iPhone users able to install T-Mobilitat card on phone by December

Catalonia's T-Mobilitat public transport card will be available on iPhone devices by the end of the year, as the Metropolitan Transport Authority (ATM) announced on Thursday.

The system will use NFC technology, a contactless system already in use in Android devices, which could validate their public transport title with the touch of their phone.

Apple had capped the use of NFC technologies to only be usable for the Apple Pay payment software; however, after a deal with the European Commission to make the NFC available to all developers, ATM has been working on bringing the card to iOS devices.

While iPhone users were only able to check their T-Mobilitat card status or recharge it, once the new system is in place, they will also be able to validate their title when entering the public transport network.

Authorities say around 22% of Catalan residents have an iPhone.

Since the T-Mobilitat contactless card became the norm in Catalonia, the ATM has been negotiating with Apple to add the card to its software. But the change only happened after the EU and the US company reached a deal.

In January, the agreement opened the door to letting stores use NFC technology on iPhone devices, a decision appealed by the ATM, which asked for the system to also include public transport cards.

"We are very pleased with the decision, as after many efforts, many more people will be able to benefit from the T-Mobilitat card," sitting Catalan territory minister Ester Capella said in a written statement.

T-Mobilitat is available in several formats: on paper, on plastic, and on Android devices using NFC technology and is similar to that already in place in some cities, such as London with the Oyster Card, Melbourne’s Myki, and Madrid’s Tarjeta Multi, for years. 

The card - or app - allows passengers to travel with a tap-and-go system.

However, the rollout of the ticketing system has experienced a few notable hiccoughs: it has far exceeded the initial budget - by at least €37 million according to an article published by Catalan newspaper Ara - and faced issues that forced the launch date to be postponed on multiple occasions.

T-Mobilitat has cost €93.6 million as of 2022, 62% more than what it was first allocated. Furthermore, while the first T-Mobilitat contract between administrations was signed in 2014, several final rollout dates had been proposed, including 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.