Transit Riders in Portland Can Pay Their Fare With Their Smartphones

"Commuters on TriMet, C-Tran and the Portland Streetcar can now pay their fare with a tap of a smartphone," reports Elliot Njus.

The Hop Fastpass system accepts mobile payment options like Apple Pay, Android Pay, and Samsung Pay using electronic readers installed on buses and train platforms, explains Njus.

Njus explains how the system works, and includes this key change from the typical transit user's experience: "Unlike Hop electronic fare cards or the existing TriMet Tickets app, the mobile payment systems don't require pre-loaded funds or pre-purchased fares. Instead, it charges a credit or debit card linked to the account."

There are also some limitations to the new Hop Fastpass system, which Njust explains in the article.