Special Report–France: Strong Growth in Open Loop, but Mainly for Occasional Riders; Paris Still Missing in Action
Nearly 50 cities or regions have adopted open-loop payments in France or are scheduled to launch within the next year (see table on this page), with more in the pipeline.
It may be premature, however, to call France an open-loop hotspot like the UK and some other countries. The vast majority of French transit authorities that support open loop restrict the service to single rides.
Open Loop Has Limitations for Riders and Transit Agencies, Says French Closed-Loop Tech Supplier
Users of open-loop payments in France are mainly tourists and occasional riders paying for single tickets–not the transit agencies’ regular customers–the head of a company that implements closed-loop mobile NFC ticketing in France, told Mobility Payments.
Exclusive: French Cities Make Move to Open-Loop Payments, Though Paris Holds Back
France had fallen behind such open-loop payments hotspots in Europe as the UK and Italy. But it has been catching up over the past couple of years, starting with small to medium-sized cities.