Passenger taps into contactless payments trend with new all-in-one capabilities
UK public transport app and website provider, Passenger is helping more UK bus operators accommodate a shift in traditional payment methods by launching a new feature that gives bus users easier access to their contactless journey and payment history.
Passenger’s contactless journeys portal allows bus users using “Tap On, Tap Off” or other contactless payment systems to view their past journeys and how much they were charged every step of the way – all within existing operator platforms. The new feature means users will no longer have to switch between different apps or websites when planning their journeys and viewing travel and payment history.
The feature is designed to remove complexity from existing contactless payment data models, with all information presented in a user-friendly format.
Greg Hepworth, Head of Product at Passenger commented: “According to UK Finance, over 80% of people in the UK now use contactless, with contactless payments accounting for more than a quarter of all UK payments. It’s therefore essential that public transport operators are equipped with effective contactless capabilities to align with this growing trend. Our new contactless journeys portal complements existing contactless payment systems to make data as easy to digest as possible for the end user – improving the overall experience of travelling on public transport and empowering more people to opt for buses over their cars.
“One of the advantages of using contactless on a bus is that users don’t have to plan which ticket type they need to purchase, as the system works out the best value for their journeys made over time and charges them accordingly. Our contactless journeys feature builds on this benefit by breaking down costs and showing users exactly where their fare was ‘capped’, so they can be assured that they’ve been charged correctly. Soon, users will also receive personalised notifications and be proactively alerted about different elements of their journey, keeping them up to speed on their travel history.”
Passenger’s contactless journeys portal is also designed to be multi-operator friendly, so users travelling with various operators which have agreed to be part of joint “Tap On, Tap Off” schemes can easily access all their journey information in one place.
The new addition to Passenger’s product portfolio comes following the recent introduction of its real time information feature, which allows travellers to see when bus times are impacted by late-running or cancelled services, with expected arrival times viewable for each segment of their journey.
Greg Hepworth continued: “Improving customer experience is a top priority for operators, as it plays into key focus points of the National Bus Strategy. Travelling on public transport needs to be made as easy as possible to inspire patronage, and investment in technology is vital to drive this forwards. All our products are designed with customer experience at front of mind, and we are committed to continually adapting and introducing new innovations to support operators in their mission to encourage more passengers on board.”
Sean McLaughlin, Group Senior Solutions Manager at Go-Ahead Group added: “Our partnership with Passenger has brought fantastic customer feedback on a suite of new bus mobile apps and we are very interested in the new features around contactless journey information. Contactless payments have been a consistently growing area and one unlocking more flexibility around fares, suiting the preferred travel patterns of many new and existing customers. Passenger’s proactive approach to innovation around business needs is very welcome and we believe this development aligns with our desire to offer better customer insights all in one place.”
Passenger’s Contactless Journeys feature is available to public transport operators across the UK as part of its Premium package offering.
