Cal-ITP Expands Contactless Payment Options: Transit Riders Can Now Pay with Discover® Network
For immediate release
Sacramento, CA—The California Integrated Travel Project (Cal-ITP) is excited to announce that transit agencies partnering with Cal-ITP can accept credit card payments and process fares using Discover® Cards. This marks a major milestone that expands the accessibility of convenient, contactless transit payments for riders across California.
Through collaboration with Discover Network and key technology partners—including Littlepay, Kuba, SC Soft, Elavon, and U.S. Bank —Discover Cardholders can now tap and ride more seamlessly across participating transit systems, with the same seamless payment experience coming soon through Cal-ITP’s partnership with Enghouse Transportation. This latest enhancement builds on Cal-ITP’s mission to modernize transit payments by offering simple, efficient, and universally accepted payment options.
“We are proud to integrate Discover Network acceptance into our contactless fare payment ecosystem, ensuring even more riders can enjoy the convenience of tap-to-pay transit,” said Gillian Gillett, Chief of Data and Digital Services at Caltrans. “By continuing to enhance payment options, we are making public transportation more accessible, reliable, equitable, and user friendly.”
Cal-ITP extends its gratitude to its test partners—Monterey Salinas Transit, Anaheim Transportation Network, and the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA)—whose collaboration has been instrumental in bringing this expanded payment option to life.
According to a Discover Network study with fare collection professionals worldwide, the demand for open-loop payment solutions continues to grow. In 2024, 69.35% of all Discover Network global transit transactions were contactless, and more than 73% of Discover Network contactless transit transactions were made using a mobile wallet.
“Passengers want a simple and secure payment experience. Discover Network is excited to work with Cal-ITP and their affiliate transit agencies to help ensure our cardholders enjoy a more seamless journey when traveling on public transport.” said Emily Foshee, Vice President of Core Products at Discover Network.
With Discover Cards now joining the suite of accepted payment options, transit riders across California will have even more ways to pay, helping reduce barriers to public transportation and enhance the overall rider experience.
For more information about Cal-ITP and its contactless payment initiatives, visit https://www.calitp.org/.