Meet the Jetsons? Visa and MasterCard Unveil In-Car Food Ordering, Transit Innovations (March 3, 2015)
New mobile payments and loyalty management technologies envisioned for public transportation and automobiles may spark some big changes in commuters’ daily routines, according to announcements from Visa and MasterCard this week at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Visa said it’s joined with Pizza Hut and Accenture to develop a “connected car” that enables drivers to safely and conveniently order take-out food from their cars, including automatically paying and notifying the restaurant of the car’s location and arrival for prompt food preparation and pick-up. The concept combines Visa’s online payment service Visa Checkout, BLE, beacon technology and cellular phone service with hands-free dashboard controls and interactive voice-control technology, all integrated by Accenture. The companies will test the car for three months this spring in Northern California. “We initially focused on a specific use case—ordering a meal on your way home—but we envision a world where consumers can seamlessly make many of their everyday purchases from the car,” said Bill Gajda, Visa’s senior vice president of innovation and strategic partnerships.
MasterCard separately announced a new global partnership with Cubic Transportation Systems with the goal of converting more of the $200 billion spent annually in cash for public transportation journeys to more efficient digital payments, while enriching riders’ experiences with customized apps and services. MasterCard will develop new features for Cubic’s “NextCity” platform, including real-time updates and guidance for public-transit riders; incentives to use alternate routes during congested periods; flexible pricing based on demand, and ways for retailers near transportation hubs to alert travelers to personalized offers and rewards, the companies said. MasterCard’s MasterPass digital payment service will be integrated into Cubic’s “NextWave” ticketing and journey-planning app for commuters using public transportation in major cities. MasterCard and Cubic already work together on public transit payments services in Chicago and London, and the alliance will strengthen the companies’ efforts to improve the quality of life and better manage urban population growth and development, said Will Judge, head of urban mobility, MasterCard Enterprise Partnerships.
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