Canada-based TransLink has announced that customers can pay for transit using Interac Debit on every bus and fare gate throughout Metro Vancouver. As part of TransLink’s Customer Experience Action Plan – TransLink, Interac, Moneris, and Cubic Transportation Systems upgraded more than 5,000 Compass Readers throughout TransLink’s system to make transit payments more convenient.

The upgrade allows customers to board transit by using Interac Debit with physical cards or through smartphone digital wallets. This enables customers to pay for transit more easily without having to use an in-station Compass Vending Machine or having to pre-load a Compass product with stored value. Contactless payments gain popularity in transportation Interac Debit payments is one more addition to the suite of available payment options for TransLink customers.

Transit users can also pay with contactless credit cards, digital wallets, Compass Cards, Compass Wristbands, and Compass Minis. Regional data from participants of a recent Interac Canada-wide survey found that a growing number of British Columbians want more convenient contactless payment options for transit: 66% see debit as a convenient way to pay for transit; 64% claimed that tap payments would save time when paying fares; 56% would be interested in using debit or credit cards to pay for their trips if they had the option; 69% believe it would be easier for visitors to pay for transit using their bank card as opposed to tickets, tokens, or passes. TransLink reminds customers to please tap their card or smartphone when paying for transit, and not their wallets, to avoid card clash when paying.

Officials from Interac said that when transit authorities add Interac Debit to their networks, they are offering riders a form of payment that almost 30 million Canadians already use for day-to-day purchases. Tap to Pay offers riders a convenient way to pay their fares directly with Interac Debit, without having to pre-purchase a separate transit card. Their recent survey data showed that 85% of British Columbians agreed that paying for transit should be as easy as buying a cup of coffee.

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