We hope you will find the answers to all your questions about the PATCO Open Payment System and the PATCO Wave & Pay ANYWHERE Visa® Prepaid Card here. Click on the question you need an answer to below.
PATCO is working with Cubic Transportation Systems, the supplier of its FREEDOM Card system, to test ”open payment,” which is the ability for riders to pay for transit fares and retail purchases with a single card.
It refers to the ability to pay for goods and services without being restricted to a single merchant. A ”closed” payment system limits where you can make purchases. For instance, the FREEDOM Card is a closed payment system because money loaded onto your FREEDOM Card can only be used for transit purchases.
During Phase One, only the PATCO Wave & Pay ANYWHERE Visa Prepaid Card and any other Visa contactless payment card could be used to pay for PATCO rides and parking fees. Now, in Phase Two, PATCO customer can use a plastic contactless Visa, MasterCard, or Discover card, or a virtual card in a mobile wallet, to make secure transit payments at PATCO gates and parking terminals.
Yes, FREEDOM Cards will not be affected by the PATCO Open Payment System.
It is scheduled to run from September 26, 2011, until September 26, 2012.
No. Cubic is paying for the necessary upgrades to PATCO gates and its computer operating system.