Use your chip cards to pay for your OPUS card: it’s as easy as buying groceries…

Montréal, August 21, 2012  –  Société de transport de Montréal (STM) wishes to inform customers that it has upgraded its transit fare vending equipment in métro stations. Indeed, the STM has been modifying its automatic vending machines and reloading terminals over the past few months, as smart card technology is making such transactions more secure both for customers and for the STM. Smart cards are harder to copy than ordinary cards because of the additional level of protection.

From now on, transit users who want to reload their OPUS card or purchase fares can use their electronic debit or credit card for transactions at any of the 167 OPUS vending machines and reloading terminals.

Simple transactions

When reloading your card or purchasing fares, customers simply insert their electronic debit or credit card in the reader, enter their personal identification number (PIN) and follow the instructions either appearing on-screen or given through audio messages for the visually-impaired. As with any other purchase made elsewhere, the card must be left in the reader until a message indicates it can be removed, to ensure the transaction has been completed.

Audio messages for the visually-impaired

A new audio function was added to the vending equipment, thereby adjusting the system to meet universal access recommendations. Visually-impaired people can plug their headset into the terminal to listen to instructions and complete their transaction. The STM also wishes to emphasize the cooperation of the Nazareth and Louis-Braille Institutes and the Agence métropolitaine de transport (AMT) throughout this portion of the project.

No chip on your debit or credit card ? No problem !

Anyone who still does not have an electronic debit or credit card can still carry out their transaction thanks to the magnetic strip on the back of their card. Fare vending equipment can indeed read either the chip or the strip.

The STM hopes the new function it added to its métro fare vending machines will fulfill customer expectations.

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