Open payment pilot for mass transit enters phase two

An open payment pilot for mass transit entered stage two on the East Coast. Cubic Transportation Systems Inc., developer of the PATCO Wave & Pay ANYWHERE Visa Prepaid Card, said Port Authority Transit Corp. (PATCO) mass transit riders will be able to use near field communication-enabled contactless payment cards, or a virtual card via a mobile wallet, to pay for fares at gates and parking terminals. PATCO operates the high-speed rail line between Southern New Jersey and Philadelphia.

Cubic said the PATCO pilot is designed to speed up the payment process at mass transit facilities and gain information on how to better deploy and operate open payment mass transit systems in the future, which will include a deployment in Chicago where Cubic is under contract to deliver a system.

During phase one of the pilot, PATCO riders made contactless payments with the PATCO co-branded Wave & Pay card – designed specifically for the pilot. Wave & Pay cards are still available for PATCO riders at www.patcopilot.com/ .

Concurrently with the introduction of phase two, Cubic launched the Ride Free for 100 Days Contest, which is open to PATCO riders. "We want to reward PATCO riders for participating in this pilot, and a contest with several winners is a fun way to do it," said Steve Brunner, Vice President and Regional Director for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic at Cubic.

Three PATCO riders will win $600 each. The funds will be loaded onto their Wave & Pay cards. Cubic said that once the pilot ends, the Wave & Pay card will continue to be accepted wherever Visa Inc.-branded debit cards are accepted.

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