Vix Technology Broadens Payment Options at the Utah Transit Authority by Supporting its New Prepaid, Contactless Card, FAREPAY, Available Now for Riders
Seattle and Salt Lake (PRWEB) October 17, 2013 -- Vix Technology, one of the world’s leading electronic fare collection companies, is announcing the integration of third party prepaid contactless card products into the open-payment, electronic fare collection (EFC) platform called Vix eO (easy and open). This new product, called UTA FAREPAY, is deployed in Salt Lake City for UTA where institution issued contactless cards, bank issued contactless credit/debit cards, ISIS mobile wallet, and Google Wallet are already used as payment methods, since 2009.
The Vix payment system is account-based and the back-office software manages ridership processing -taps, trips, journeys, fare calculations, transfer rules, payment options and handles agency settlement and complex fare rules. For agencies, the value of an open-architecture solution provides flexibility and ensures a future-proof system that reduces costs and improves performance.
On behalf of UTA, Vix partnered with InComm, one of the world’s leading prepaid card network providers to support the use of prepaid contactless cards for riders to use for payment on all services offered by UTA. FAREPAY allows customers to simply purchase a fare card at existing retailers throughout Salt Lake City, online or UTA agency stores, then fund their account and use it to tap on and off buses and trains.
Providing new electronic payment options helps riders move away from handling cash, reduces bus dwell time, and furnishes transit agencies with vital ridership reporting to improve service planning and operational efficiencies. Riders aren’t required to have exact change or spend valuable time at ticket vending machines.
“The Vix EFC platform is mission-critical for our customers. It provides the foundation for a great commuter experience and reduces operating cost for transit agencies. As a result, our systems must be able to effortlessly and rapidly process large volumes of passenger transactions regardless of the payment media,” said Doug Thomas, general manager, Americas, at Vix Technology.
“With the integration of prepaid cards and a wide retail distribution, riders have even more choices on how to pay. The detailed ridership reports we now get from the Vix system enables us to make smarter, more informed operational decisions,” said Clair Fiet, Chief Technology Officer for UTA.
Benefits of the Vix eO account-based fare collection system include:
• Fast and hassle-free – no need to carry cash, find exact change, or keep track of paper tickets.
• Lost card protection – tickets and passes are saved in the rider’s account, even if the card is lost.
• Easy account management – reload via phone, web, retail outlet, or choose auto-load
• Convenient – buy fare cards through a large network of retail locations
• Contactless – nothing to swipe or insert, just tap the card or phone on the reader at the station, turnstile or bus.
About Vix Technology:
As a global transportation solutions innovator with worldwide headquarters in Australia and North America headquarters in Seattle, Vix Technology transforms the way people connect and commute. Other Vix projects include the Hong Kong Octopus Card, Singapore EzLink, Beijing ACC and the Melbourne Metcard. Vix EFC solutions allow commuters to pay fares using their NFC-enabled mobile devices, transit, bank-issued or prepaid contactless cards. Vix’s EFC systems also provide sophisticated public transportation features on demand, such as checking card balances, adding funds and planning and tracking journeys. In Utah, Vix supports over 9.9 million trips a year and in Seattle, the ORCA system built by Vix supports over 104 million annual trips.
About UTA:
Established in 1970, UTA has become a multi-modal transportation leader. UTA’s services are 100% accessible with a fleet of more than 600 buses and paratransit vehicles, 400 van pools, 146 light rail vehicles, 63 commuter rail cars, and 18 locomotives. UTA operates in 6 counties along the Wasatch Front including 36 miles of light rail and 90 miles of commuter rail. In 2012, UTA’s ridership was approximately 43 million boardings.
Toby Holmes, Vix Technology, http://www.vixtechnology.com, +1 (206) 909-9877, [email protected]
Share this article