MBTA contactless payment coming Aug. 1 – Boston News, Weather, Sports [Video]

No CharlieCard, no problem.

Starting Aug. 1, MBTA riders will be able to tap a credit card or mobile wallet to pass through subway gates or board above-ground trolleys and buses, officials announced Tuesday.

CharlieCards and paper tickets will still be sold and accepted, but commuters will gain additional options with the launch of so-called contactless payment. The change could also speed up the boarding process on trolleys and buses by allowing multi-door boarding and minimizing the need to reload a pass with cash.

The change marks the first major phase to go live in a delayed, over-budget project revamping how the MBTA collects fares. Officials in May agreed to a contract change with vendor Cubic that put the total cost at $926 million and the final end date in June 2027, forecasting at the time that contactless payment would become available at some point during this summer.

Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt said the new system is “part …