LA Metro's TAP Card Now Supports Apple Pay With Express Transit Mode

As promised, Los Angeles Metro's TAP card now supports Apple Pay with Express Transit mode, allowing the card to be added to the Wallet app on a compatible iPhone or Apple Watch for tap-and-go payment at rail stations and on buses.

la tap card apple pay
Express Transit mode allows users to pay for rides without having to wake or unlock their iPhone or Apple Watch, or open an app. The mode also bypasses the need to authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode. Users simply need to hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near the contactless payment reader until a checkmark appears on the display.

While the Los Angeles Metro is set to formally announce its new TAP app later today, Apple has already updated a support document to reflect TAP's support for Apple Pay, as spotted by Twitter user Kanjo, who shared the screenshot above.

Apple Pay with Express Transit mode went live for the SmarTrip card in the Washington, D.C. area earlier this week, and the feature is also available in New York City, Portland, London, Hong Kong, and many cities across China and Japan.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Feature

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM

Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...

Top Rated Comments

Antes Avatar
61 months ago
Wish this would have come sooner when I took the trains but better late than never.
In LA they just proposed the Fareless System Initiative in hopes of making all metro rides free for everyone.
I always wanted the convenience of having my TAP card in my phone but free rides sound better to me.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jailbreak74 Avatar
61 months ago

hmm, it seems there is no option to transfer an existing balance like I had with the DC Metro. Just to add funds to a new card. Oh well, next time I’m in LA I’ll just have to use up my old balance the old fashioned way: with plastic.


You can use their tap app to transfer your current card but I guess you can no longer use the physical card.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tap-la/id1505839730
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gnasher729 Avatar
61 months ago

With this express card mode, is the amount of of the bus fare auto payed at that time, or do you have to "fill up" the tap card before hand?
In London, it's connected to a bank account of yours. The money is taken out at the end of the day. Obviously they can't take money when you tap in, because the amount is unknown yet. Express card mode just identifies you. "gnasher was at this point".
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dontwalkhand Avatar
61 months ago

hmm, it seems there is no option to transfer an existing balance like I had with the DC Metro. Just to add funds to a new card. Oh well, next time I’m in LA I’ll just have to use up my old balance the old fashioned way: with plastic.


Download the app. I have successfully transferred my physical card to Apple Pay and even the Metro 31 day pass moved over.


Right, I keep reading stories like this and thinking “I wish we had this here in Berlin”. Then I remember that we don’t have any security gates or other checks before entry on public transport (although we’re still supposed to pay, in theory - legal free rides would be even better!)
Most US transit doesn’t have fare gates either. We aren’t all New York. You tap a validator before you get on the train or on the bus fare box.

Attachment Image
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dontwalkhand Avatar
61 months ago

In London, it's connected to a bank account of yours. The money is taken out at the end of the day. Obviously they can't take money when you tap in, because the amount is unknown yet. Express card mode just identifies you. "gnasher was at this point".
London is using open loop transit like NYC and Chicago are. LA, and DC are using closed loop transit.

Oyster is supposed to come to Apple Pay soon to join these closed loop cards as people have passes, government benefits, etc on them.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dontwalkhand Avatar
61 months ago

So when can I use it on my flying uber taxi. So I can fly from one large city to another in 15 minutes. :) I could live in one city and work in another :)
You can...when you get out of the flying Uber and need ground transport.

Come on Clipper Card!! I’m excited! I’m literally always in LA, so this is very useful for me. I’m also always in SF, so waiting on that!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)