Passengers using public transportation in Sofia, Bulgaria, can now pay using contactless following introduction of a new ticketing system
Smart city payment company O-City has partnered with DSK Bank in Bulgaria and its subsidiary DSK Mobile and local operator CNS, which is delivering the new ticketing system overseen by the Sofia Urban Mobility Centre, to introduce contactless payment.
Payment transformation
Together, the companies have accelerated the Bulgarian capital’s digital payment transformation in mass transit by enabling an open loop contactless EMV card to pay directly into the transport vehicle.
Some 3,900 validators have been installed across Sofia’s public ground transportation system including on buses, trams, trolleybuses, and riders can pay for their journey using contactless Visa or Mastercard bank cards issued by any bank or fintech company across the world or respective NFC mobile wallet.
The project will see 450 stations across the metro system accept payments in a second phase. With Visa Mass Transit and Mastercard Pay As You Go solutions, a payment can be processed in milliseconds and reduces the need for cash, as the bank card can be used as a ‘ticket’ on public transport.
“In cities around the world, transport is undergoing accelerated digital transformation, spurred on by pandemic concerns. Contactless is becoming a convenient and efficient reality everywhere, and there is simply no way back”
O-City ensures passengers can seamlessly and securely tap- to-pay with their bank card in public transport or any other means of payment, wallet, QR code and more. The roll-out has come at a time when the pandemic has boosted the adoption of contactless payments everywhere in response to social distancing and contact-free precautions.
In addition, O-City reports its platform delivers a supplemental web functionality that enables travellers to create a web profile online and register their cards via the Sofia Urban Mobility Centre (SUMC), where they can receive access to their travel history and charges applied as well as other fiscal information.