RTA moves to cashless on-board payment system with Tapp Pay

For Immediate Release

MEDIA CONTACT:  Jessica Olson (937) 425-8352, Communications Manager

(Dayton, Ohio)— The Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority (RTA) will be eliminating the use of all old system passes, paper tickets and change cards effective Sept. 1, 2021 as the next step in the process of migrating customers to its new fare payment system, Tapp Pay.

RTA stopped selling old system passes and paper tickets at all outlet locations in April, and discontinued the sale of Day Passes aboard all vehicles in July. Customers are advised to use any outstanding passes, paper tickets or change cards they have no later than August 31, after which they will no longer be accepted.

Tapp Pay, first introduced via the Transit app in June 2020, offers fare at a discounted rate through fare capping. Customers are limited, or capped, in the amount they pay within a given timeframe once they have ridden enough times to accumulate the equivalent of Tapp Pay’s promotional daily cap ($3) or 31-day monthly cap ($30). A single trip for a regular adult rider costs $1.50 with Tapp Pay, versus RTA’s $2 single-trip cash fare. Once a cap is reached, customers pay no additional charges. This means no matter how many essential trips a customer takes throughout a given day or rolling 31-day period, any additional trips during that period of time will be at no charge. Customers can use Tapp Pay on either a smartphone by downloading Transit app in the Google Play or App store, or via a Tapp Pay card. Tapp Pay cards can be obtained at any RTA transit center at a payment kiosk using a debit or credit card, and with cash at Wright Stop Plaza.

Funds can be added to Tapp Pay accounts at a payment kiosk at any transit center using a debit or credit card, or with cash at Wright Stop Plaza. In addition, customers can use cash to load value onto their account at more than 200 retail locations throughout the RTA transit network. This includes all CVS, Walgreens, Dollar General, and Speedway locations. A complete list can be found on Tapp Pay. Value can also be loaded online using the Tapp Pay Hub on Tapp Pay. Any card can be registered to an account by linking it on the Tapp Pay Hub. Linking a card to an account gives customers the benefit of being able to see their account balance, track their travel and when they have been capped, manage their funds, and the ability to have a card closed out and the balance transferred over to a new card should it ever be lost or stolen.

RTA intends to begin exclusively using Tapp Pay for fare payment beginning Nov. 1, 2021. For more information, visit RTA’s website here.