MBTA to allow onboard credit, debit payments for commuter-rail riders

This fall, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) commuter-rail riders will be able to pay fares onboard with a credit or debit card.

A new mobile point-of-sale system has been tested and refined. It will be expanded to include all conductors over the next two months, according to a press release issued by Keolis Commuter Services, the MBTA's commuter-rail operator.

The technology consists of an app on conductors' existing company-issued smartphones, which are now paired with handheld Bluetooth printers. Using the mobile point-of-sale app, the conductor selects the station-to-station information to calculate the zone and fare, and processes the transaction.

Riders on the train who pay with a credit card will receive a printed ticket receipt that provides trip details.

"This is a feature our passengers requested, and we're pleased so far with the rollout of the technology," said David Scorey, chief executive officer and general manager of Keolis. "It's just as fast as processing alternative payment options onboard trains, it offers a new feature for our passengers and it provides us with more detailed ridership data."