The Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD)’s new Tap-n-Ride fare payment method has been embraced by customers since its November 25 launch, with roughly 13,305 customers using it in January 2026, up from 9,153 in December.

Fare payments made solely from Tap-n-Ride equate to roughly $60,810 and $42,495 in revenue for January 2026 and December 2025, respectively, said RTD officials.

RTD’s Tap-n-Ride

Tap-n-Ride is a contactless fare payment method that lets customers tap their Visa or Mastercard credit, debit, or prepaid card at any validator. The convenient payment option also accepts mobile wallet payments, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay, via a mobile phone or smart watch. 

Tap-n-Ride is more secure than swiping a bank card, which can be vulnerable to traditional skimming, said RTD officials.

Payments made on RTD’s bus and rail validators are processed through a certified and secure open payment system, and Tap-n-Ride transactions are made without storing card numbers. The payment option is especially convenient for time-constrained customers, who can bypass a ticket vending machine and pay the fare with a simple tap of a Mastercard or Visa card on a validator.

The agency plans to add American Express and Discover card options to its Tap-N-Ride program later this year.

Fare Payments for RTD

RTD aims to have 15% of all fare payments by individual customers made via Tap-n-Ride by the end of 2026, as awareness of this contactless payment option grows.

In 2025, electronic fare payments surpassed other payment methods, accounting for 38% of fare revenue. This was significantly higher than the share of fare revenue generated by other payment methods, including 10-Ride ticket books and Monthly Passes (17%), bus fare box payments (13%), and ticket vending machine purchases (15%). 

Tap-n-Ride's availability was enabled in 2022 with the introduction of account-based ticketing and the installation of RTD’s current validators, which support customers’ digital MyRide accounts and MyRide smart cards.

RTD officials said account-based ticketing enabled the agency to add Tap-n-Ride payments as an additional convenient digital fare payment option. Fare validators are on board 952 RTD fixed-route buses and are available at 78 stations across the district.

RTD also expanded the ability to load cash for stored value in MyRide accounts or MyRide cards in December as another fare payment method, as the agency improves overall fare payment accessibility throughout the service area.