STM to stop accepting cash at Metro station booths starting next year

Montreal Metro station agents will soon stop accepting cash, the city's transportation agency confirmed Monday.

As of February 2022, payment at the booths will be made by credit card or debit card only, the Socit de transport de Montral (STM) said in a news release.

As of Feb. 7, only the automatic ticket machines will accept cash.

Until then, a communication campaign is also planned to support customers in this change while the ticket vending machines are updated, the STM says.

This decision follows the evolution of customer needs, the STM says.

The installation of contactless payment systems was completed in December 2020, allowing people to pay quickly with debit and credit cards. It's now the most common payment method, the release says.

"Station agents and managers will be more present in public areas to help customers with fare purchases," the release says.

A survey conducted in the fall of 2020 found that only a minority of customers preferred to pay in cash, the STM says.

The release says that those customers "wanted more flexibility, but were not aware that cash payment was still available at other points of sale."

The network of 350 authorized ticket retailers many of which are located near Metro stations will be expanded to include approximately 50 more points of sale throughout 2022.

The locations of these retailers will be added to the map on the STM's website.