São Paulo's Metro now accepts contactless payments at all stations.

Starting this Monday (1), passengers of Sao Paulo Subway Passengers will now have a new way to access the stations: paying the fare directly at the turnstiles using physical debit or credit cards with contactless technology. This new feature is part of a pilot project that will initially last six months and may be extended depending on the results.

The testing phase began on the lines. 1-Blue e 3-Red and, throughout December, it will be expanded to the lines 2-Green e 15-SilverCards from the following brands will be accepted. Mastercard, Visa e Elo — provided they are physical and enabled for contactless payment.

During the pilot program, each card will only be able to authorize one trip at a time, and it can only be used again after 30 minutes. This interval may be adjusted based on the analysis of the tests. In this initial phase, there is no integration with buses; users who need to integrate should continue using the Bilhete Único or Top (single ticket or Top card).

Each station will have at least one turnstile dedicated to the new system. These will be clearly marked, and at the busiest stations there will be staff to guide those who want to try out the new system. The use of virtual cards — such as Apple Pay, Google Wallet, wristbands, and smartwatches — is not yet available.

Among the highlighted benefits are faster boarding, the convenience of not depending on top-ups or physical money, and more digital options for the user, aligning the Metro with the practices of major transportation systems around the world.

See below for the complete list of enabled stations:

• Line 1-Blue: Tucuruvi (with advisors), Parada Inglesa, Jardim São Paulo-Ayrton Senna, Santana, Carandiru, Portuguesa-Tietê (with advisors), Armênia, Tiradentes, Luz, São Bento (with advisors), Liberdade (with advisors), São Joaquim, Vergueiro, Paraíso (with advisors), Ana Rosa, Vila Mariana, Santa Cruz, Praça da Árvore, Saúde-Ultrafarma, São Judas, Conceição.
• Line 3-Red: Palmeiras–Barra Funda (with advisors), Marechal Deodoro, Santa Cecília, República (with advisors), Anhangabaú (with advisors), Sé, Pedro II, Brás, Bresser-Mooca, Tatuapé (with advisors), Carrão–Assaí Atacadista (with advisors), Penha–Lojas Besni, Vila Matilde, Guilhermina–Esperança, Patriarca–Vila Ré, Artur Alvim, Corinthians–Itaquera.

Source: CPTM Daily.