Smart Ticketing: Contactless payment with the bankcard. (Image: NationalExpress)
Karlsruhe, 6 May 2019
Major public transport provider, National Express West Midlands has been awarded Mass Transit Transaction Model (MTT) accreditation by banking giant Barclaycard, thanks to INIT’s innovative ticket solution.
The in-depth EMV (Europay International, Mastercard and Visa) accreditation is in recognition of its contactless bankcard payment solution achieving full compliance with VISA and Mastercard’s latest transit implementation guides.
Jens Mullak, Managing Director of INIT UK, said: “We are thrilled to have our solution accredited for National Express Travel West Midlands. We’ve worked closely with the major transport provider to develop the technology to meet its business objectives, supporting efficiencies and improving passenger satisfaction. We believe that we are the first smart ticketing solutions provider to have achieved this accreditation, it’s an exciting step for the business and transformative within the industry.”
Martin Hancock, Development Director, National Express West Midlands said: “The INIT system gives us the technology to realise the benefits of modern ticketing by fully integrating with our other on-bus equipment. One of the most important benefits for National Express has been how well INIT worked with our drivers to make the system as intuitive as possible. We’ve had great feedback from all our garages about how the INIT kit saves drivers time and tasks, so they can concentrate on their driving. INIT has also provided us with more legible tickets that give clarity for our passengers. The flexibility in ticket layout has helped us tackle fraud by using things like a word of the day.”
The MTT accreditation means that liability for failed payment transactions is transferred to the card issuer, and reduces the transaction cost for the transport provider.
In order to receive this accreditation for National Express, INIT’s open loop, account-based ticketing solution underwent rigorous testing scenarios and were seen to meet the requirements of the major banking providers.
Backed by NMI (former Creditcall) omnichannel gateway platforms, INIT’s account-based ticketing solution is a faster, more convenient alternative to traditional cash payments. The contactless solution forms part of the business‘ wider offering to provide a full suite of solutions to public transport companies.
INIT’s technology is driven by customer and service user demands, including both passenger and transport provider staff; commenting, Jens added: “Automatic best-fare capping gives public transport users one less thing to think about and confidence in the knowledge that their best-fare has been calculated without any upfront cost or forward planning. It also speeds up boarding times and reduces cash in the system. We’re one of the few solution providers that can provide a turnkey open account-based ticketing solution that importantly also offers cross-network integration of other public transport providers. It’s an exciting development, as this interoperability gives customers the platform for future growth.”
INIT’s contactless technology has been in use across all 1,600 of National Express West Midlands buses since 2018, and has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from customers.
Head of Department Corporate Marketing
init SE
Germany
Phone: +49 721 6100 113
Fax: +49 721 6100 399