RTD’s new Tap-n-Ride fare payments embraced by customers soon after launch
Secure and contactless method simplifies fare payment for customers short on time and on the go
DENVER (Feb. 12, 2026) –– The Regional Transportation District (RTD)’s new Tap-n-Ride fare payment method is being embraced by customers since its Nov. 25 launch. Roughly 13,305 customers took advantage of the convenient payment method in January 2026 from 9,153 customers in December. Fare payments made solely from Tap-n-Ride equate to roughly $60,810 and $42,495 in revenue for January 2026 and December 2025, respectively.
Tap-n-Ride is a contactless fare payment enabling customers on the go to simply tap a Visa or Mastercard credit, debit, or prepaid card on any validator. The convenient payment option also accepts mobile wallet payments including Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay via a mobile phone or smart watch.
Tap-n-Ride is more secure than swiping a bank card which can be vulnerable to traditional skimming. Payments made on RTD’s bus and rail validators are processed through a certified and secure open payment system, and Tap-n-Ride transactions are made without storing card numbers. The payment option is especially convenient for customers pressed for time who can bypass a ticket vending machine and pay fare through a simple tap of a Mastercard or Visa card on a validator. The agency plans to add American Express and Discover card options to its Tap-n-Ride program later this year.
RTD aims for 15% of all fare payments made by individual customers to be made via Tap-n-Ride by the end of 2026, as awareness of this contactless payment option grows. In 2025, electronic fare payments surpassed other payment methods, accounting for 38% of fare revenue. This was significantly higher than the percentage of fare revenue generated through other payment types such as 10-Ride ticket books and Monthly Passes (17%), bus fare box payments (13%), and ticket vending machine purchases (15%).
Tap-n-Ride's availability was made possible in 2022 with the introduction of Account-Based Ticketing and installation of RTD’s current validators for customers’ digital MyRide accounts and MyRide smart cards. Account-Based Ticketing enabled the agency to add Tap-n-Ride payments as another convenient, digital option for paying fare. Fare validators are on board 952 RTD fixed route buses and available at 78 stations across the district.
RTD also expanded the ability to load cash for stored value in MyRide accounts or MyRide cards on Dec. 12, 2025, as another fare payment method as the agency improves fare payment accessibility, overall, throughout the service area.