Apple Pay for Transit Now Works in These 12 U.S. Cities

Source: MacRumors

Overview

Apple Pay for transit lets iPhone and Apple Watch users tap to pay fares on public‑transport systems using the Apple Wallet app. The feature works with Face ID or Touch ID, and when a credit or debit card is set as an Express Transit card, payments are processed automatically without authentication.

Supported U.S. Cities

Apple Pay for transit is available in the following 12 U.S. cities:

• Atlanta
• Bay Area (California)
• Boston
• Chicago
• Los Angeles
• New York
• Orange County (California)
• Philadelphia
• Portland (Oregon)
• San Diego
• Seattle
• Washington, DC

Setting Up Express Transit

1. Open Settings → Wallet & Apple Pay.
2. Tap Express Transit Card.
3. Choose the credit/debit card you want to use for transit.

When a card is selected for Express Mode, it can be used for transit payments automatically, even when the device is locked. On iPhone models that support Power Reserve, transit payments continue for up to five hours after the battery is depleted (available on iPhone XS and later).

Device Compatibility

• iPhone: iPhone 6s, 2016 iPhone SE, and later models support Express Mode for transit.
• Apple Watch: Series 1 and later, running watchOS 5.2.1 or later.

Transit Card Requirements

• Some systems accept a credit/debit card directly (e.g., Bay Area’s Clipper app).
• Others require a specific transit card to be added to Wallet:
  • Chicago – Ventra card
  • Los Angeles – TAP card
  • Portland – Hop card

Fare Capping

Certain transit systems cap weekly fares when using Apple Pay:

• New York (OMNY) – $35 weekly cap for subway and local bus rides.
• Los Angeles (TAP) – Supports fare capping.
• Orange County (Wave) – Supports fare capping.

To benefit from fare capping, use the same device for each tap‑pay transaction throughout the week.

International Availability (Brief Note)

Apple Pay for transit also works in several global cities, including London, Paris, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Toronto, Beijing, and Shanghai.

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This article originally appeared on MacRumors.com.