Virtual OPUS cards could come to Montreal transit network in 2026

Montreal transit riders will soon be able to swap their plastic OPUS cards for a digital version as the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) advances its overhaul of the region’s fare system.

Testing is underway with about 1,000 Android users, set to expand to 4,000 in the coming weeks. The virtual card, stored in the Chrono mobile app, lets riders validate fares by tapping their phone on buses, metro turnstiles or REM gates. A full public rollout is expected in 2026.

The ARTM began developing the virtual OPUS card in fall 2024 with HID Global, a company known for digital mobility systems such as those used by Île-de-France Mobilités in Paris. Spirtech is designing the program that makes the technology work within the Chrono app.

“The Concerto project is much more than a technological evolution: it is a transformation of the public transit customer experience in Greater Montreal,” said Sylvain Perras, Executive Director of Digital Transformation at the ARTM. “From 2026, virtual tickets on phones will offer more flexibility and simplicity, in addition to the OPUS top-up already available in the Chrono app. This project modernises ticketing to adapt to the real needs of users, placing them at the heart of tests and improvements. Each step is rigorously validated to ensure reliable and efficient deployment across the network.”

The feature will allow users to add one or more OPUS cards to their device, reducing the need for multiple physical cards and lowering the risk of losing a plastic pass. It builds on recent improvements to Chrono, which already lets commuters load fares on physical OPUS cards and plan trips.

Features that have been tested:

• Account creation and login
• Single and multi-card purchases
• Self-service refunds
• Transfers between devices
• Loss/theft handling

The virtual system is part of the ARTM’s wider Concerto project, which includes a $146-million contract awarded to U.K.-based Masabi to modernize ticketing infrastructure. Credit-card tap payments with Visa and Mastercard, followed by debit cards, are slated for testing in 2026.

By 2027, ARTM says they will begin the diversification of ticket media and implementation of the mobility account.

Public launch dates for the final version of the virtual OPUS card have not yet been announced, and iPhone users will have to wait until compatibility is added.