Portland’s virtual Hop Fastpass transit card now on Google Pay

The virtual Hop Fastpass card is now available to all Google Pay users, becoming the first account-based regional virtual transit card on Google Pay in the world.

Google Pay users can now add value to their virtual card and tap with their phone to ride on TriMet, C-TRAN and Portland Streetcar.

TriMet worked with Google to launch the virtual card, starting with a beta in December 2017. The virtual card provides all the benefits of a plastic Hop card, with Adult, Honoured Citizen and Youth fares available. Users only pay for the rides they take, earn day and month passes without an upfront cost, enjoy easy loading and auto-loading options as well as receiving lost-card protection.

TriMet General Manager, Doug Kelsey, said: “The combination of Hop and Google Pay puts transit riders in the Portland-Vancouver region on the cutting edge of technology, while truly getting the best value with daily and monthly fare caps as they ride.”

The first 1,000 people to buy a virtual Hop card will get it for free, courtesy of Google, with a $3 credit applied within 24 hours of purchase.

“We’re excited to work with TriMet to help ease the daily journey for commuters. Google Pay aims to create an effortless, immersive mobile transit experience for users, removing the friction of getting a ticket and saving valuable time for busy commuters,” said Pali Bhat, Google’s VP, Product Management, Payments.

The Hop card focuses on ensuring public transport is convenient, value for money and safe. Demonstrating this, the card can be used across the region’s three largest transit providers. Once the value of a month pass is reached the riders will ride free for the rest of the month; ensuring costs can be saved.

To prevent passengers feeling unsafe, no personal or financial information is stored on a Hop card.