Capital Metro’s board of directors approved including a tap-to-pay option for riders on buses and trains on Monday.
Currently, riders can pay fares using cash, the CapMetro app or by purchasing a physical transit card. These changes allow riders to use their credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay or Google Pay to pay for fares. Fare rates will not change, Jorge Ortega, the former CapMetro communications and public relations manager who resigned on Friday, said in an email.
CapMetro will install new equipment to improve scanning technology, visual and audio indicators and contactless payment, Ortega said. These changes are expected to be implemented by March 1, according to a CapMetro press release.
“Anything we can do to improve the customer experience makes it easier for people to try transit and improves the overall satisfaction for everyone — our customers, operators, visitors and occasional riders as well,” Samantha Baez, CapMetro’s chief experience and engagement officer, said in a press release. “These upgrades simplify the payment and boarding processes and lay the foundation for a smoother transit experience in Central Texas.”
These changes come with a new Umo and Transit app, which according to a CapMetro press release will replace the current app. The changes also include reloadable fare cards and digital passes that will replace the digital 31-day and seven-day passes.
UT students get free rides on CapMetro public transportation, and Ortega said these changes are not expected to affect student fares. Advertising sophomore Eric Hernandez said CapMetro should have implemented the tap-to-pay option a long time ago.
“Changing it over to have tap-to-pay, or card in general, makes it super accessible because there’s moments where I’ve forgotten my ID and then I’ve had to run back because I don’t have cash or anything,” Hernandez said.
Tap-to-pay can also be useful for people who are just visiting Austin and may not want to download a new app to pay for fares, Hernandez said.
“It’s a major win for people who have to use public transportation or even people who like visiting (Austin),” Hernandez said.
Economics sophomore Zachary Chen said having a tap-to-pay option makes transportation more convenient, especially since many places already have contactless payment options.
“It’s more convenient because I have friends that don’t even carry credit cards anymore,” Chen said. “They just trust that their Apple Pay is good enough.”
Originally published Jan. 16, 2025, in The Daily Texan
By Laura Rivera
Illustration by Kuba Bard