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Apple Pay Express Transit Coming to London 'in the Coming Months'

Thursday May 30, 2019 3:42 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

Apple is working closely with London's transport network (TfL) to enable Apple Pay Express Transit, a feature which allows riders to pay their fare without needing to wake or unlock their device, or authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode.

Image credit: TfL
"We are having positive discussions with Apple about enabling express transit on Apple devices on the TfL network," a TfL spokesperson said in a statement given to The Verge. "More information about timing and plans will be available at a future date."

TfL's Twitter account also noted that the company is "working closely with Apple to allow the benefits of this update to be introduced on London’s transport network in the coming months."

Users of London's transport network can already use Apple Pay for ride purchases at Oyster terminals and gates, but they must first authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode. Express Transit would change all that with its tap-and-go system, speeding up entry into subway and train stations in the process.

Apple Pay's Express Transit mode can be used on iPhone SE, iPhone 6s, or iPhone 6s Plus or later, and Apple Watch Series 1 and 2 or later. Owners of iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR can also use Express Transit in power reserve mode, which is available for up to five hours when an iPhone needs to be charged.

Apple introduced Express Transit in iOS 12.3, which was released earlier this month. London would join a handful of cities with transit systems that support the express Apple Pay feature, including Beijing, Shanghai, Portland, and New York City (from Friday). Express Transit also works for Suica cards in Japan.

Tags: Apple Pay, United Kingdom

Top Rated Comments

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bbednarz

12 weeks ago

Lines of people all taking out and re-pocketing ~£1000 iPhones to walk through a bustling 'pinch' point.

Yeah, I can't see a problem with that... :/

What is the issue you see here? People commonly walk with their phones in their hands. It's no more difficult to take your phone out than it is to take out a "dumb" card.

Rating: 8 Votes

tuckerjj

12 weeks ago

Congratulations, London! Welcome to NewYork City in, er, this Friday!

Rating: 7 Votes

idrewuk

12 weeks ago

Can't wait. Although I use it daily, those extra seconds without any authentication will be great.

Rating: 6 Votes

heov

12 weeks ago

That picture credited to TfL is from NYC.

Rating: 5 Votes

Onelifenofear

12 weeks ago

So just allowing the use of the nfc chip without authentication for tubes etc.

So as I understand it even if the phone is dead - charge icon on screen ... you can still use this for 5 hours - that is cool

Rating: 5 Votes

Shanghaichica

11 weeks ago

Impossible to do that in the UK as theirs a limit if £30 when using contactless or phones to pay :( they keep talking about increasing it but still waiting, I can’t even fill my car petrol tank up with that limit!

You can spend more than £30 in Sainsbury’s and Aldi.

Rating: 4 Votes

markhort

12 weeks ago

Excellent news, certainly at Euston it'll speed up getting through the barriers. I normally see a line of people with their iPhone trying to authenticate before getting to the barrier.

Rating: 4 Votes