The City of Edmonton is launching a trial period to expand its transit payment system to include direct credit and debit card transactions.

The city phased out all traditional paper tickets in November, forcing Edmonton transit riders to buy an Arc card or Arc ticket.

But testing direct debit or credit payments is another step toward an open-payment system, which are already implemented in some other major Canadian cities like Toronto, Vancouver and Ottawa.

"We've been really intentional in suppor…