Palm Tran Launches Additional Paradise Pass Technology and Services, Including Open Payment and Retail Locations

About the Program

Category: Transportation (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

A year after launching a new contactless payment system, the Paradise Pass smart card and app to pay bus fares, Palm Tran Public Transportation rolled out additional technology, making it more convenient, accessible, and user-friendly for passengers to pay fares. Now, passengers can reload or replenish their Paradise Pass account at kiosks, at 600 retail locations including Walgreens and Speedway to add cash to their Paradise Pass smart card or decide to tap-and-go by paying directly on the fare boxes using a credit card or Apple, Google or Samsung pay. When the Paradise Pass first launched in 2021, funds had to be added to the account either online, at a Palm Tran office, or at select local libraries. With the additional payment methods, Palm Tran reached its goal to provide more efficient and easy ways to pay bus fares, creating a seamless process for boarding and payment, and keeping buses on schedule. Paradise Pass account holders have increased from 12,333 in April 2022 to 23,060 as of March 2022, close to matching weekday ridership numbers of 25,420 passengers. Still gaining momentum, the new payment options have close to 100 transactions a day and $300 in fares.