Florence Launches Open-Loop Payments for Single Rides with Help from Visa
The bus and tram operator in Florence and the surrounding Tuscany region in Italy launched open-loop payments for single rides last week, with help from Visa.
Transport operator Autolinee Toscane, owned by France-based RATP Group, introduced the technology, with more than 6,000 new validators
Growth of Open-Loop Payments Plateaus in Netherlands, but Dutch Operators Plan to Broaden Reach of Technology
Dutch transport officials are reporting that growth of open-loop payments as part of the nationwide OVpay service has leveled off during the first three months of this year after climbing in 2023.
Growth may begin to accelerate again later this year, however, when OVpay project backers seek to enable more riders to use their debit cards to receive senior and other concessions and also monthly and
Large Fare-Collection Company in Korea Seeks to Roll Out Hands-Free Ticketing at Busy Metro Stations
South Korean fare-collection and e-purse scheme Tmoney has implemented hands-free mobile ticketing on one gated light-rail line in Seoul. Can it win over other transit operators and, more importantly, riders who have been tapping its contactless cards for years?
All of that remains to be seen for Tmoney and its ambitious plan to deploy its be-in/be-out (BIBO)
Three Big Agencies Say Devices Starting to Dominate Cards for Open-Loop Payments
Figures from three of the largest transit agencies accepting open-loop payments show that NFC wallets are becoming the most common way customers tap their credit and debit cards to pay, Mobility Payments has learned.
New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Agency, Transport for New South Wales in Sydney and Transport for London are seeing
Tip Sheet: Groundbreaking Open-Loop Procurement in Venice May Finally Launch in Spring
An official with Venice transit agency AVM said the agency plans to launch its delayed open-loop service in the tourist mecca on May 1, which would be one year later than originally planned, Mobility Payments has learned.
The project is noteworthy because the procurement is designed to be completely capex-free, with
From Guru to Poster Child for MaaS’ Failures, Whim App Founder Calls it Quits
Sampo Hietanen, founder and CEO of high-profile mobility-as-a-service start-up MaaS Global this evening issued some of first comments since his company filed for bankruptcy yesterday, lamenting, “Nothing breaks like a dream.”
Hietanen, considered a guru of the technology early on during his eight-year run as head of the Finnish start-up, later became the poster child for MaaS’ disappointing start.
Worldline COO: Open Loop as ‘Revolution’ is Oversold; Urges Truly Revolutionary Thinking on Payments, Fare Models
James Bain, COO of global mobility transactional services for Worldline, a major European processor and acquirer–in a striking acknowledgement–said that payments companies have overpromised and oversold the benefits of open-loop technology to transit agencies.
Bain, in a speech at the Transport Ticketing Global conference in London last week, titled, “Do we honestly believe the ‘open payments’ revolution is here?”
CEO of Thales Fare Unit: Expect ‘Continuity’ of Operations When Hitachi Takes Over
The head of fare-systems supplier Thales RCS confirmed that there will be a “continuity” of operations for the vendor after Hitachi Rail completes its acquisition of Thales Ground Transportation Systems, of which RCS is a part.
Jean-Marc Reynaud, CEO of Thales Revenue Collection Systems, told Mobility Payments that the €1.7 billion
Tip Sheet: Vix Chief Ross Dismisses Talk of Merger with Kuba
Vix Technology CEO Aaron Ross told Mobility Payments that even though he will continue to head up both Vix and Kuba and that the two fare vendors share a private equity owner and have a close working relationship, there are no plans for the companies to merge.
That echoes comments last month from Ross’ boss, Steve Gallagher, chairman of both Vix and private
Denmark’s Much-Anticipated Mobile-Ticketing App Will Launch as Pilot This Year before Backers Seek to Scale It Up
Danish fare-collection company Rejsekort & Rejseplan, or RKRP, plans to launch a pilot of its high-profile nationwide mobile-ticketing service sometime in 2024 and will offer open-loop payments to customers who cannot or will not use the new mobile service, RKRP CEO Kasper Schmidt said Wednesday.
Schmidt told Mobility Payments he could not say exactly when his company’s pay-as-you-go mobile-