PATCO, SEPTA working toward fare compatibility

LINDENWOLD, N.J. — The Inquirer reported that PATCO commuter rail riders will soon be able to use their Freedom cards to pay fares on SEPTA subways and buses, however, SEPTA-issued smart cards won't work on PATCO.

After SEPTA switches to its long-awaited electronic Key "smart card" fare-payment system this year, PATCO cards will be compatible with the SEPTA system, as long as the user registers its PATCO card with the agency, which will permit SEPTA to identify the user and bill PATCO for the trip.

RELATED: SEPTA fare collection system gets 'smart,' retires tokens

PATCO's system is a proprietary, "closed" system that currently accepts only the PATCO-issued Freedom card; however, it could be modified to accept any contactless credit card, according to the report. For the full story, click here.