It is part of an automated fare collection system which Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) introduced to the general public in early October 2006.

[1] The card automatically debits the cost of the passenger’s ride when placed on or near the Breeze Target at the fare gate.

Transit riders are able to add value or time-based passes to the card at Breeze Vending Machines (BVM) located at all MARTA stations.

The major phases of MARTA's Breeze transformation took place before July 1, 2007 when customers were still able to purchase TransCards from ridestores or their employers.

The Breeze Card employs passive RFID technology currently in use in many transit systems around the world.

[3] Between October 6, 2006 and July 2007, patrons were allowed to purchase Breeze Cards (which initially expired three years after first use) for free.

"[7] MARTA's Breeze allows riders to load money on the card for use over time, and to add 7- and 30-day passes that are not fixed to a calendar period.

[8] The system provides a better way for MARTA to analyze transit patterns, allowing for schedule changes to suit demand, and free up more staff to work directly with customers in stations.

Breeze also helps prevent fare evasion, which in previous years cost an estimated US$10 million annually.

Other transit systems have expressed interest in expanding the Breeze infrastructure to take advantage of seamless transfers as provided by reciprocal agreements with MARTA.

The issue was since corrected with the attachment of plastic bars to the bottom of the gates, reducing the gap to 6 inches (150 mm) and virtually eliminating the possibility of fare evaders crawling through it.

[10][11] The Breeze Card uses the MIFARE smart-card system from Dutch company NXP Semiconductors, a spin-off from Philips.