Did you know you can pay for transit using your iPhone or Apple Watch? In 2019, Apple added support for transit agencies to adopt Apple Pay as a payment method.

Since then, a number of transit systems around the world have enabled customers to use their transit card simply by tapping their device to the reader—no unlocking necessary. All Apple Watches as well as iPhone 6S or later support this feature.

Where Does it Work?

Apple outlines the transit systems around the world — 13 at time of this publication — that support Express Transit. This is the ability to pay for transit using Apple Pay just by tapping your device to a transit reader, without needing to unlock or authenticate. In the United States, this includes Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Portland, San Francisco Bay Area, and Washington, D.C. Area.

Often, you can also transfer your transit card to your device, including refilling the card and taking advantage of high-value discounts.

How to Get Started

On iPhone, go to Settings > Wallet & Apple Pay. For Apple Watch, open the Watch app on iPhone and go to Wallet & Apple Pay. If your transit system supports paying with generic payment cards, make sure you’ve added one you want to use. Then go to Express Transit Card and choose it.

If your transit system supports transferring one of their own transit cards, tap Add Card and choose the card type. Then, follow the prompts to scan and import your card, which will no longer work in the physical.

Note: A single transit card cannot reside on more than one device. However, you can activate more than one transit card on a single device. You can also easily transfer an Express Transit Card between iPhone and Apple Watch. Simply tap the card in that device’s settings and tap Add Card to “[device name].”

Tap and Go

In systems that support Express Transit, just tap your iPhone or Apple Watch to the reader. On iPhone, the NFC antenna that enables this functionality is located near the top of the phone, adjacent to the camera.

However the system normally responds should work, whether that means opening a gate or beeping in confirmation. And Express Transit will even work when your iPhone is low on battery — up to five hours after the red Power Reserve icon appears.

When you board, just remember which device has the appropriate card. My first time, I pulled out my iPhone when I boarded an AC Transit bus in Berkeley, forgetting that I’d transferred my Clipper Card to my Apple Watch.

I got really confused when the iPhone didn’t work. The operator was new and had no experience with the function, but he let me on anyway. The next time, Apple Watch worked beautifully and reminded me of the convenience of leaving iPhone in my pocket.

In this post-pandemic world, are you preparing to resume your commute to the office? If you use public transit and live in a supported region, may Express Transit help you travel lighter and get there faster.