In the ever-evolving world of public transit, the demand for a frictionless and secure travel experience is at an all-time high. As passengers increasingly expect seamless travel, the need for more interconnected transit networks has never been greater. Passengers now expect to move across cities, switching between buses, trains, and other modes of transport, using whichever payment method suits them. However, providing this frictionless payment experience for passengers poses a challenge for transit operators: how to consistently recognise a passenger as they move between different operators, payment methods, and sales channels, whether they're tapping in with a phone at the gate, buying a ticket online, or paying at a kiosk in a different region.

‍Different Payments, Same Passenger 

Imagine this everyday scenario: A commuter taps in with their debit card for their morning journey, but later uses Apple Pay, which is linked to the same funding account for their evening trip. While the same person uses the same underlying funding account (PAR), traditional payment systems can’t recognise them as the same passenger. The result? Fragmented travel records and, even more frustrating for passengers, operational issues like penalty fares when they check in with one method and check out with another. Because the system can’t link the two taps, it assumes the passenger never completed their journey, charging them the penalty fare for not checking out. This recognition gap isn’t just a mild inconvenience; it directly impacts passenger travel experience and creates significant revenue management challenges for transit operators.

The Solution: Comprehensive Tokenisation

Comprehensive tokenisation goes beyond the usual tokenisation of payment methods like PANs or DPANS; it also creates a token for the Primary Account Reference (PAR), which links the two. This two-layer system allows public transport operators to link multiple payment methods, such as contactless bank cards, mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay, wearable devices, and even online payments, to a single travel account. This enables account-based ticketing, where fares are calculated and charged after travel, based on a backend passenger account rather than the payment method used at the gate.

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For passengers, this means ultimate convenience: they can switch effortlessly between devices, using a phone in the morning, a watch at lunch, and a card in the evening, without interruptions or extra setup. The system handles everything in the background, ensuring a seamless travel experience without requiring user registration or app downloads.

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Vayapay’s comprehensive tokenisation delivers this, linking physical and digital payment methods through dual-layer tokenisation of the PAN, DPAN, and PAR. Built on financial sector standards, it supports interoperability and omnichannel payment experiences across operators and regions without needing proprietary systems or passenger registration. Backed by deep payments expertise, Vayapay helps public transport operators simplify complexity, protect revenue, and deliver seamless, connected journeys.

The Future of Travel is Frictionless

As cities grow and mobility networks become more complex, modern payment technologies become increasingly critical. Transit operators need solutions that process payments securely and provide frictionless passenger experiences across various journey patterns. Vayapay’s comprehensive tokenisation supports both needs, offering scalable solutions that enhance the travel experience while simplifying complex operational demands.

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Ready to liberate your passengers from payment boundaries? Contact us today to discover how Vayapay can transform your transit system with frictionless journeys across all payment methods and sales channels.

‍About Vayapay

Vayapay disrupts public transit fare collection with its omnichannel payment platform. Our technology delivers frictionless payment for mobility using its master profile capabilities, advanced tokenisation, and interoperability by design. With the Vayapay payment service, transit operators benefit from financial innovations that enhance passenger experiences. 

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Vayapay is part of XPP. XPP brings together the capabilities, experience, and expertise of Vayapay, Ginger, KUARIO, and Pecunda, merging strengths across urban mobility, higher education, corporate vending and catering, public spaces, and e-commerce to create integrated payment products that work smarter, faster, and more intuitively for your customers.

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‍For more information, visit www.vayapay.com

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