SEPTA to complete new and improved website for Key cards
The new site is designed to fix problems that made the original web site difficult to use.
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SEPTA has finished an upgrade to its much-maligned website for the Key fare card, the transit agency reported Tuesday.
The new site, which has been available in beta testing mode since March, was expected to fully replace the original site on Wednesday, SEPTA said. Website improvements cost $2.88 million, and the work also will eventually allow the Key website to be accessed through SEPTA’s mobile app.
Users have criticized SEPTA Key’s website, www.septakey.org, as being confusing and difficult to navigate. The agency acknowledged in 2017 that the site was a bust and promised an improvement.
The new version of the site has responsive design that can adapt to screens of any size and is considerably easier to use. Registering a Key card and linking a card to a bank account for automatic withdrawal on the original website frustrated users. Performing those tasks through the updated website Tuesday proved to be streamlined and straightforward.
The Key card has gradually become the primary way to pay for the city’s buses, trolleys, and subways since its rollout in 2016. Last year, SEPTA stopped selling tokens. Eventually, Key will replace all other fare systems.
Slightly more than 1.2 million Key cards are in operation, SEPTA officials have said.
Anyone wanting to try the new website before it becomes the default can go to beta.septakey.org.