Littlepay, MST (Monterey Salinas Transit) and Google Wallet have launched an enriching experience that enhances passenger experience to an unprecedented level of transparency and convenience in tracking their travel spending.

MST provides bus services to the greater Monterey and Salinas areas in California. Its brand vision – to connect communities and create opportunity while being kind to our planet is underpinned by a determination to embrace innovation that elevates the passenger experience.

Having implemented open-loop payments across its network in partnership with Littlepay, MST wanted to overcome a common barrier to customer loyalty: the experience is limited to anonymous contactless payments. While open-loop transit continues to grow in popularity amid tap-and-pay convenience, operators cannot communicate with passengers in real time as part of the contactless payments experience. 

Transparency is key

MST understands the value of creating a pathway that fosters meaningful relationships with users of contactless payments. To achieve this, it has teamed up with Littlepay and Google Wallet to enhance passenger experience and provide new and useful travel and payment information via their phones.

Passengers can opt into the Google Wallet MST Transit Card and gain access to real-time travel and payment history, progress towards the next fare cap and the savings being made. This empowers them to feel more in control of their spending.

“We are happy to collaborate with Google Wallet, Littlepay, and Cal-ITP on this newest innovation to the MST Tap2Ride program, making it easier to view not just the proof of that payment but their progress toward daily, weekly, and monthly pay-as-you-go fare caps—in real-time after each tap with a Google Wallet MST Transit Card,”

said MST General Manager/CEO, Carl Sedoryk

Unlocking clarity and convenience

An intuitive two-step registration process unlocks access to the Google Wallet transit experience for MST passengers, allowing them to see:

• Insights and Rewards: Understand progress towards free rides and promotions
• Alerts: Take action to remediate incomplete journeys, payment issues, and more
• Activity: View their overall travel summary and recent activity with MST. This makes the daily transit experience more transparent, convenient, and reliable.
• News: Receive informative communications from MST, like new routes and route changes.

“This ability to notify passengers when their ride is free represents huge progress. Littlepay is delighted to play a key role in motivating greater use of the MST network. By allowing passengers to track their trips with the Google Wallet MST Transit Card, they can travel knowing they have been charged correctly. This seamless communication provides a sense of membership and loyalty organically.”

said Sheryll Ricketts, Head of Solutions at Littlepay