Paris Metro Navigo Cards Now Supported on iPhone

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Navigo cards for travelling on the Paris metro and bus network are now supported on iPhone, with the ability to "recharge" passes using Apple Pay (via iGeneration).

smart navigo card paris scan

Last week, it was rumored that Apple had reached an agreement for Navigo cards to work with NFC on ‌iPhone‌, and now the feature has arrived with the latest update to the Navigo app from Paris's transport authority, Ile-de-France Mobilités.

Users can now buy a ticket within the app using ‌Apple Pay‌ and then add it to their physical Navigo card by scanning it on the back of the ‌iPhone‌. Contrary to previous reports, Navigo is still unable to be added to Wallet or used digitally.

The implementation is considerably more onerous than Apple Pay-based solutions in other cities. For example, in London, commuters are able to pass through gates with ‌Apple Pay‌ directly, without the need to purchase a ticket ahead of time or recharge a physical card. Nevertheless, the update to Navigo allows users to buy digital tickets to roam Parisian public transport with ‌Apple Pay‌, avoiding the need to recharge at a dedicated machine.

Navigo, the city's digital mobile transit card, was launched in September 2019, but its success was mired by the need for direct secure authentication with reader gates. This is also why ‌Apple Pay‌ cannot currently be implemented to pay for travel directly on gate readers, since it would skirt the Navigo system.

There have been reports that the need for secure authentication with Navigo will be eliminated at some point in 2021, allowing ‌‌Apple Pay‌‌ to be used directly to traverse the public transport network as it does other cities such as New York, which recently completed its rollout of ‌‌Apple Pay‌‌ support.

Navigo on ‌iPhone‌ is supported on ‌iPhone‌ 7 and newer, but it does not yet work with ‌iPhone‌ XR, ‌iPhone‌ XS and ‌iPhone‌ XS Max.

Tag: France

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Top Rated Comments

Futurix Avatar
Futurix
55 months ago
This article seems to be completely wrong - the new feature added to the app is the ability to 'recharge' the Navigo passes (physical cards) with your iPhone. You have to put the card on the back of your phone, pay with Apple Pay for a new season ticket, and it will update the card (via NFC).
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
br403 Avatar
br403
55 months ago

Apple still won’t allow Oyster style cards in the Wallet? Apple Pay is okay for random trips but if you need a travel card because of a discount then you still need to use a physical card.
It is allowed, you can use suica cards in Japan, Octopus in Hong Kong and other examples. Here is a list: Where you can ride transit with Apple Pay - Apple Support ('https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207958')
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dontwalkhand Avatar
dontwalkhand
55 months ago

Apple still won’t allow Oyster style cards in the Wallet? Apple Pay is okay for random trips but if you need a travel card because of a discount then you still need to use a physical card.
They do, its up to the transit agency and their equipment manufacturer. So far all cities with Cubic Transportation equipment are getting it, with the exception being London, who seems to be in favor of phasing out Oyster instead, maybe?. The manufacturer themselves have to work with Apple before offering the ability for Apple integration to the transit agencies. Conduent has been working with Apple for quite some time to try to get the SEPTA Key and NJ Transit passes to Apple Wallet....Paris' NAVIGO is also a Conduent system. So once Conduent does their thing with Apple, I am sure Paris will enable it as soon as possible.

See: Hong Kong (Octopus - Vix Technology), Japan (Suica - Proprietary Sony FeLiCa readers, Vix Technology Back of House), Chicago (Ventra - Cubic Transportation), Portland (HOP FastPass - INIT), LA (TAP -Cubic Transportation), and Washington DC (SmarTrip - Cubic Transportation).

Coming Soon:

Phoenix (PlatinumPass - Scheidt & Bachmann, migrating to Vix Technology)
Seattle (ORCA - Vix Technology)
San Francisco (Clipper - Cubic Transportation)
New York (OMNY - Cubic Transportation, enabled with regular credit card Apple Pay now, physical OMNY card and virtual OMNY card coming soon)
Melbourne (MyKi - Vix Technology)
Sydney (Opal - Cubic Transportation)
London (Oyster - Cubic Transportation)
San Diego (CompassCard - Cubic Transportation, migrating to INIT)
Toronto (PRESTO - Scheidt & Bachmann)
Boston (CharlieCard - Scheidt & Bachmann)
Berlin (Schedit & Bachmann)
Amsterdam (OV ChipKaart - Scheidt and Bachmann, Migrating to Vix Technology)
NJTransit (Conduent)
Philadelphia (SEPTA Key- Conduent)
Paris (NAVIGO - Conduent)

NAVIGO is Conduent, so its a matter of time....

As you can tell, there are about five major players in this game, it won't be that hard. Cubic, the biggest one in the room, Scheidt & Bachmann, Conduent, Init, & Vix Technology.

Source: Many friends in the fare collection system industry.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dz5b609 Avatar
dz5b609
55 months ago

Users can now buy a Navigo pass within the app using ‌Apple Pay‌ and then scan their digital ticket at gates via NFC. Contrary to previous reports ('https://www.macrumors.com/2021/01/06/apple-to-support-paris-metro-navigo-cards/'), Navigo is still unable to be added to Wallet. This means that users must keep the app open in order to scan their ticket.
Unless I'm missing something this seems to be entirely wrong, the app now allows you to 'charge' your physical card with a ticket or subscription via reverse NFC payable with Apple Pay (with no Apple tax, which is weird). So you still need a physical Navigo card. The only thing is that you don't need to go to a machine to load something on your Navigo card but can use your phone which is some added convenience.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SumYoungGai Avatar
SumYoungGai
55 months ago

Do you think nobody lives in Paris?
the only country that exists in the world is the United States, clearly
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lah Avatar
lah
55 months ago

From Wikipedia: "Cards are available either attached to an account for those who live or work in the Île-de-France region (known simply as Carte Navigo), or can be issued on the spot to anyone at a station (Carte Navigo Découverte). The Navigo card bear the name and a photograph of the holder."

So you can't anonymously take public transportation in Paris?
The cards with pictures on them are the annual subscriptions that give you unlimited rides on the network. It’s a way to control it since they don’t want people abusing it (Sharing with others). And yes, they do random checks on the metro.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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