Large German Transit Operator to Test Check-In/Check-Out App, as Pandemic Increases Demand for Mobile Ticketing
BVG, Germany’s largest transit operator, still plans to launch a test of a check-in/check-out mobile-ticketing service this year, as it continues to experiment with new fare payments methods amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ohio Transit Agency Expects Significant Revenue Loss as It Builds Equity with Fare Capping
The Central Ohio Transit Authority, or COTA, officially launched its new digital-payments service Monday, including a fare-capping feature that the agency estimates will cost it $1.8 million per year in lost fare revenue, the agency confirmed to Mobility Payments.
Moscow Metro Launches Full Rollout of ‘Face Pay;’ Largest Biometric Payments Service of Its Kind
Touting it as the largest rollout of biometric payments in the world, Moscow Metro launched its high-profile “Face Pay” service Friday, as expected, and predicted that 10% to 15% would regularly use the service in the next two to three years.
Trip-Planning Transit App Expands to Another Software-as-a-Service Ticketing Provider
The trip-planning app provider Transit has added another mobile-ticketing and payments provider as it continues to seek to enable users to plan, book and pay for rides from its app. It already works with at least three other software-as-a-service mobile-ticketing providers.
U.S. Transit Agency Introduces Scanning of Mobile Tickets, but Overall Move to Electronic Payments Progressing Slowly
Most mid-tier transit agencies in the U.S., like the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, or SORTA, in Cincinnati, still have to deal with high usage of cash and paper tickets on board their buses and other transit vehicles, even as the continuing pandemic increases pressure on them to move to more electronic forms of fare payments.
Debate: Is the Industry–and Technology–Ready for Hands-Free, Be-In/Be-Out Fare Payments?
It’s no secret that interest is growing in “touchless transit” in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. So technologies that enable fully hands-free fare payments, letting passengers be-in/be-out, or BIBO, are getting a serious look–as transit agencies seek to let more customers bring their own fare media and minimize passenger interaction with agency staff.
Taiwan’s EasyCard Chief Sees Little Threat to Fare Payments Business from Fintechs
EasyCard Corp., Taiwan’s dominant transit e-purse, is not worried about fintechs taking away a significant share of its fare payments business and, in fact, is in talks to work with the country’s most popular e-payments fintech, Jkopay, the head of EasyCard said.
Moscow Metro Expands Large Test of ‘Face Pay’ to More Lines; Rollout Expected as Early as Next Month
Moscow Metro said today it has increased the number of lines supporting a large test of its “Face Pay” service to more than half of its total lines. The metro system, one of the largest in the world, remains on track to roll out the service across the entire metro this year.
Fairtiq App Sees Rising Usage as Covid-Era Riders Demand More ‘Touchless’ and PAYG Fare Options
Switzerland-based start-up Fairtiq said transactions for its fare-payments technology have more than double since February, as Covid-wary riders continue to seek what they consider to be more hygienic payments methods, as well as more pay-as-you-go options.
Transit Agency to Enable Cash Loading, Fare Capping with Mobile Ticketing
Another public transit agency plans to enable customers to load value to their mobile accounts at retail locations and to buy tickets through both a local app and the trip-planning Transit app.