SEPTA Update Information about SEPTA’s planned service reductions and fare increases is available at the following links for students and faculty/staff.

About Penn Bus "Tap to Ride"

Tap to Ride Logo

Upon boarding, riders tap their PennCard* to the blue card reader mounted on the dashboard, identified with a Penn Transit logo (shown at right). A valid PennCard will prompt the card reader to light up and emit a short sound, alerting the driver that the passenger is a member of the Penn community who may ride. 

All Penn Transit trips remain free with a valid PennCard—no payment is required. 

*UPHS employees may also tap their UPHS IDs to board Penn Transit buses.

Tap to Ride FAQs

The card reader is mounted on the dashboard, to your right as you board the vehicle. It is a translucent blue box identified with a white Penn Transit logo sticker. 

When you tap a valid PennCard/UPHS ID to the logo, the card reader will light up and emit a short sound, alerting you that you may board. This also lets the driver know you are a member of the Penn community who may ride. 

All Penn Transit bus and shuttle rides remain free of charge to the Penn/UPHS community—no payment is ever required. The only card you have to tap to ride is a valid PennCard/UPHS ID. 

For safety, drivers will continue the current practice of refusing entry to anyone who does not have a valid PennCard/UPHS ID upon boarding. If you have lost, forgotten, or had your PennCard/UPHS ID stolen, call 215-898-RIDE/7433 before boarding a Penn Bus to obtain permission to use the system. 

Valid PennCard/UPHS ID holders may be accompanied by up to two guests who also have a valid ID, as long as they board and depart at the same stops.

Yes. According to Americans With Disabilities Act specifications for transportation vehicles, the reader is “located as far forward as practicable and [does] not obstruct traffic in the vestibule.” When tapped, the reader lights up and emits a short sound, enhancing accessibility for riders with auditory or vision limitations. Additionally, the driver is available to assist all passengers with boarding. 

If the card reader malfunctions, the driver would temporarily resume a visual inspection of riders’ IDs. 

No, shuttle procedures remain the same and do not require a PennCard/UPHS ID tap.

We are gathering a rider’s Penn/UPHS ID number. 

Penn Transit’s services are subject to applicable University of Pennsylvania policies, which mandate records to be retained up to seven years after completion of research.