This whitepaper explores the unique value proposition of transit cards in mobile wallets and how they differ from traditional payment or loyalty cards.
It also presents Thales’ new white-label EMV transit card offer powered by Mastercard's M/chip technology and Thales' Gemalto D1 platform – a combination providing transit operators with the ultimate user experience for transit cards.
This solution offers a best-in-class EMV-based ticketing solution, resulting in lower system costs, ease of use and accessibility for travellers, and increased passenger numbers.
Here’s a summary.
Mobile wallets are much more than containers for digital cards
Mobile wallets are no longer just containers for digital cards. They offer a unique user experience that transit operators and broader society can benefit from.
Transit cards, in particular, now being offered in digital form by an increasing number of cities, require special attention in mobile wallets due to their high frequency of use and need for precise messaging and user-friendly services.
They offer a unique user experience compared to traditional payment or loyalty cards.
For example, cities such as Hong Kong, Paris, Los Angeles, and San Francisco offer contactless transit card digitisation, providing users with convenience and contactless options.
Going digital offers advantages, especially for transit cards.
The ubiquity of mobile phones and mobile wallets makes them ideal for:
- selling travel and fare products,
- promoting additional services such as micro-mobility and ride-hailing,
- incentivising customers to travel off-peak.
Incentives, promotions, and information about past and future journeys and fares must be delivered via mobile wallets, which have become the instrument of choice.
Needless to say, the fight for a position at the heart of MaaS (Mobility as a Service) networks is intense.
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What wallets need to offer to riders
Transit cards are special for users, transit operators and broader society
Transit operators must guarantee quick and easy access to fare products to retain existing customers, win back lost customers, and attract new business. They also need to control the issuance of cards linked to mobility accounts to maximise their chances of success in multi-mobility MaaS ecosystems.
But there’s more.
Transit cards help address broader societal objectives such as financial inclusion for the unbanked and equitable fares adapted to local populations.
Thales introduces the ultimate user experience for transit cards powered by Mastercard’s M/chip technology
Thales has launched a new white-label EMV transit card offer powered by Mastercard's M/chip technology and Thales' Gemalto D1 platform.
The solution is tailored to the transit ticketing market. It allows transit operators to run a single system, a single acceptance for both open and closed-loop ticketing.
This rationalisation leads to lower system costs and running and maintenance costs.
Thales acts as a BIN sponsor. The Gemalto D1 platform enables transit operators to issue transit cards, encompassing physical and digital cards and optimising the digital experience.
Transit operators can choose between co-branded and white-label cards powered by Mastercard's M/chip technology.
With the white label option, transit operators enjoy complete control of transit accounts and the ticketing scheme.
The result?
A best-in-class solution for EMV-based ticketing powered by Mastercard's M/chip technology.
Globally, Thales has participated in hundreds of payment projects and successfully implemented the digitisation of Octopus transit cards in Hong Kong and Navigo cards in Paris.
The solution combines extensive experience in issuing physical and digital cards in all major wallets with an in-depth understanding of the user experience in ticketing use cases.
Gemalto D1 is compatible with any existing ticketing back office that is account-based and supports EMV. The solution, offered as a service, reuses all the connections forged between Thales and the primary wallet providers.
Thales provisions the purchased cards and tickets into the wallets, and users can top up their accounts via the wallet or the operator's app, with Thales managing the purchasing and payment flows.
The benefits?
The solution is expected to ease access to infrastructure, increase passenger numbers, and reduce the use of ticket vending machines, kiosks, and cash.
Good reading.