RTD adds Discover card to Tap-n-Ride for convenient fare payment
Customers can now pay with Discover, Mastercard, and Visa cards or via mobile wallet to make a secure and contactless fare payment while on the go
DENVER (Oct. 12, 2026) –– The Regional Transportation District (RTD)has added Discover card as a fare payment option using Tap-n-Ride – a quick, secure, and convenient way for customers to pay fare at any validator. Tap-n-Ride enables customers to tap a Visa, Mastercard, or, most recently, Discover credit, debit, prepaid card or mobile wallet directly on a bus or rail validator and ride. Mobile wallet payment options include Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay via a mobile phone or smart watch.
Since Tap‑n‑Ride’s launch, customers have made more than $1 million in payments using the contactless method. This convenient option allows customers to pay fares on the go – without needing a ticket vending machine (TVM), carrying cash, visiting a sales outlet, or preloading funds into their MyRide account through the NextRide mobile app. In September 2026 alone, customers completed more than 35,000 transactions using Tap‑n‑Ride. While all other existing fare payment methods remain available, Tap-n-Ride provides an additional, simple way to pay fare.
Tap-n-Ride security
Tap-n-Ride payments made on RTD’s bus and rail validators are processed through a certified and secure open payment system, and the transaction is made without storing card numbers.
Dedicate one card or device for Tap-n-Ride
Whether it is a Discover, Visa, or Mastercard, it is important for customers to dedicate one card or mobile wallet to Tap-n-Ride. To enable transfers and fare capping so that customers always pay the lowest fare, Tap-n-Ride limits purchases to one card or mobile wallet per customer. For example, customers using the same credit or debit card or mobile wallet are charged only once in a three-hour window for a 3-Hour Pass, allowing unlimited transfers during that period. Customers taking additional trips beyond the three-hour window are charged another fare, up to the Day Pass amount within a service day, or the Monthly Pass amount in a calendar month.
When traveling together, each customer must use their own contactless card or mobile wallet to use Tap-n-Ride as each card or device is treated as a separate fare token. Families riding together can take advantage of RTD’s Zero Fare for Youth program, which allows children and teens aged 19 and younger to ride at no cost while parents can pay through Tap-n-Ride or another payment method. During fare checks, customers who pay by Tap-n-Ride would simply present the card or device used to purchase the fare to a fare inspector who will securely confirm payment using a handheld validator.
The groundwork for Tap-n-Ride
The ability to provide Tap-n-Ride was made possible in 2022 with the introduction of account-based ticketing and installation of RTD’s current validators. This allowed customers to load stored value to their MyRide accounts and tap the digital barcode or MyRide card on the validator to pay their fare. Account-based ticketing enabled the agency to add the accessible Tap-n-Ride payment option as a convenience for paying fare. Fare validators are on board all RTD fixed route buses and available at 235 stations across the district.
Accessibility review
As of July 2026, electronic fare collection reached $13.7 million, up from $12.4 million in 2025, signaling a trend of customers shifting to digital payments. Prior to adding Tap-n-Ride to customers’ payment options, RTD analyzed feedback from a 2024 Onboard Survey, and found that approximately 90% of respondents across all customer populations indicated they have a credit or debit card, including a prepaid card, or were observed using a credit card. The high percentage of customers who can make card payments indicated that Tap-n-Ride would be accessible for many transit customers.
For more information about how Tap-n-Ride works, FAQs, or to provide feedback, visit here.