Monday Is the Last Day You Can Buy Tokens at SEPTA Stations

It’s the end of an era — finally.


septa tokens, septa key card

L: Photo via Lindsey B/Flickr | R: Photo by Jared Brey

We know we’ve warned you about this moment a bajillion times now, but the day has really, finally come: Monday is the last day you can buy tokens at SEPTA stations.

Token-lovers who are stuck in the past might want to stock up while they can — you’ll still be able to use tokens at SEPTA stations for the foreseeable future. (And you can still buy them at third-party locations, like some newsstands — for now.)

But either way, anyone who’s held off on buying a SEPTA Key Card will probably want to get around to it soon — because they’re only free for four more days. Starting Friday, May 4th, you’ll have to pay $4.95 to pick up a new Key card. This is the way of the future, people. Plus, you can save 50 cents per ride when you use the Key card’s Travel Wallet instead of tokens.

In addition, SEPTA will also launch several new Key card features on Friday. The organization will reduce the minimum amount required to load funds onto the Key card Travel Wallet from $10 to $5. Plus SEPTA is rolling out a new incentive program that will offer customers travel reimbursements for the price of their Key cards if they register the card online (to protect Transit Pass or Travel Wallet funds) within 30 days of the purchase date. (You can register your Card online at SEPTAKey.org or by calling the Key Customer Call Center at 1-855-567-3782.)

If you’re a Regional Rail commuter and confused about where you fit in to all this, know that currently, Key Cards only work for Regional Rail on weekends and major holidays when you purchase a Monthly TransPass.

As we told you before, SEPTA began gradually phasing out token sales in January. Problems with the rollout of Key card have delayed the project’s completion date by more than three years — and SEPTA’s capital budget for the upcoming fiscal year increased the estimated total price of the implementing they Key card payment system to $297.77 million (a roughly $30 million increase over last year’s projection, according to WHYY).

To learn more about SEPTA Key and watch some helpful how-to videos, visit SEPTA’s website.