Singapore Commuters Can Soon Use Credit Cards to Board Public Transit

Singaporean commuters, like straphangers just about everywhere, endure the hassle of having to reload prepaid fare cards when taking public transit. But the city-state’s Land Transport Authority has plans the speed things up, launching a pilot program that will let riders pay directly at the fare gates with compatible credit and debit cards. The money will come right out of riders’ bank accounts, eliminating the need to stop at a machine to top off fare cards that are running low.

The pilot launches March 20 and will work for riders who have a registered, contactless Mastercard. If it’s successful, the city would join a small handful of places, like London and Sydney, in embracing or testing contactless credit and debit payments on their transit systems.