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    1. Technology
    2. Fare Collection

    American Express working to expands tap-and-go payment on transit

    June 14, 2024
    American Express introduced its Enterprise Transit Solution in 2021 to work with transit merchants to help move more people more efficiently through the ticketing process.
    Related To: American Express
    American Express
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    American Express is working to create easier and more efficient contactless payment options within the transit industry. 

    “Transit is an important everyday spend category that can cement our cards to top of wallet status,” said Raymond Joabar, group president, global merchant & network services. “For many of our card members in the U.S., transit purchases are a daily occurrence where the average transaction is about $2 to $3 in the U.S. depending on where you live translating to a $200B+ opportunity globally.”

    American Express introduced its Enterprise Transit Solution in 2021 to work with transit merchants to help move more people more efficiently through the ticketing process.

    “Through transit, we are engaging tens of millions of card members who take public transportation daily. Amex is accepted by almost 600 transit authorities around the globe and 81 of those are live with tap-to-pay. As more transit authorities convert to open loop technology, our cards can be accepted more easily,” said Matthew Robinson, EVP, network and acquirer solutions, global merchant & network services.

    Card members can use their Amex to tap, pay and go in major cities around the world. 

    Canada

    Amex has expanded to 11 transit agencies in Ontario since launching contactless payments on Metro Vancouver's transportation network, TransLink, in 2019. The latest is the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) which includes buses, streetcars and subways across Canada’s largest city. Amex also provided eligible card members with limited time offers to earn statement credits on their card when they tapped to pay.

    Hong Kong and Taiwan

    As of October 2023, card members in Hong Kong have been able to pay for transit fares with their Amex card when traveling with The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited (KMB). And since March 2024, Star Ferry and Hong Kong Tramways now accept American Express. Tap-to-pay subway acceptance with Amex cards was also enabled with Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation in Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s second largest city.

    Japan

    Since 2001, commuters in Japan have used pre-paid contactless cards. Card members could start to use their Amex to tap-to-pay in 2022. In 2023, the percentage of cashless payments in the country ratio was 39.3 percent, showing a steady increase to achieve the Japanese government’s goal of around 40 percent by 2025.

    Now, Japan has been phasing in a new system that enables transit riders to use participating credit cards and digital wallets to pay. Amex teamed up with international payment brand, JCB, to offer a contactless payment solution for public transit. 

    New York City Metro Area

    Amex worked with New York’s interconnected transit system operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) and New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit), to integrate acceptance into the existing transit infrastructure. This means that Amex card members can have a trusted and reliable payment experience when taking public transit across the New York City Metro Area.