Older adults ¶

Overview ¶

This use case describes a feature in Cal-ITP Benefits that allows transit riders to verify they are age 65 or older so they receive reduced fares when paying for transit using a contactless debit or credit card at participating transit operators in California.

Actor: A person who uses public transit in California. For benefit eligibility, a person who is age 65 or older, has a Login.gov account, and has completed Login.gov’s Identity Assurance Level 2 (IAL2) identity proofing process. Note, for a person to create a Login.gov and complete identity proofing, they need a Social Security number, a valid state-issued ID, and a mobile phone number with a plan associated with the person’s name.

Goal: To verify a transit rider’s age so they receive reduced fares when paying by contactless debit or credit card.

Precondition: The California transit operator offers fixed route service, has installed and tested validator hardware necessary to collect fares using open-loop payments on bus or rail lines, and the operator has a policy in place to offer a transit benefit to riders age 65 and older.

Demonstration ¶

Here’s a video walkthrough of the rider self-service enrollment experience when choosing the Older adult enrollment pathway.

Self-service enrollment ¶

sequenceDiagram
autonumber
%% Self-service Enrollment for Older Adults
    actor TransitRider as Transit Rider
    participant Benefits as Cal-ITP Benefits
    participant IdG as Identity Gateway
    participant verifyIdentity as Login.gov
    participant TransitProcessor as Transit processor
TransitRider->>Benefits: visits benefits.calitp.org
    activate Benefits
Benefits-->>IdG: begins identity verification
    activate IdG
TransitRider->>verifyIdentity: account authentication
    activate verifyIdentity
    Note over verifyIdentity: Authenticated (Y/N)
verifyIdentity-->>IdG: identity confirmation
IdG-->>verifyIdentity: requests required PII
    Note over verifyIdentity: Date of Birth
verifyIdentity-->>IdG: returns response
    deactivate verifyIdentity
    Note over IdG: Age 65 or older (Y/N)
IdG-->>Benefits: eligibility response
    deactivate IdG
Benefits-->>TransitProcessor: card registration start
    activate TransitProcessor
TransitRider->>TransitProcessor: provides debit or credit card details
TransitProcessor-->>Benefits: card registration confirmation
    deactivate TransitProcessor
    deactivate Benefits
    Note over Benefits: Successful enrollment

The transit rider visits the web application at benefits.calitp.org in a browser on their desktop computer or mobile device.
The transit rider chooses the transit operator that serves an area where they want to ride public transit.
The transit rider chooses to verify their eligibility as an older adult.
The Cal-ITP Benefits app interfaces with the California Department of Technology Identity Gateway (IdG) to verify rider identity and benefit eligibility.
The transit rider authenticates with their Login.gov account or, if they don’t have one, creates one.
The transit rider consents to share information from their Login.gov account to verify their eligibility for a transit benefit.
The IdG uses the response provided by the Login.gov to determine the rider’s eligibility for a transit benefit.
The IdG then passes an eligibility response as older adult enrollment status = TRUE to the Cal-ITP Benefits app to indicate the person is eligible for a benefit.
The transit rider provides the debit or credit card details they use to pay for transit to the transit processor that facilitates fare collection for the transit provider.
The app registers the transit rider’s debit or credit card for reduced fares.

Alternative self-service flows ¶

Suppose the transit rider cannot authenticate with Login.gov, will not create an account, or cannot complete identity verification. In any of these cases, the app cannot determine their age and they cannot register their contactless debit or credit card for a reduced fare.

Suppose the CDT Identity Gateway returns older adult enrollment status = FALSE. In that case, the Cal-ITP Benefits app will not allow the transit rider to register their contactless debit or credit card for a reduced fare.

Suppose the debit or credit card expires or is canceled by the issuer. In that case, the transit rider must repeat the basic flow to register the new debit or credit card.

If the transit rider uses more than one debit or credit card to pay for transit, they repeat the basic flow for each card.

In-person enrollment ¶

sequenceDiagram
autonumber
%% In-person Enrollment for older adults
    actor Transit_Rider as Transit Rider
    participant location as Agency Office
    actor Agency_Staff as Agency Staff Member
    participant Benefits as Cal-ITP Benefits Administrator
    participant Fare_processor as Fare processor
Transit_Rider->>location: visits a physical location or enrollment event
Agency_Staff->>Benefits: starts in-person enrollment
    activate Benefits
Agency_Staff->>Benefits: chooses enrollment pathway
Transit_Rider->>Agency_Staff: shares government-issued photo ID
Agency_Staff->>Benefits: verifies eligibility
    Note over Benefits: Age 65 or older (Y/N)
Fare_processor-->>Benefits: card registration form
    activate Fare_processor
Transit_Rider->>Fare_processor: enters debit or credit card details
Fare_processor-->>Benefits: card registration confirmation
    deactivate Fare_processor
    deactivate Benefits
    Note over Benefits: Successful enrollment

The transit rider visits an agency office or enrollment event in person.
A transit agency staff member logs into Cal-ITP Benefits Administrator, typically on a tablet device.
The transit agency staff member launches in-person enrollment and chooses Older adult as the eligibility type.
The transit rider hands the transit agency staff member their government-issued photo ID.
The transit agency staff member confirms the person’s identity and verifies the person is age 65 or older.
The transit agency staff member hands the transit rider the tablet so they can enter the debit or credit card details for the card they use to pay for transit.
The app registers the transit rider’s debit or credit card with the transit processor.

Postcondition ¶

The transit rider receives a fare reduction each time they use the debit or credit card they registered to pay for transit rides. The number of times they can use the card to pay for transit is unlimited and the benefit never expires.

Benefits ¶

The transit rider no longer needs cash to pay for transit rides.

The transit rider doesn’t have to lock up funds on a closed-loop card offered by the transit operator.

The transit rider pays for transit rides with the same contactless debit or credit card they use for everyday purchases.

The transit rider can enroll in a transit benefit from home when it is convenient for them; they do not have to visit a transit agency office in person unless they choose to.

Secure state and federal solutions manage the transit rider’s personal identifiable information (PII): Login.gov and the California Department of Technology Identity Gateway. Transit riders do not have to share personal information with local transit operators, nor do transit operator have to store and manage rider data.

Benefit enrollment takes minutes rather than days or weeks.

Benefit enrollment doesn’t require online accounts with private companies.

Example Scenario ¶

A 68-year-old who owns a car now prefers public transit, which is cheaper and more relaxing. Although they get a 50% fare reduction, they must use a closed-loop card issued by their transit provider for every ride. Reloading $10 on the card each week is frustrating, especially when that money is sometimes needed elsewhere. They use the transit card for transportation and cash or debit for other expenses.

The transit operator in their region of California implements open-loop payments on fixed-route bus lines throughout the service area. This rider opens the Cal-ITP Benefits web application at home, completes the self-service workflow to digitally confirm they are over age 65, and registers their debit card for reduced fares. If the rider struggles to create a Login.gov account or complete identity proofing, they visit the transit agency office and complete enrollment in person. Now, when they tap to pay when boarding, the system automatically charges them the reduced fare. They no longer use their closed-loop agency card to pay for transit and can access all funds in their weekly budget.