Mastercard Makes Digital Payments Push in Asia-Pacific Transit
Mastercard is making headway in advancing digital payments for transit passengers in Australia and bike-sharing consumers in Singapore.
The payments technology company is partnering with Transport for New South Wales to launch contactless ticketing payment for Sydney Ferries and has signed a separate memorandum of understanding to enable Masterpass in-app payments for Singapore’s Mobike, a smart bike-sharing service.
In what Mastercard calls an “Australian first,” commuters can use their Mastercard contactless cards or mobile wallets that have enabled Mastercard cards to tap on the Sydney Ferries. Supporting domestic and international Mastercard cards, the trial will demonstrate how contactless ticketing can make travel in Sydney more convenient, easy and efficient for both residents and tourists, according to an announcement.
“Australians are continuously embracing digital payment technology, with 82 percent using tap-and-go to make payments every week,” said Doug Howe, vice president of travel and transit development, Mastercard. Citing figures from Mastercard’s 2016 Digital Purchasing Survey, Howe noted that it “makes good sense to extend this option to transport.”
Meanwhile in Singapore, Mobike and Mastercard plan to enable riders to make fast and secure in-app payments via Masterpass. The partnership also will provide insights into the way urban residents travel, and enable local city planners to examine Singapore’s transportation systems and how they can be made smarter and more flexible, the companies said.
The news from Mastercard comes on the same day that Transport for London is reporting a record of more than 1 billion contactless transactions for passengers on the capital city’s transit system.
