Visa claims its new solution makes transitioning to tap to pay at transit turnstiles “faster, easier and less expensive”

New solution by Visa to boost contactless payments in transport. Source: shutterstock.com

Visa and Planeta Informatica announced the launch of new technology that enables public transit operators worldwide to implement contactless payments in a new way, faster and for a much lower cost.

The Visa Secure Access Module (SAM) allows transit organizations and operators to begin offering riders the ability to tap to pay with a contactless card, phone or wearable device, without the expense and technical requirements of replacing current turnstiles or terminal hardware.

Contactless payments are shaping the future of mass transit in major cities around the world, helping riders save valuable time by eliminating the need to stand in line to buy or re-load a ticket. For transit operators that have invested in turnstiles and terminal readers recently, the Visa SAM may be a cost-effective solution to offer the benefits of contactless transit experience. Rather than installing brand new turnstiles or hardware, transit operators can install the Visa SAM, which is based on secure EMV contactless technology, directly into existing systems, significantly decreasing cost and implementation time.

The Visa SAM is the first technology of its kind for the transit industry, available to all Visa Ready technology partners. Visa and Planeta Informatica have partnered with Ingenico Group to implement the Visa SAM as part of the launch of contactless transit with Metro Rio in late April.

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