California’s Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) is introducing a new, easier way for riders to pay their fares, beginning in April, with the launch of Tap2Ride, a contactless fare payment system on all buses and SacRT GO paratransit service vehicles.
With Tap2Ride, riders can use their contactless debit or credit cards or mobile wallets to quickly and securely pay their fare when boarding. This eliminates the need for cash or paper tickets, making transit more convenient than ever before. Cash, along with all other current forms of valid fare, will continue to be accepted.
“SacRT is committed to making transit easier and more accessible for everyone,” said Henry Li, SacRT GM/EO. “Tap2Ride is a major step forward in modernizing our fare payment system, giving riders the speed and convenience they expect while improving efficiency across our network.”
Phasing in Tap2Ride
SacRT is set to roll out Tap2Ride in a two phased approach:
Phase 1: Tap2Ride on Buses and Paratransit Services - Starting April 1, riders will be able to tap their contactless Visa or Mastercard credit/debit card or mobile wallet (smartphone or watch) on Tap2Ride devices installed on all SacRT vehicles. Phase 1 of the Tap2Ride program offers riders the benefits of daily fare capping and 90-minute free transfers between bus routes similar to Connect Card. Riders simply tap their contactless payment option to the device upon boarding the bus and the Tap2Ride system will select the best fare (single ride or daily pass) based on their travel for the day. Riders can also continue to use contactless payment at light rail station vending machines. During this phase, fare transfer benefits between bus and light rail will not be available when using Tap2Ride.
Phase 2: Seamless Transfers Coming in Late 2025 - In late 2025, SacRT will launch Phase 2 of Tap2Ride, allowing riders to transfer seamlessly between buses and light rail using the same contactless payment method, with transfer benefits applied automatically.
Additionally, eligible riders can receive a 50% discount on basic fares through Tap2Ride.
Discounts are securely linked to a rider’s contactless payment card through the California Integrated Travel Project (Cal-ITP) web tool, allowing for automatic fare reductions without the need for in-person verification.
