New Jersey Transit has become the first public transport agency to adopt Google Wallet mobile contactless payments, N.J. Gov. Chris Christie announced.
Google Wallet, which hit multiple stores around the country this week, can now be used to purchase transportation tickets at New York Penn Station ticket vending machines and ticket windows, Newark Liberty International Airport Rail Station (AirTrain), on bus route nos. 6, 43, 80, 81, 87, and 120, and on some buses on the 126 line.
Customers can buy tickets with a simple tap of their NFC-enable Nexus S 4G phone loaded with the free Google Wallet app. Purchases are made through Citi MasterCard credit card accounts or a Google Prepaid Card. Google says they plan to add more card companies and more Android devices with NFC capabilities in the future.
NJ Transit, the nation’s third largest public transit provider, links major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia, providing nearly 223 million passenger trips each year, according to the agency.
“Transit has been a common element of every major successful NFC effort globally and is a critical component of Google Wallet’s success,” said Stephanie Tilenius, vice president of Commerce at Google. “Transit is the fastest way to accelerate adoption and reach usage density in major urban centers by habituating the behavior of tapping and paying with phones.” ![[end]](/resources/bullet/nfcnews-4.gif)
