Shanghai RFID Public Transportation Card
May 12th, 2006 by Yue
Shanghi public transportation Card (RFID)
Last year when I was in Shanghai the subway was still using paper tickets with magnetic strips - like you see for San Francisco’s BART system or Washington’s Metro system.
Recently the entire public transportation network (subway, train, bus, maglev and taxis) switched to RFID tickets. To the right is a picture of a new ticket - its just like a credit card.
You can refill your ticket at kiosks located throughout town. When you get into a taxi or walk into a station the fare is automatically deducted from the card. This is done by RFID readers installed inside all taxis and at the entrance to every station. The readers pick up signals from the cards, check that you have enough money, and then deduct the ticket price from your account.
The system is super convenient. You don’t have to take your ticket out of your wallet. Instead, you can just hold up your wallet near the reader - just like you use your security badge at work. And I’m sure some day, as the technology gets better, you won’t even have to do that.
The card can also be used in most kiosks in stations. For example, when I needed 2 photos for my visa application, I went to a nearby station and used an automatic photo booth. I paid with my new RFID card.
