GADGET: Get ready to pay for the Tube with your phone: Why this could change how we travel

Get ready to pay for the Tube with your phone: Why this could change how we travel

TfL has confirmed that by the end of the year, you’ll be able to pay for the Tube with yourphone. That means no more queueing up to buy a ticket, just swipe your handset on thecard reader, and through the gates you go.

But the ramifications go far wider than just the Tube. It has the potential to change how we use public transport for good.

How will it work? You’ll need a phone equipped with Near Field Communications (NFC). This is the tech found in the Oyster Card, and allows contactless payments. It’s also what lets you pair your smartphone with an accessory – a speaker, say – just by tapping the two together. You’ll use your phone just like an Oyster card – swipe it on the card reader, and the gates should open. The money will be taken straight from your bank account, so no more queueing for tickets, which should be a real boon for tourists.

How widely-used is NFC? It’s fairly common, though most people won’t have used it. Most high-end smartphones have NFC, with the notable exception of the iPhone. This prompts us to think that the iPhone 6 could have some kind of proprietary Apple-made version ofNFC onboard so as not to miss out on the party. If not, Apple risks alienating not only 8 million Londoners, but also everyone else who uses public transport as the tech spreads.

When will it happen? Later this year, that’s the official word. TfL has just started a trial that lets 5,000 customers pay for Tube journeys by touching their contactless payment-enableddebit cards on Oyster card readers. (This has been in use on London’s buses since the end of 2012.) But we should be using our phones for it before the year is over.

“Our work to introduce contactless payment to the Tube and rail network is ramping up as we move towards delivering the benefits to all of our customers,” Shashi Verma, TfL’s director of customer experience, said in a statement. “We’ve seen great results from offering this option on the bus network, with over 11 million journeys made.

“This pilot period on the Tube and rail network will allow us to get feedback from our customers as we prepare to make the option available to everyone later this year.”

What if I’m not in London? The trial includes the rail network, so if it’s a success, expect a similar system to be deployed on trains all over the country. Where a city of 8 million people lead, others tend to follow, so we predict Network Rail will get on board before long. Our phones are becoming more mini computers than pure mobiles nowadays, so it makes sense to make them a digital Swiss Army knife.

Is it the end of the Oyster card? Not just yet. The software on mobiles will inevitably mean it’ll take longer to register because there’s so much else going on in there, so going through barriers could be a bit slower than usual. That’s sure to be fun come rush hour. Lots of older and cheaper phones don’t have NFC at the moment too – and neither does the iPhone, as we said – so it’s likely to be only us gadget-savvy people who use the technology at first. But because of the extra convenience – no more topping up, no fumbling for your wallet – we think it’ll take off. O2 first trialled the idea with its ‘Wallet Phone’ back in 2007, so these things take time.