SINGAPORE — From June 6, commuters will be able to use their contactless Visa cards to pay for public transport fares, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA).

This is part of LTA’s SimplyGo initiative, which allows commuters to use their credit cards or mobile wallets — such as Apple Pay, Fitbit Pay or Google Pay — when they ride the bus or MRT, without having to top them up.

In a press release on Thursday (May 16), LTA said that it was “encouraged” by commuters’ response to the service, which was first made available to Mastercard holders last month.

LTA’s senior group director for public transport, Mr Yeo Teck Guan, said that there has been “a steady uptake in usage since (SimplyGo’s) launch, with an average of over 120,000 daily trips”.

“With the inclusion of Visa, more commuters will benefit,” said Mr Yeo.

Mr Kunal Chatterjee, Visa’s country manager for Singapore and Brunei, said that the initiative will boost Visa contactless usage here, “surpassing the current contactless penetration of over 80 per cent”.

With SimplyGo being extended to more cards, commuters are reminded to tap only the card they wish to use on fare readers to avoid delays or charges on multiple cards, added LTA.

Cardholders who hold Mastercard or Visa cards that have ez-link or Nets FlashPay functionality — and require top-ups — can switch to direct payment at any general ticketing machine at MRT or LRT stations.

Commuters may also view their travel expenditure and history by signing up for an account on the TransitLink SimplyGo website, or the TL SimplyGo mobile application.