The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has begun to phase out the use of paper tickets now that the SEPTA Key Card Travel Wallet is available for Regional Rail.
Sales of single trip and 10-trip ticket strips ended Oct. 2, 2020. Paper tickets will be accepted through the valid date stamped on the back. Paper tickets are good for up to 180 days.
Customers are encouraged to switch over to the Key Card, which offers a convenient and contactless way to pay fares. By using a Key Card, customers ensure they receive discounted fares, including the lowest one-way fares on Regional Rail.
Tap in and tap out
SEPTA launched Travel Wallet on Regional Rail in July. This coincided with the activation of turnstiles at all five Center City stations. Customers are now required to tap in and tap out to ensure they receive the correct fare with Travel Wallet and are paying the correct zone fares on their weekly and monthly passes.
SEPTA says it would like to remind customers that at the start of their trip, they should tap the platform validator or turnstile validator at their boarding station to open their trip. After exiting the train, customers should tap off at the platform or turnstile validator before leaving. This closes out the trip.
By tapping in and out, Travel Wallet customers will automatically receive the discounted rate that was previously available only by purchasing a 10-trip strip of tickets. If a customer using Travel Wallet does not tap in to start their trip or tap out to end it, they could eventually be charged up to the maximum single-trip fare.
Customers who have a weekly or monthly TrailPass on a Key Card are also required to tap on and off.
Register Key Card
SEPTA says registering a Key Card is important to protect a card and fares in the event it is ever lost or stolen. It becomes even more important with tap in/tap out because registered cards will have the added benefit of tap forgiveness.
