Metro looks to employ smartphone payment system

After a 90-day trial period, the Metro hopes to permanently implement a system where riders can pay their fare using their bank card or smartphone. The Washington Post reported that the new system would cost approximately $294 million to enact. The plan is scheduled to start in 2017 and, within a few years, give all stations and buses NFC (near-field communication) technology. In order to employ this new technology, Metro staff must convince the board that the cost of the implementation will ultimately pay off with increased customer revenue. Chicago and several cities in Asia already have similar systems.