In a data-led world, seeing is believing. Just as retail consumers enjoy seeing the impact of a voucher code on their online shopping cart, riders of public transit feel reassured by hard evidence of value. 

Traditional period passes have a clear proposition. Riders know they are saving money when they travel with a certain frequency within a given period. Concessions make sense to them when they show their ID and the price of a paper ticket is reduced. With contactless payments, the sometimes mysterious world of tap-to-ride technology creates questions.

What happens if I tapped twice by mistake? Have I hit a fare cap yet? I got on a bus no problem before, so why has my card been declined this time? Without data at hand, unanswered questions can lead to a negative customer experience.

Littlepay Traveller customer portal

Littlepay makes real-time contactless payments data easily accessible. A customer portal comes as standard with our contactless ticketing infrastructure, offered to our transit agency ‘merchants’ in three formats. They can opt for our free branded portal, a white label portal with their own brand, or an API that plugs contactless payments data into another platform.

Giving riders this clear view of trips, taps and fare caps plays an essential role in achieving National Bus Strategy objectives in the UK, and other government guidelines around the world, which focus on making fares and payments simpler. Passengers not only see their travel and payment history any time they want to, but they also get an understanding of the value they received through automatic fare capping, discounts or concessions.

“This effortless payment experience motivates a shift in transit payments behaviour. Once transit users understand how the contactless payments system works and can see how they’ve benefited, it creates a powerful argument for continued use.

They learn fast that there is nothing simpler just to pay for trips with the card or device they carry everywhere. By overcoming the hurdle of winning their confidence, you guarantee they won’t return to the faff of buying tickets or topping up transit cards.”

Paul Griffin, Global Head of Commercial at Littlepay

Data in the right place at the right time

Where possible, it makes sense to keep transit users engaged with a single interface that has become their go-to resource for journey planning and payments. That’s why Littlepay is working with leading mobility partners like Passenger to introduce contactless payments data into systems that riders already use.

Using an API, we have connected with our infrastructure to create a flow of contactless journeys information. Together with partners, we can support mutual transit agency and operator customers by sharing compelling data points, and activating passenger-focused services.

Contactless Journeys with Passenger

With our partner Passenger, collaboration has led to the launch of a Contactless Journeys portal. It offers a host of useful features for riders that use Passenger’s market-leading public transport apps:

1. Travel history

Enabling riders to view their full contactless payments and journey history gives them total clarity on their use of transit networks. This reporting history can help them resolve any issues quickly and simply.

2. Fare capping

Giving a clear view of fare capping benefits motivates repeat ridership. Riders can understand how to use transit systems most efficiently, making the most of fare caps and the opportunity for free travel.

3. Single interface

Riders can see all their contactless payments and travel history in the same app they use for planning journeys. There’s no need for multiple logins or switching between apps.

4. Real-time engagement

Connecting contactless payments with the app experience opens up exciting opportunities for proactive engagement such as real-time fare cap monitoring and usage notifications.

Just like in retail where contactless payments are ubiquitous when buying goods, riders on public transport expect the same from their travel experiences. Unlike retail, where you receive the goods and a receipt in return, bus travel using contactless lacks that visibility and physical evidence. 

Our integration with Littlepay puts contactless data directly in riders’ hands so they can see their journey history and associated savings, as they happen. Better visibility and transparency are key to encouraging behaviour shift and a future where shared transport comes first.”

Greg Hepworth, Head of Product for Passenger

Contactless payments data – an operator’s perspective

The Oxford Bus Company, a longstanding Littlepay customer, went live with Passenger’s Contactless Journeys portal in July 2022. The operator, which provides tap-on, tap-off contactless ticketing to its riders, was eager to give them visibility of the benefits of the system – and value of travelling by bus.

“High quality, up-to-the-minute information on bus journeys is really important to our riders. Being able to show them what they’ve spent, when they hit caps, and how much they’ve saved, will persuade more of them to ditch their paper tickets.”

Luke Marion, Interim Managing Director for Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel

If you’d like to know more about Littlepay Traveller, our customer portal, or our collaborations with public transport app and website provider, Passenger, please get in touch.

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