Another payment option for TransLink users

Riders can now use Canada's Interac and no longer need a pre-paid Compass card
By Adam Hill January 13, 2023 Read time: 1 min
TransLink: now lots of ways to pay (© Marc Bruxelle | Dreamstime.com)

Customers using Vancouver's TransLink services can now pay for transit using Interac Debit - via card or smartphone - on every bus and at every fare gate throughout Metro Vancouver.

It means riders don't have to use an in-station Compass vending machine or having to pre-load a Compass card or wristband after TransLink, Interac, Moneris and Cubic Transportation Systems upgraded more than 5,000 Compass readers to make transit payments more convenient.

TransLink says it is the first transit agency in Canada to fully integrate contactless Interac Debit payments systemwide.

Users users can still use Compass and can also pay with contactless cards and digital wallets. 

“We’re focused on making transit more convenient for customers and this upgrade will particularly benefit those who may not have easy access to a credit card," explains Kevin Quinn, CEO of TransLink.

William Keliehor, chief commercial officer of Interac Corp says almost 30 million Canadians already use the card for day-to-day purchases.

"Our recent survey data showed us that 85% of British Columbians agreed that paying for transit should be as easy as buying a cup of coffee. Today’s announcement helps to make that a reality.”

Matt Newsome, general manager, Cubic Transportation Systems, called the move a "big step forward in contactless innovation".

Classification & Data Collection Networking & Communication Systems

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Integrated public transport systems ‘make travel easier and more affordable’
    April 9, 2015
    Streamlining schedules, stops, fares, and passenger information among subways, buses and commuter rail, will make it easier for passengers, cut down on operational costs and boost operational revenue, according to a new World Bank paper published today, Public Transport Service Optimisation and System Integration. The paper, which is part of the China Transport Notes Series produced by the World Bank in Beijing to share experiences about the transformation of the Chinese transport sector, claims lack of
    Read More
  • Dutch survey shows drivers are in favour of road user charging
    January 16, 2012
    'Keep it simple, stupid' is an oft-forgotten axiom but in terms of road user charging it is entirely appropriate. So says the ANWB's Ferry Smith. A couple of decades ago, it might have been largely true that the technology aspects of advanced road infrastructure were the main obstacles to deployment. However, 20 years or more of development have led to a situation where such 'obstacles' are often no more than a political fig-leaf. Area-wide Road User Charging (RUC) is a case in point; speak candidly to syst
    Read More
  • Is fare-free transit taking us for a ride?
    August 11, 2022
    More cities around the world are trialling fare-free public transit schemes. Do they work and are they sustainable? Andrew Stone puts absolutely no money on his travelcard and jumps on board
    Read More
  • Communication: the future of machine vision
    May 30, 2013
    Jason Barnes asks leading machine vision industry figures what they consider to be the educational barriers to the technology’s increased uptake by the ITS sector. The recent rush by some organisations within the ITS sector to associate themselves with the term ‘machine vision’ underlines just how important the technology has become in a relatively short space of time. However, despite the technology having been applied in certain traffic management applications for some years, there remains a significant s
    Read More

Highlighted Content