Halifax Transit Launches 'Tap and Ride' App Feature, But Contactless Card Payments Still Delayed
Halifax Transit has introduced a new 'tap and ride' feature in its HFXGO app, allowing users to pay via barcode with fare capping. However, direct contactless tap-to-pay using credit or debit cards remains unavailable, a delay that Councillor Tony Mancini criticized as embarrassing.
Halifax Regional Municipality added a new "tap and ride" feature to its HFXGO mobile app on Monday. The update allows users to transfer funds to their accounts and pay for transit by scanning a barcode on buses and ferries.
A key benefit of the new app-based payment method is fare capping. Users paying through the HFXGO app will see their daily fares capped at $7.50 and their monthly charges limited to $90.
Despite this advancement, direct tap-to-pay functionality using standard credit or debit cards is still not available on Halifax Transit. The city began pursuing these contactless features in 2019 and originally hoped to have them ready by 2021. In July, Halifax councillors voted to delay a planned 25-cent fare increase until Dec. 21 specifically because of the postponement of the September tap-to-pay rollout.
Councillor Tony Mancini described the ongoing delays in implementing full tap-to-pay capabilities as "embarrassing." He stated that he expects the complete contactless payment feature to be active by the end of this year.