Proof-of-payment

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Proof-of-payment ticketing arrangement at Hoboken Terminal in New Jersey.

Proof-of-payment or POP is a fare collection approach used on many public transportation systems. Instead of checking each passenger as they enter a fare control zone, proof-of-payment requires that each passenger carry a ticket or pass proving that they have paid the fare. Ticket controller or conductors make periodic checks to deter fare evasion. On many systems, a passenger can purchase a single use ticket or multi-use pass at any time in advance, but must insert the ticket or pass into a validation machine before use. Validation machines in stations or on board vehicles time stamp the ticket. The ticket is then valid for some period of time after the stamped time.

Advantages of proof-of-payment include lower labor costs for fare collection, simpler station design, easier access for mobility-impaired passengers or those carrying packages, and a more open feel for passengers. Validated tickets can double as transfers between lines. Disadvantages include potentially higher rate of fare evasion, reduced security on station platforms when no barrier is used, and regularly exposing passengers to unpleasant confrontational situations when a rider without the proper proof is caught. Visitors unfamiliar with a system's validation requirements who innocently misunderstand the rules are especially likely to get into trouble.

Proof-of-payment is popular in Germany, where it was widely introduced during the labor shortages resulting from the Economic Miracle of the 1960's. It has also been adopted in Eastern Europe and Canada and has made some inroads in newer systems in the United States. The first use of the term "POP" or "Proof of Payment" on a rail line in North America is believed to have been in Edmonton in 1980.

Some urban mass transit systems in the U.S. have gone the other way, however, and are installing fare barriers that are harder to evade. One example is the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, which in 2006 installed subway fare gates with automatic doors instead of a traditional turnstile, making it harder to jump over or duck under the mechanism. However for the green line surface LRV service they are enacting a quasi-proof-of-payment system. Cash payers must pay at the front door and will be issued a receipt as POP. Holders of Charliecards and tickets will either be able to validate their tickets beforehand at some stations and have a receipt issued. At other stations inspectors with handheld scanners will deduct value from cards or check for passes at the back door. If no inspectors are on duty those with stored value cards and tickets are expected to use the farebox by the front door while those with passes can board at the back door.