As a world-renowned hub of art, culture and commerce, Miami is home to vibrant neighborhoods, festivals, sports teams and museums. While there is no shortage of activities and events to explore in Miami, experiencing all the city has to offer can often come at a cost, including time stuck in Miami traffic. An easier solution is on its way. Beginning August 21, riders can simply tap their Visa contactless cards or payment-enabled devices to ride on the Miami-Dade Transit Metrorail.
Miami residents spend an average of 30 minutes in gridlock each day (about 105 hours per year), making the city the 12th worst for traffic congestion nationwide.¹ Visa is helping make it easier to leave the congestion behind by tapping to pay on the Miami-Dade Transit Metrorail.
Tapping to pay at the fare gate helps save valuable time by removing the need to stand in line to purchase or load a separate transit card, while helping reduce congestion and avoid traffic. Riders can use any form of Visa contactless payment – whether it be a Visa contactless card or digital wallet– with the same trust and security as any other payment processed on Visa’s global payment network.
“My administration has been clearly focused on incorporating innovative technologies to make public transportation both hassle-free and appealing,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez. “The launch of contactless payments for our transit riders marks a great step forward for Miami-Dade County.”
Having a fast, easy and secure way to get around Miami is especially important as Miami-Dade County prepares to host Super Bowl LIV at the Hard Rock Stadium in February 2020. As the Official Payment Services Technology Partner of the National Football League, Visa is enhancing the Super Bowl experience for Miami locals and visiting football fans by delivering more ways to tap to pay.
To deliver on that promise, Visa continues to work closely with financial institutions, merchants, transit agencies and partners to support contactless payment products and solutions throughout Miami.
“Contactless payment technology has truly changed the way travelers pay for their journeys,” said Matt Cole, president of Cubic Transportation Systems. “Contactless and mobile open payments allow for more convenient, flexible and accessible travel experiences and we are pleased Miami-Dade DTPW transit riders and Visa customers will benefit from our state-of-the-art technology.”
Miami-Dade County joins cities around the world, including New York, London, Rio, and Singapore, enabling contactless technology to improve the rider experience. Contactless payment adoption continues to grow in the U.S. as more consumers experience the positive impact tapping to pay can have on daily life. Visa expects 100 million Visa contactless cards to be issued in the U.S. this year, and 300 million by the end of 2020. Today, 82 out of Visa’s top 100 merchants by transactions in the U.S. currently offer customers the ability to tap to pay at checkout.