TAP ON, TAP OFF SCHEME TAKES OVER A MILLION PAYMENTS IN ITS FIRST FOUR MONTHS & IS HIGHLY COMMENDED AT TRANSPORT TICKETING AWARDS IN TICKETING TECHNOLOGY OF THE YEAR CATEGORY.
Today, Littlepay, Ticketer and Go-Ahead announce that the multi-operator, Tap On, Tap Off ticketing system they launched last September has reached an incredible milestone. The scheme, which was Highly Commended at the Transport Ticketing Awards this week in the Ticketing Technology of the Year category, has processed one million transactions in just four months.
Littlepay worked with ticketing technology partner Ticketer to introduce Tap On, Tap Off readers to Go-Ahead’s Brighton & Hove and Metrobus fleets. Offering a simple way to pay for travel across both services, the system invites passengers to Tap On and Tap Off at the start and end of each journey using a contactless EMV payment method (Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay).
The scheme saw the first deployment of Littlepay’s ‘multi-operator capping’ technology, which allows daily fare caps to be applied over multiple operators’ fare structures. Passengers automatically pay the best price for the journeys they make on the day after tapping on.
Passengers in Sussex, Kent and Surrey have embraced the ease and convenience of this new digital payments system, experiencing reduced boarding times and cost-savings as a result. Enthusiastic uptake has confirmed strong demand for fast, frictionless payment experiences.
Over 1 million Tap On, Tap Off transactions completed – 70,000 per week and rising
34,400 passengers experienced savings as a result of fare caps
Tap-on, tap-off contactless used to pay for 29.2% of on-bus payments*
Less than 10% of passengers on Brighton & Hove buses are now paying with cash
Brighton & Hove Buses’ Commercial Director Nick Hill says: “Tap On, Tap Off contactless has made it even easier to use our services without passengers needing to know the fare or how many journeys they’ll make. This is reflected in the strong take-up locally and the fact that fewer people are paying by cash on the bus than ever before. In turn, that can make boarding quicker, helping to make everyone’s journey a little bit smoother.”
NEXT-LEVEL ‘PAYMENTS AS A SERVICE’
The Tap On, Tap Off, multi-operator ticketing scheme was Highly Commended in the Ticketing Technology of the Year category at the Transport Ticketing Awards on January 28th at London’s Science Museum. Littlepay and Ticketer share the award with Hammock.
Amin Shayan, CEO of Littlepay, says: “We’re thrilled with the award, which recognises the contribution our ‘multi-operator capping’ technology brings to transit payments. It makes it simple to pay for using several services without pre-planning, always getting the best value fares. We look forward to bringing multi-operator, multi-modal ticketing schemes to cities across Europe and globally, so that many more passengers can benefit from this seamless payment experience.”
John Clarfelt, CEO of Ticketer, says: “By making bus travel more accessible and convenient, the benefits of Tap On, Tap Off are significant for everyone. Passengers have access to a new, convenient and economical payment method, boarding times are significantly reduced and operators further benefit from a new wealth of journey pattern data. It’s great to hear that passengers are increasingly embracing this technology and we are sure it will encourage more people to take the bus.”
Katy Taylor, Go-Ahead’s Group Commercial and Customer Director, says: “Buses connect people to employment, education, and essential appointments. Offering capped fares via contactless makes it even easier for people to leave the car at home and make their journeys in a healthy and sustainable way. We’re really pleased with the positive feedback we have had from customers who have used our Tap-On, Tap-Off contactless, and will be rolling it out to other Go-Ahead companies to benefit more customers nationwide.”
*Based on data for one week – WC January 6th 2020
About Littlepay www.littlepay.com
Simplicity is at the heart of Littlepay. Our agile payments platform gives transit agencies and operators a smooth journey to contactless. Using a tap-to-pay solution, powered by Littlepay, riders can pay for their journeys with a contactless EMV card or digital wallet. Fast, frictionless payment enhances their experience of using public transport. Our platform is device agnostic and fits into myriad payment ecosystems, answering common integration challenges. There’s no upfront capital commitment, no vendor lock-in and deployment is possible within just a few weeks. Our technology delivers seamless payment journeys from the get-go, along with operational efficiencies and valuable insights into purchasing and travelling behaviour.
For further information about Littlepay contact: Catherine Goddard, 07795 251 655, catherine@littlepay.com
About Go-Ahead www.go-ahead.com
Go-Ahead is a leading UK public transport operator, providing high quality services in the bus and rail sectors. Employing around 28,000 people across the country, over one billion passenger journeys are undertaken on our services each year. We are committed to operating our companies in a safe, socially and environmentally responsible way. In addition to the travelling public, our customers include the Department for Transport,Transport for London (TfL) and local authorities.
For further information about Go-Ahead please contact:
Tiffany Nicole
07870 982 230
Tiffany.nicole@go-ahead.com
About Brighton & Hove and Metrobus www.buses.co.uk www.metrobus.co.uk
Giving you the freedom to connect with the people and places you value most.
For further information about Brighton & Hove please contact:
Marie Sansom
01273 886 218 or Ext 218 (internal), 07773 242 597 or 07576 862 448
Marie.Sansom@buses.co.uk
For further information please contact:
Mercedes Llewellyn
mercedes.llewellyn@ticketer.co.uk