At terminal or stop barrier

This practice is often found in controlled access environments [such as Bus Rapid Transit, or Metro] and the validation at the barrier avoids further controls before boarding the vehicles. This reduces stop dwell time by separating the ticket validation and the vehicle boarding processes.

At transport terminals and stop shelters that have been designed to restrict access directly to the vehicles, some form of control system is put in place. It may either be an automated barrier activated by the ticketing media, or the manual inspection of travel documents at the barrier. Manual control requires personnel on duty throughout the operational day at the barriers concerned. However automated equipment also benefits from supervision so as to deter by-passing of the barrier.

Magnetic-stripe semi-flexible card type ticket products must be entered into a validator to verify the fare being deducted and to record the transaction where that feature is required as part of the fare calculation. Where high passenger flows are required, the card is passed through the validator in the direction of flow so as minimize any delay in card retrieval. Such equipment is bulky and expensive, and only suitable for use in larger stations or terminals.
However, memory-cards and smart-cards do not require the physical insertion of the card into a validator device but they do require that the card is tapped onto a validator to enable communication between the two devices. This option increases the passenger flow passing the validation device without requiring special equipment.

In a system with graduated fares, it is then necessary for passengers to pass through another control process when they alight from the vehicle so as to identify that the correct fare for the journey had been paid. For a flat-fare system, only a passive barrier is required so as to prevent access to the restricted area from the wrong direction.