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Established in 1970, UTA has become a multi-modal transportation leader that is 100 percent accessible with 69 light rail vehicles, 30 commuter rail cars and more than 600 buses. UTA’s TRAX light rail system is currently averaging between 40,000 and 50,000 riders a day along its 15-mile Salt Lake-Sandy line and the 4-mile University Line. UTA is an ISO 14001:2004 9001:2000 certified agency. During the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, UTA’s transit system was declared a great success on the international scene - carrying more than four million Olympic riders.