tap on

English

Verb

tap on (third-person singular simple present taps on, present participle tapping on, simple past and past participle tapped on)

1. (transitive) To strike an object or a person lightly and swiftly.
2. (intransitive) To initiate an electronic ticketing process at the start of a public transport journey by holding a chipcard or a mobile device close to a terminal or reader

   Synonyms: tap in, touch in

   • 2024 February 25, Cory Sharber, “SEPTA rolls out new multi-rider feature for Key card holders”, in WHYY‎^[1], retrieved 11 January 2025:

     Launching Monday, the new multi-rider feature will allow up to five riders to use the same Key card when taking a SEPTA bus, trolley, the Broad Street Line, the Market-Frankford Line, the Norristown High Speed Line and Regional Rail.(…) Riders will need to tap on and tap off to get the correct fare.

   • 2024 November 25, Charlotte Gore, “From today MyWay+ will be in use on Canberra's buses and light rail. Here's what's changing”, in ABC News‎^[2], retrieved 11 January 2025:

     The new system allows users to tap on and off at a validator with a new MyWay+ transport card or certain contactless bank cards.

   • 2024 November 27, Live Condous, “Yes! Victorians will soon be able to tap on public transport with bank cards, with a trial underway”, in Time Out‎^[3], retrieved 11 January 2025:

     Public Transport Victoria (PTV) has just kicked off a trial of a new contactless payment system in regional Victoria, allowing passengers to tap on with a credit or debit card, as well as with Apple Pay on phones and smart watches.

See also

• tap off