SEPTA says it will begin transitioning to its new fare modernization system, SEPTA Key, in early 2015.

Tokens, paper tickets and magnetic stripe passes will be replaced by contactless payment devices.  Pilot testing is underway, and Joseph M. Casey, SEPTA’s general manager, says the SEPTA Key will, for users, be “the key to your commute, play and everywhere in between.”

When the program is implemented, riders will be able to use a SEPTA Key branded card that can be purchased at station kiosks, SEPTA sales offices, from local retailers and online. Tokens – for many, the symbol of SEPTA’s decades old fare system – will continue to be used during the initial SEPTA Key roll-out. SEPTA will give advance public notice before phasing out tokens.

SEPTA says it plans a wide-ranging public outreach effort before key implementation. The SEPTA Key website  will also give customers tutorials on how to use the system, along with news, updates and other program details.

An Associated Press story on the transition is here.