Las Vegas Transit Agency Thought Tourists would Use Open-Loop Payments More than Residents; It was Wrong
When RTC of Southern Nevada, which serves Las Vegas and the surrounding region, launched open-loop payments in December 2023, agency officials thought most users would come from among the ranks of the mass of tourists that descend on the gambling and entertainment mecca every year.
But since enabling users to tap to pay with credit and debit cards and mobile wallets, the agency is seeing the opposite. Most users–around 80%–are residents, while tourists and other visitors make up the rest.
More Transit Agencies Seek to Eliminate Cash Using Retail Cash Points, Fintechs
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, elimination of cash has taken on greater urgency for transit agencies. Fare-collection system suppliers say they are seeing strong demand for cashless options, including linking their mobile ticketing and contactless closed-loop card products to retail networks where customers can use cash.
Transit Agency Sells Passes for Bikes and Buses through Trip-Planning App, though Cash Still Reigns
RTC of Southern Nevada, the main transit agency serving Las Vegas and the surrounding region, now enables customers to buy passes for bike share in addition to tickets for buses through the trip-planning Transit app. Although the implementation is relatively small, project backers say Las Vegas is the first U.S. city to launch bike share and transit passes in the same app.