Contactless, tap-to-pay transactions make up one-third of all payments on a worldwide scale. This industry was already experiencing an increase before the pandemic, and now there is an excess of 300 million contactless cards are in circulation. Contactless payment systems are being accepted globally to offer a clean and safe process at the point of sale, which is of emphasized importance to individuals during their return to public transportation. A variety of payment networks have begun the process of assisting transit operators globally in switching over to an open-loop payment system, in which consumers will be able to just tap their contactless payment device rooftop-to-pay ride.
While the immediate benefit of tap-to-pay contactless payment may be related to health and a higher degree of hygiene, tap-to-pay also offers a much easier and less time-consuming process for purchasing physical tickets or cards for ride entry. In previous years, consumers frequently experienced issues with the various payment requirements that differed per transportation option. With the increasing adoption of tap-to-pay, the difficulty in finding out which payment method is necessary anytime you use a new transport provider would be completely rectified. This method introduces a universal transit experience on a worldwide scale that would be interchangeable anywhere you go and eliminates the challenges a multitude of users face on an everyday basis.
The contactless payment method for transportation was originally introduced in London and was seen as a revolution that allowed individuals to pay for various methods of transport in the same way they would purchase their coffee in the morning. There was no longer any necessity in paying for physical tickets or using an Oyster card to access any transport they needed. Major cities like New York, Boston, and Miami quickly followed their lead, seeing the potential in this new method of transit payment and its ability to lower cash handling expenses and the use of closed-loop cards. With their cloud-based payment system in place, agencies providing transport services are now given access to a convenient and low-cost method for contactless payments.
Outside the realm of transportation, contactless payments and readers have seen a vast amount of applications as more industries come to realize the improvements and efficiencies of their implementation in their respective platforms. With such an immensity in its level of utilization, contactless readers are being used for car washes, cash-free gaming, kiddie rides, and even in correlation with charitable donations. The possibilities are potentially limitless if the usefulness of these readers is fully recognized and applied to its full extent, which would make transactions in any given industry easier than ever before.
The Ingenico Open 1500 & 2500
The Ingenico Open 1500 & 2500 are members of a new generation of unattended devices that unite the finest aspects of the transport and payment world. These unique and innovative open readers can be integrated into steel or plastic enclosures such as busses, tram validators, and railway gates as well as kiosk mounts. They are PCI-certified and dedicated contactless readers that enable new use cases revolving around contactless ticketing, mobile, and IoT payments. The modules are also suitable for contactless payments in retail and hospitality such as retail lockers and QSR drive-thru. Design specifications and other noteworthy details are listed below.
Highest security
PCI PTS 5.1 certified, the Open 1500/2500 is natively designed to meet local regulations and ensure long-term compliance.
Contactless/NFC payment acceptance
The Open 1500/2500 enables all contactless payment methods: Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, CUP, Interact, Flash, ApplePay, Google Pay, IoT, and more.
Multiple use cases
The Open 1500/2500 can manage multiple use cases from contactless ticketing in transportation to QSR Drive-Thru in hospitality to even retail lockers.
Compliant with multiple standards
The Open 1500/2500 is compliant with standards for use in fixed or mobile environments across multiple industries (transport, retail, etc.).
Easy mechanical integration in steel enclosures: Open/2500
Thanks to its flush design and large contactless landing zone, the Open/2500 fits perfectly in steel enclosures in a bus or subway turnstile or into a kiosk for retail lockers and QSR drive-thrus. The part visible to consumers includes an RGB backlit landing zone and 6 rows of 4 LEDs
Easy mechanical integration in embedded validators or other outdoor enclosures: Open/1500
Thanks to its sleek design, the Open/1500 fits perfectly in a plastic validator in a bus or a
train or into a kiosk enclosure for retail lockers and QSR drive-thrus. The part visible to
consumers includes cklit RGB and RGB LEDs.
Powerful processor with large memory
Based on the most powerful processor of the Telium TETRA range with a large amount of memory, the Open/2500 has the flexibility to fit all open payment usage cases.
Highly ruggedized and durable
Thanks to its robust design (IK10) and high protection against water (IP65) the Open/2500 stands up to the most demanding indoor and outdoor environments. Thanks to an additional removable battery, the auxiliary battery life extends the device’s overall life.