Apple Pay's Express Transit Feature Now Supported in 275 Chinese Cities

[MacRumors]

From today, iPhone users across China can set up their T-Union cards for Express Transit, Apple's contactless transit payment system. The new support is a result of a partnership between Apple and China T-Union, a contactless transit card currently used in 275 Chinese cities.

Express Transit is an Apple Pay feature that allows users to pay fares with a swipe of their iPhone or Apple Watch at the turnstile without having to unlock their device first with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode.

• How to Set Up Express Transit With Apple Pay on iPhone and Apple Watch

Express Transit was already in use in Beijing and Shanghai thanks to integration with local transit cards, but the new partnership between Apple and China T-Union essentially extends Express Transit nationwide.

Apple has a web page that it updates with the countries and regions that support the feature. Other places currently include London with Transport for London (TfL), New York City with Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) terminals, and Japan with all forms of transit that accept Suica.

Article Link: Apple Pay's Express Transit Feature Now Supported in 275 Chinese Cities

 

[Justin Cymbal]

I'm from Boston and our local transit, MBTA, also has made plans for this to be piloted in 2022 and rolled out in 2023.

I'm looking forward to being able to use this as I take the subway a lot

 

[danskin]

still no news for support in Hong Kong

 

[ksec]

still no news for support in Hong Kong

At least we know they are testing it. ( It has more to do with delays on stupid Map Transit )

Apple Arcade is also missing as well. So Something strange is happening.

 

[itsmilo]

In my country we do not even have those barriers. You just get on and hope some guy in incognito wearing sweat pants isn’t gonna ask to see your ticket haha

 

[nicho]

275 Chinese cities and yet they use an image of MTA gates. Hmmm.

 

[Ted13]

Funny that the pic is from the NYC subway system in an article about China.
Very handy in this desperate coronavirus moment, being able to enter the subway with your Apple Watch -- you don't need to touch anything.

 

[recoil80]

In my country we do not even have those barriers. You just get on and hope some guy in incognito wearing sweat pants isn’t gonna ask to see your ticket haha

That's clever.
We have turnstiles here, but some people jump over them or quickly pass behind another person. You don't stop people from entering the station unless you have proper barriers but they're more expensive and less convenient. It is better to let anyone in and then check people as they're leaving the station. If you're lucky you can travel for free, if you get caught you pay a fine. In some stations you have queues to exit the barriers, it is just a waste of time for people with a ticket.

 

[foxytom]

They've had this in London pretty much since Apple Pay came about. And Google Pay for that matter.

 

[otternonsense]

In Germany however we AHAHAHAH nevermind. I miss London's transit turnstiles and Apple Pay integration.

 

[nicho]

They've had this in London pretty much since Apple Pay came about. And Google Pay for that matter.

Eh no they haven't.

 

[AppleTO]

I hope we can do this in Toronto at some point.

 

[Rojaaemon]

Gee, not that long ago a rider in the Beijing underground waited in line and bought a little paper ticket from the lady behind the counter, then took a few steps to the wicket and handed the paper ticket to another lady who tossed it into the trash bucket.

So many boring and nonproductive jobs eliminated!

 

[alexandr]

has new york been declared a chinese city?! sure, i stay in as much as i can, but you'd think i'd notice that! jeez!

 

[Rodney Dangerfield]

In my country we do not even have those barriers. You just get on and hope some guy in incognito wearing sweat pants isn’t gonna ask to see your ticket haha

Agree...If it ain't broken, don't fix it!...LOL

 

[dontwalkhand]

In my country we do not even have those barriers. You just get on and hope some guy in incognito wearing sweat pants isn’t gonna ask to see your ticket haha

I live in Arizona, in Phoenix, which is a US city and it’s like this. The fine is $500 though so I wouldn’t risk it.

LA used to not have barriers too, in fact many of their stations still don’t.

Dallas doesn’t have barriers either.

Seattle and Portland don’t have barriers either. Portland has Express Transit as well.

It’s a pretty normal thing to see. Larger cities like NYC And SF will have barriers

 

[NavySilver]

We don't even have 275 cities with a competitive transit system.

 

[28monkeys]

That goes to show Apple's relationship with China is very strong amid the local groomed Chinese phone makers.

 

[recoil80]

I hope we can do this in Toronto at some point.

I came in 2012, as far as I remember you had tokens to open turnstiles. Still use them? I think I brought one back but I have no idea where it is now, maybe with some other memories from the honeymoon

 

[AppleTO]

I came in 2012, as far as I remember you had tokens to open turnstiles. Still use them? I think I brought one back but I have no idea where it is now, maybe with some other memories from the honeymoon

The turnstiles have been replaced with electronic gates a couple years ago thankfully. I’m not even sure if you can still use tokens. Most people use a Presto card now, but the system isn’t great. Only the physical cards hold the balance in real time (rather than a centralized database), so real time balances and loading from an app isn’t possible. Designed in the mid 00’s no doubt; functionality good at the time but is dated now.

 

[JPack]

275 Chinese cities and yet they use an image of MTA gates. Hmmm.

Just took a couple seconds to find - the editors here, they seem asleep.

 

[J InTech82]

And yet in the San Francisco Bay Area, the supposed technology mecca of the world, no Apple Pay in sight for public transportation.

 

[tzm41]

I'm from Boston and our local transit, MBTA, also has made plans for this to be piloted in 2022 and rolled out in 2023.

I'm looking forward to being able to use this as I take the subway a lot

Yeah but MBTA has put AFC 2.0 on indefinite hold. I'd say don't hold your breath for any MBTA promises.

If only there's a similar standard union in the US so that we can use one transit card in every US city... But what am I dreaming of, we can't even have a nationwide standard for electronic toll transponders.

 

[DeepIn2U]

still no news for support in Hong Kong

275 cities is HUGE ... and like Hong Kong ... still not a word here in Canada ... Metrolynx is taking their sweet time waiting though lol.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

Funny that the pic is from the NYC subway system in an article about China.
Very handy in this desperate coronavirus moment, being able to enter the subway with your Apple Watch -- you don't need to touch anything.

To be fair, the contactless cards that this can replace was already contactless. But it definitely adds a lot of convenience for sure.