Agree that the Family Independence Pass would have saved a lot of trouble. But, try to put yourself in the place of the letter writer, who likely has not recently used SEPTA at all, for a second. He likely would not even have known that such a thing as an Independence Pass even exists, let along what it covers. There is absolutely no mention of an Independence Pass on either the home page of SEPTA.org OR the SEPTA app. If you click on the "Fares" button on the website, there is a button labeled "Children's Fares" which presents the following:
Children's Fares
Children traveling alone (without a fare-paying adult) are charged regular adult fares.
Transit | Bus, trolley, trackless trolley, subway, and Norristown High Speed Line
Up to two children, age 4 or under, traveling with a fare-paying adult | Free Anytime
Additional Children | Fare per Child - Cash, Token
Remember | Exact fare is necessary at the fare box or cashier booth.
Regional Rail
Up to two children, age 4 or under, traveling with a fare-paying adult | Free Anytime
Children age 5-11 | 50% of (A) or (B) Weekday fare
Remember | (A) means a ticket purchased in advance, (B) means a ticket purchased from a Train Conductor
Nothing there about ANY valid passes!
There is another button labeled "Passes" (not visible without considerable scrolling down the page) which when clicked, brings you to another button labeled "One-Day & Family Independence Passes":
One-Day Individual & Family Independence Pass
About The Independence Pass
The Independence Pass is ideal for individuals or families looking for the independence of convenient, economical travel on SEPTA services (pass valid for 10 trips). Occasional riders, visitors and families can travel on SEPTA to restaurants, shopping, casinos, sporting events and other attractions in the Greater Philadelphia region.
Prices for the pass are $13.00 for an individual pass and $30.00 for the family pass. One family of up to five people traveling together may use one pass, however one person, but no more than two, must be 18 years of age or older.
To/From New Jersey: Customers using Regional Rail to or from New Jersey will pay an additional charge of $5.00 per individual pass ($18.00) and $15.00 per family pass ($45.00) in each direction you travel.
Independence Pass holders benefit from 10 trips aboard these services:
Bus
Subway
Trolley
Regional Rail*
Mann Center Summer Bus Service
Regional Rail On-Board Purchase Option
Tell the conductor that you want an Individual or Family Independence Pass. Regional Rail Conductors will have the actual Individual Independence Passes available for sale ($13) on all trains.
For Family Independence Pass purchases, the Conductor will issue a cash sales receipt. Please take that to any Center City Ticket Office to exchange for the actual pass if your travel plans for the day also include SEPTA buses, trolleys, or high-speed subways.
Where To Buy
The pass is sold at all Regional Rail Ticket Offices, SEPTA Sales Offices, the Sales Office at 1234 Market Street, and online at shop.SEPTA.org. Customers have the freedom to purchase this pass in advance for whenever you decide to have a day or night out.
If I did not ride SEPTA daily, I too in 2019 would have expected to buy the pass instantly & download it to my phone.
So, the information needed was there on SEPTA's website. But, SEPTA's utter lack of visibility to non-riders struck again in this case.
