St. Louis Metro Transit fares now available for purchase with official mobile app Transit in partnership with Masabi

Metro Transit riders are now able to purchase MetroBus and MetroLink fares directly from their mobile device using Transit, the official app of Metro Transit. The app is already used by tens of thousands of transit riders in the St. Louis region to plan their trip, track their ride and make multimodal connections – and now, it will let them pay for their transit trip, too.

 

The app’s new mobile fare feature is part of Metro Transit’s efforts to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, and keep both passengers and transit employees safe by providing a contactless, visually validated fare option. Metro Transit is excited to expand its partnership with Transit, which has become an indispensable part of every commute — and continues to provide up-to-date information for public transit riders. The addition of mobile ticketing to the app, thanks to a collaboration with Fare Payments-as-a-Service provider Masabi, makes the app an even more useful all-in-one solution for riders.

 

“Working with our partners at Transit and Masabi, we have been able to quickly bring this mobile fare feature online, and we are thrilled to be able to offer this convenient new option to our riders,” said Jessica Mefford-Miller, Executive Director of Metro Transit. “Mobile ticketing not only supports the health and safety of our riders and operators during this pandemic, but also provides all of our customers with a better transit experience. Using Transit, you can now plan your trip, pay for your trip, check on the real-time status of your bus and more, all from your mobile device.”

 

Buying your fare in Transit is easy: riders simply have to tap the “Buy ticket” button next to the Metro Transit logo inside the app. The app guides users through a step-by-step process to choose a fare type, enter payment information, and activate their pass, which can then be visually validated by operators and fare inspectors from a safe distance. Transit users can purchase both full-fare and reduced-fare passes, and keep passes in a wallet inside the app for use until they are ready to ride.

 

“We want to make it as easy as possible for people to ride public transit. During the coronavirus response, transit agencies are working to keep riders and employees safe by reducing close physical contact, and this solution helps them do that,” said David Block-Schachter, Chief Business Officer at Transit. “Metro Transit’s passengers already rely on Transit to find their next trip and track their ride. Adding the ability to buy transit passes gives riders everything they need in one app.”

 

“Mobile ticketing used to be about speed and convenience, but now it is also about safety,” said Brian Zanghi, CEO of Masabi. “We want to make sure that riders have a safe way to pay for public transit and that operators feel safe doing their jobs. Reducing the need to handle cash, tickets and interactions with ticketing infrastructure not only makes riding the bus easier, but safer too. It’s a testament to the dedication and hard work from the teams at Metro Transit, Masabi and Transit, that we were able to launch this mobile ticketing service in under a month and we’re proud to be playing a part in helping St Louis get moving again.”

 

Metro Transit joins more than a dozen other agencies offering mobile ticketing with Transit, including those in Cincinnati, Denver, and Las Vegas. Mobile ticketing in Transit is made possible through Masabi’s Justride SDK, which allows Transit to request fare types, make payments, and deliver visual and dynamic barcode tickets to riders through secure ticket wallets.

 

Three types of tickets will be available for purchase on Transit when the app’s mobile ticketing feature launches on June 22:

MetroBus One-Ride Ticket $1.00 Full Fare | $0.50 Reduced Fare
MetroLink One-Ride Ticket $2.50 Full Fare | $1.25 Reduced Fare
Two-Hour Pass $3.00 Full Fare | $1.50 Reduced Fare

For more information and instructions on how to purchase and use your mobile fare with the Transit app, visit metrostlouis.org/mobilefares.

Transit is available to download for iPhone and Android at transitapp.com.

 

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About Masabi: Masabi is bringing Fare Payments-as-a-Service — a new and better way of delivering fare payments — to public transit agencies and authorities of all sizes around the globe. This enables agencies to receive the latest fare payment innovations quickly, using a platform which is constantly updating and adding new features. Not only does this improve the journey experience for passengers, but it helps agencies keep up with the pace of technology change, while reducing the total cost of fare collection. With over 80 agencies of all sizes across 11 countries signed up, Masabi’s Justride is the world’s leading fare payments platform. Masabi has offices in New York, Denver, London, and Cluj, and investors include Mastercard, Shell, and Keolis. For more information, visit www.masabi.com.

About Metro Transit: Metro Transit operates the St. Louis region’s public transportation system which includes 400 clean-burning diesel buses that serve 77 MetroBus routes in eastern Missouri and southwestern Illinois. Metro also operates MetroLink light rail vehicles on 46 miles of track serving 38 stations in the two-state area, and operates Metro Call-A-Ride, a paratransit fleet of 122 vans. Metro Transit is a Bi-State Development enterprise.

About Transit: Transit solves the urban commute in more than 200 cities worldwide. Users can easily navigate public transit with accurate real-time predictions, simple trip planning, step-by-step navigation, and quick, easy payments. The app also integrates additional transport modes — bikesharing, scooters, carsharing, and ridehail — so users can mix-and-match their options with transit to determine the best way to get from A to B. The company is based in Montréal, QC. Learn more by visiting www.transitapp.com.