Masabi and Littlepay have announced a partnership to deliver a contactless EMV (cEMV) in a box solution that can be deployed across all modes of public transit.
The partnership will see Masabi combine its back-office fare-engine and Justride Validator with Littlepay’s transit-specialist payment gateway. By integrating with local and global acquirers, the companies can deliver transport operators and authorities a scalable, hybrid solution combining ticketing and payments technology. Passengers will simply be able to tap their contactless bank cards or mobile phones to travel, removing the potential risks of handling cash or physically interacting with ticketing infrastructure.
“In addition to providing an invaluable tool to minimize customer contact with cash and existing ticketing infrastructure, contactless EMV can help boost ridership through a streamlined ticketing and boarding processes, maximizing convenience,” said Brian Zanghi, CEO at Masabi. “In this time of unprecedented change in the public transport sector we are delighted to be working with Littlepay to offer transport authorities and operators a product that can promote simple, convenient, seamless and safe travel.”
The use of contactless bank cards and mobile payments to ride on public transport is referred to as contactless EMV (cEMV). These contactless ticketing systems are unique in their ability to allow passengers to pay for travel using what they already have in their pocket. The correct fare to charge a passenger’s credit/debit card or digital wallet is automatically calculated, eliminating the need to buy a ticket, create an account or analyze ticket prices. cEMV systems make a lot of sense not only for passengers, but also for authorities who can move away from the costs of cash handling and issuing paper tickets or plastic smart cards.
Masabi says cEMV in a box removes the complexity of deploying cEMV solutions by reducing the project and PCI certification burden and risk. By combining services, the partnership removes the need for authorities and operators to procure separately for an AFC provider, payments gateway and acquiring bank. It also gives authorities flexibility to apply fare rules and capping to offer best value to their passengers, while reducing transaction fees.
“We already know passengers enjoy the convenience of paying for travel with their contactless bank card or a digital wallet on their smartphone,” said Amin Shayan, CEO of Littlepay. “With hygiene and frictionless passenger flow through stations and on vehicles essential at this time, we’ve seen demand escalate. Where traditionally agencies and operators faced complex, drawn-out processes and expense to assemble, secure and deploy a solution; we have taken away the headache. We’re pleased to be working with Masabi to offer cEMV in a box, which makes contactless EMV payments immediately accessible for operators of all sizes.”
