If you’re like me, you probably keep your Compass card in your wallet. And, like me, you probably take your wallet out when going through the fare gates at a SkyTrain station, or stepping onto a bus. TransLink wants to change that with their new campaign to avoid keeping your Compass card in your wallet when tapping in and out on SkyTrain, buses, SeaBus and the West Coast Express. Why’s that? Later this spring, TransLink is taking advantage of Visa and MasterCards with the tap function to pay for fares instead of having to purchase a Compass card.
TransLink is looking to educate “wallet tappers” to take their Compass card (or other method of payment) out of their wallet, purse or bag, when entering or leaving a station or boarding a bus. If the cards are all kept together, the wrong card could end up being charged. That might be a huge difference as rides paid for using a stored value Compass card is much cheaper than buying an individual fare from a machine; or if you use a monthly pass for transit.
Using a Visa or MasterCard with the tap function doesn’t replace the existing Compass card, but is meant to provide more options, especially for people who don’t use transit often, or for tourists or visitors who aren’t committed to paying for a stored value card.
So remember, take your Compass card out when tapping in or out.
Source: TransLink
