Vix Technology Partners With InComm to Support First of Its Kind, Transit Fare Media
Seattle, WA (PRWEB) November 22, 2013 -- In response to a growing demand from transit agencies to provide greater convenience for ridership by expanding payment options, Vix Technology (USA) announces the integration of its eO electronic fare collection system with InComm’s prepaid, contactless and reloadable electronic fare card.
As announced last month, Vix and InComm partnered with the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) to launch the FAREPAY card, the first prepaid, account-based transit card utilizing InComm’s existing point-of-sale technology for loading and reloading value for transit payments on UTA’s transit system. Benefiting from InComm’s wide retail distribution network for prepaid cards, transit users in greater Salt Lake City area can now purchase a fare card, fund their account, and “tap” on and off any bus or train..
Vix Technology’s eO electronic fare collection system now supports this expanded payment option for all transit agency customers as a core part of the eO product.
Along with the addition of the FAREPAY card, the system built and maintained by Vix Technology for UTA already supports a variety of contactless payment choices, including: institution-issued contactless cards (including season passes from local ski resorts, employee IDs from local businesses, and student IDs from local schools), bank-issued contactless credit cards, ISIS mobile wallet, and Google Wallet.
Providing new payment options helps riders move away from handling cash, reduces bus dwell time, and furnishes transit agencies with vital ridership reporting to improve operational efficiencies. UTA cites that about 25% of its riders now pay with cash and could benefit from such cards. Riders won’t be required to have exact change every time they get on the bus or train. They also won’t have to spend as much time at ticket vending machines to buy train or bus tickets.
The new changes to the fare system allow cardholders to register their FAREPAY card online to protect against loss or theft. If the card is lost, the rider can cancel that card and the value remains in their account. Creating an online account also allows users to check balances, easily add more money to the card, or sign up for automatic reloads from a debit or credit card.
For under/un-banked or cash-preferred customers – prepaid cards can be purchased and accounts funded or reloaded with cash. A wide retail network, such as the one provided by InComm, allows riders to conveniently purchase fare cards at retail outlets located around the city. The abundance of retail outlets improves access for everyone, especially low-income riders. So far, over 300 retail locations in the greater Salt Lake City area have committed to selling the transit cards.
Benefits of account-based fare collection systems include:
• Fast and hassle-free – no need to carry cash, find exact change, or keep track of paper tickets.
• Lost card protection – when registered, 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. For more information, visit http://www.vixtechnology.com or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/vix_americas.
Toby Holmes, [email protected], http://www.vixtechnology.com, +1 (206) 204-8013, [email protected]
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