The Fitbit you may have purchased for motivation/guilting you into taking 10,000 steps per day is actually about to make it easier to hop on the train instead of walking those last few blocks.
On Wednesday, the company announced FitBit Pay will be available for use across seven major transit systems worldwide, helping traveling Fitbit users stay on the go (if not necessarily on their feet). The system will be available for Fitbit wearers traveling select closed loop transit systems in New York, Chicago, Singapore, Sydney, Taiwan, Vancouver and London.
Fitbit Pay is the latest digital payment system to announce compatibility with the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) new One Metro New York (OMNY) contactless fare pilot program. Starting May 31, Fitbit users with Fitbit Pay enabled devices, including the Fitbit Charge 3 Special Edition, Fitbit Versa Special Edition and Fitbit Ionic, will be able to tap and pay-per-ride on select MTA buses and subway lines.
“We are always looking for ways to enhance the transit experience and help New Yorkers and visitors alike get to their destination faster and make payment more convenient, and now they can do so with any Fitbit wearable that supports Fitbit Pay with a simple tap of the wrist,” said Al Putre, OMNY Executive Director at the MTA.
Fitbit joins Apple Pay and Google Pay, who have also recently announced OMNY compatibility starting late this month. The OMNY pilot launch will include all Staten Island buses and all stops on the 4,5 and 6 subway lines between Grand Central and Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center. Following the initial pilot, the MTA plans to extend the OMNY program to the entire subway and bus system, effectively killing the MetroCard by 2021. No word on if they’ll fix the trains by then, but that’s another story.
In the meantime, Apple, Google and Fitbit Pay use will be limited to a pay-per-ride basis, so you may not want to throw out your monthly MetroCard just yet.
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