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Multi-Rider Fare Now Available for Contactless Payments on All Modes

Published and updated Category: Bulletins
SEPTA's Interim GM Using Regional Rail's Contactless Payment System

SEPTA enabled the multi-rider feature for contactless payments on Friday, May 8. On all modes of transit (buses, subways, trolleys and Regional Rail), you can tap your credit/debit card or mobile wallet at a validator to pay the fares for up to five riders.

This was previously only available when using a SEPTA Key card. Expanding it to contactless payments offers more convenience for groups who may not want to, or be unable to, plan their trips in advance.

As long as all riders in the group tap together, contactless fares are the same as Travel Wallet fares on all modes and include free transfers for Bus and Metro trips. To qualify for free transfers, customers must use the same payment method for the entire trip. For example, you cannot start with Apple Pay and then switch to the associated physical card and expect a free transfer—this is consistent with how single contactless rides work today.

For Regional Rail trips, customers must tap in and tap out to be charged the correct zone fare. If five customers tap in using a single payment method, all five must also tap out together. Failure to do so may result in being charged the maximum fare.

All multi-rider taps must occur within one minute of the initial tap. Wait for the validator response (green check and accept tone) between each tap. If there is a delay in the validator response, wait until you get the confirmation. Do not tap more than one time for each ride.

All trip posting, receipts, refunds, etc., remain the same as they do for single riders on contactless. Customers can review their transaction online using the Contactless Print Receipt feature on SEPTAKey.org or by calling the Key Contact Center at 1-855-56-SEPTA.

Frequently Asked Questions

You don’t need to do anything to enable this feature. Multi-rider is automatically available on all validators for all contactless payment methods—just tap once for each rider in your group.

Simply tap your contactless card or mobile wallet once for each rider in your group at the validator. All riders must tap at the same time when boarding or entering. All multi-rider taps must occur within one minute of the initial tap.

You can pay for up to five riders total using one contactless payment method.

Yes. If you’re at a fare line with multiple validators, you can tap your contactless card or mobile wallet up to five times in total, either on the same validator or across different validators. All multi-rider taps must occur within one minute of the initial tap.

Example: If you’re traveling with five people, you could tap twice at one validator and three times at another, for a total of five taps using the same payment method.

No. As long as all riders tap together, contactless fares are the same as Travel Wallet fares on all modes.

No. All riders in the group must be paid for using the same contactless card or mobile wallet.

You must tap in at the start of your trip and tap out at the end, this ensures you are charged the correct zone-based fare.

If multiple riders are paid with one tap-in, all riders must also tap out together at the destination.

Onboard, conductors can only verify that a trip was opened when you tapped on, they cannot open a trip for you. For multi-rider trips, present the same payment method (card, mobile wallet, etc.) used to tap. The conductor will confirm that the correct number of trips were opened. The number of riders must match the number of taps made at the start of the trip. If you forgot to tap, you can still purchase a Quick Trip onboard with your contactless media.

If all riders do not tap out, the trip may be charged at the maximum fare.

All riders must tap together when entering (and exiting Regional Rail). If someone misses a tap, it may result in incorrect or additional charges.

No. This feature is designed for contactless payments, so you do not need a SEPTA Key card to use it.

  1. Use the Contactless Print Receipt tool at SEPTAKey.org, or
  2. Call the SEPTA Key Contact Center at 1-855-56-SEPTA