Cubic Corporation's business division, Cubic Transportation Systems, and Vancouver's transportation authority, TransLink, are introducing a tap-to-pay feature on the city's public transit system, enabling passengers to pay for travel using their contactless credit cards and mobile wallets.

The system works in the same way as the Vancouver's Compass Card — the contactless smart card payment system Cubic designed and launched in 2015, according to a press release. It enables passengers to tap their contactless Visa or Mastercard credit cards, or a device with an Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay wallet on card readers at fare gates and on buses to enter and exit the transit system.

Cubic and TransLink said the payment option will be especially useful for occasional riders and tourists visiting the city, according to the release.

"Tap to Pay is about increasing customer convenience by offering more payment options," Kevin Desmond, TransLink CEO, said in the release. "Whether you're a daily commuter, a tourist who just arrived from Vancouver International Airport, or a concert goer who only rides transit on occasion, you can choose the payment method that suits you best."

SmartLink said the Compass Card remains the most popular form of transit fare payment in Vancouver and is used to pay for 97 percent of fares. It links all of TransLink's services and fare products in Metro Vancouver to a single payment system, including buses, West Coast Express, SkyTrain and SeaBus. Last year, the Compass Card processed more than one billion taps by Metro Vancouver's public transit users, according to the release.