SEPTA begins 'Travel Wallet' fare service

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has launched "Travel Wallet," which allows riders to load money onto their Key fare cards.

The feature is available only to riders participating in SEPTA's Key "Early Adopters" pilot program. SEPTA is using a soft-launch approach to familiarize riders with the new way of paying, and to ensure that the agency can address any issues before moving to a larger rollout, according to an agency press release.

"The Travel Wallet is a great option for customers who currently use cash or tokens and transfers for their regular travel," said SEPTA General Manager Jeffrey Knueppel. "It's also a convenient choice for those who only ride a few days a week or for occasional customers, because it eliminates the need to pre-purchase tokens or have exact change."

Customers are required to put at least $10 on the card, with a maximum $250. Riders can put money onto the card at the sales offices and fair kiosks at SEPTA's headquarters.

In the later phases of Travel Wallet, customers will be able to load and reload money at all SEPTA sales offices, at fare kiosks, online and through the SEPTA Key call center.

During the soft rollout, funds in a customer's Travel Wallet can only be used to pay for one person. However, at a later date, riders will be able to use the technology to pay for more than one rider.