SEPTA says that by the spring of 2014, the transit system will leap from a stone age payment system (ok, not stone age, but SEPTA is one of the last major transit systems in the country to use tokens) to shiny new payment technologies of the future. "The end of the rainbow is in sight" is what they say.
One of the best things about the plans for NPT is that your user information will be stored with SEPTA and accessed by your card, which means that if you lose your card, it can be replaced easily. SEPTA also claims that the technology will allow them to track users more easily, and send them text alerts about delays.
There are also infrastructure improvements coming, which for a transit system as cash-strapped as SEPTA, is always a good thing.
· http://planphilly.com/articles/2013/08/01/septa-s-new-payment-technology-takes-shape-at-center-city-test-facility [Plan Philly]