Getting around the Tampa Bay Area just got a lot easier, thanks to new tech from our friends at Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, Hernando County Transit, Hillsborough Transit Authority. In a joint release today, the transit entities announced that contactless payment is now available on all three of their local transit services.

As of February 15, riders on PSTA, HART and The Bus can tap to ride across the region using credit and debit cards, digital wallets (Google Pay or Apple Pay), as well as the Flamingo Fares smartcard or mobile app. This is the first-of-its-kind contactless payments system in the state of Florida, a boon for locals and visitors alike in the area.

“Contactless payments will make navigating our region much simpler not only for our existing riders, but for the tens of thousands of tourists who visit all that Pinellas County and the Tampa Bay region has to offer,” said Brad Miller, Chief Executive Officer of PSTA. “You can still pay with your Flamingo Fares card, but now have more options to use public transportation and reduce your carbon footprint.”

The Flamingo Fares system has fare capping implemented, meaning passengers always receive the lowest price as the system automatically caps prices whenever riders reach the daily or monthly thresholds. Riders using contactless payments (debit/credit/Google Pay/Apple Pay) will be able to take advantage of $5 dollar daily fare capping.

“We are excited to offer our customers another way to pay their fare,” said Adelee Le Grand, Chief Executive Officer, HART. “Contactless payments on Flamingo Fares not only provides our customers with greater ease of access, removing another barrier from riding transit, but also assists in speeding up the boarding process, improving travel times.”

If you have your debit or credit card, or Apple or Google Pay, you’re ready to hop on anytime anywhere and ride throughout the region. To learn more about contactless payments and Flamingo Fares, visit flamingofares.com.

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