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Can you tap Mastercard on Translink?

Smart Ticketing makes it easier to plan and pay for public transport. Enjoy the convenience of tapping on and off with your Visa, Mastercard or American Express card or device.



Yes, you can use a Mastercard credit or debit card to pay for your fare on the Translink system in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia. This feature, known as "Tap to Pay," allows passengers to tap their physical Mastercard or their card stored in a mobile wallet (Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay) directly on the card readers at SkyTrain stations, SeaBus terminals, and on all buses. When you tap a Mastercard, the system automatically charges you the adult "cash" rate for a single trip, which is slightly more expensive than the discounted rate offered to Compass Card holders. It is important to remember that if you are using a contactless credit card, you should "tap out" at the end of your SkyTrain or SeaBus journey to ensure the system calculates the correct number of zones and doesn't charge you the maximum three-zone fare by default. On buses, however, you only need to tap in, as all bus travel in Vancouver is considered a single zone. This convenience makes it much easier for tourists and occasional riders to navigate the city without needing to purchase a physical Compass Card.

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NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. – TransLink customers can now pay for transit using Interac® Debit on every bus and at every fare gate throughout Metro Vancouver. This makes TransLink the first transit agency in Canada to fully integrate contactless Interac Debit payments systemwide.

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You can't tap on a bus with a credit card, but you can link a credit card to an online account or use it to buy a ticket at a pay station.

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Taking transit and don't have a Compass Card? No need to print a ticket. Save time, skip lines, and go straight to the gate! Our card readers accept contactless Interac Debit, American Express, Mastercard, and Visa credit cards along with Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.

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If you don't tap off, your card will be charged the maximum fare.

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