Passengers were able to use debit cards for purchases for the first time ever aboard a B.C. ferry on Wednesday.
BC Ferries launched a new payment pilot project aboard the Spirit of B.C., and will be rolling the program out to four additional vessels serving the Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay route on Thursday.
BC Ferries said it was not able to adopt debit payment aboard its vessels until now due to issues with network quality.
It said real-time debit transactions require a high rate of reliability, something it could not guarantee until now. Credit cards, which have been accepted for years, use a different technology to verify transactions, a spokesperson said.
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The ferry service said it has been working recently to improve the network, and has also upgraded pin pads.
However, motorists hoping to use debit to pay for their fare at the vehicle ticket booth will remain out of luck.
BC Ferries says it still takes too long to process debit transactions, which could lead to lineups at the gate or cause people to miss their vessel or reservation.
The onboard pilot project will last for two months, after which BC Ferries said it will evaluate whether to expand debit payments to other routes.
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