AUSTIN (KXAN) — CapMetro transit users will have a new way to pay in the new year as Austin's transit authority plans for a fare payment system revamp.
CapMetro will retire its current app in March and onboard its new Umo app to pay for fares. In the interim, the Transit app will be the one-stop-shop for riders to plan their trips, but CapMetro officials said they're working to integrate payment and trip planning services into a streamlined app in the future.
"This is an iterative process. It's a process that goes along through the course of time," said Samantha Baez, executive vice president of experience and engagement at CapMetro. "Our ultimate goal is to have one app where all of our services go into the one app, and customers can pay for the services in that one app as well. So we are working toward that end goal, and this is one exciting step in the process."
Baez added CapMetro is working to have those fare payment opportunities integrated into the Transit app, with a possible mid-year progress update on those efforts. The new payment experience will also come with new validators on CapMetro's vehicles, which are intended to more quickly and reliably scan fares.
The retirement of the transit agency's current app comes as the contract for it expires in March. Baez said fares won't change as part of the new app's rollout; instead, the focus is on creating "a smoother, more modern experience," she said.
Part of that modernization effort comes with a new form of fare payment: tap to pay. Next year, customers will be able to use a credit or debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay to board vehicles and pay the ride's fare.
With new payment methods being integrated, Baez confirmed CapMetro's AMP cards — which debuted in November 2023 — will be replaced by a reloadable fare card. Beginning in February, CapMetro will work with customers to move over any money or funds in their digital wallets to the new Umo app so those are ready to go when the transition happens in March, Baez said.
"We're really excited about the new validators, new and improved apps, the tap to pay and a new, reloadable fare card," she added. "We really think it'll be a more modern, seamless experience for our customers."
For those interested in learning more about the new system, CapMetro will host a virtual public meeting on Jan. 7, an in-person public meeting Jan. 14 and a public hearing with CapMetro's board of directors on Jan. 15. More details on those engagement opportunities — and how to weigh in with feedback on the changes — are available on CapMetro's website.
