Paying your Metro Transit fare? There's an app for that

Metro Transit has a new way to pay for your ride: with your phone.

The Twin Cities transit agency on Thursday rolled out smartphone applications for iOS and Android devices, hoping they will catch on with customers who won't have to stop and buy tickets at rail platforms, manage a Go-to card or scramble for change at the bus stop.

"It's a way for customers to pay in a way that we've heard that they want to pay," said Adam Mehl, market development specialist for the agency. "We're responding to that need."

The app creates an "animated ticket with a number of security features" that can be validated by a bus driver or inspector, he said.

The color image on the phone will also include an indication of what type of fare was paid. When a fare expires, the ticket will turn black and white and show a bar that designates the image as invalid. That will prevent riders from using static images of their phone screen, screenshots, to prove they paid.

Riders will be able to pay with a credit card. People without bank accounts can opt for PayPal accounts or prepaid debit cards.

The app uses a third-party payment processor, Moovel, to handle the money and security for customers, Mehl said. "They have done apps for other cities, and done things like this before. Information is secure, encrypted and protected for the customers."

The app can be used to pay for fares on fixed-route Metro Transit services, including light rail, Northstar and bus services. The payment option doesn't include Metro Mobility services.

Besides added convenience, officials also hope the simplicity and ease will help boost fare compliance in the wake of a report last month that showed fare dodging on the light rail lines had recently spiked since 2014.