Mastercard has announced its collaboration with the Department of Transport and Main Road (TMR) Queensland, enabling contactless payments across the Gold Coast Light Rail network as part of the transit authority’s new smart ticketing solution.
The rollout of contactless payments means visitors to the city will be able to use debit and credit cards or their mobile wallets on enabled devices to tap on and off as they move around on Gold Coast Light Rail. The trial demonstrates how contactless ticketing can make travel across the Gold Coast and Queensland more convenient and efficient for local commuters and visitors.
“Mastercard has worked closely with the Department of TMR Queensland on upgrading its network and is pleased to be a leading payment network within the initial trial demonstrating this innovative technology on the Gold Coast Light Rail,” said Mike Rowe, Vice President, Acceptance Products, Mastercard. “The launch is a significant step towards a more seamless experience for the people of Queensland and its visitors who can now simply tap their Mastercard card/wallet and receive an Adult fare. Mastercard looks forward to continuing the partnership with the department and future expansion in 2021.”
Mastercard is focused on the smooth implementation of the transit technology which will improve the customer experience by simplifying the process of buying a ticket. The trial is phase one of a staged upgrade that will see Smart Ticketing progressively rolled out across South East Queensland and 18 regional urban centres by the end of 2022.
“Around the world, Mastercard continues to combine data-driven insights with innovative technology to make cities more inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Mastercard believes that these insights can help government bodies better understand how to make cities more efficient,” concluded Mike Rowe.
Mastercard was the first technology and payment solutions provider to bring contactless payment to public transport in Australia. Not only is this solution a massive boon for customers, it also provides valuable insights to governments to encourage smarter and more efficient ways to travel, improving the traveller experience in cities.
Mastercard has kick-started a new model of public–private partnerships, City Possible, that bring together cities with a united private sector to solve system-wide challenges in areas such as transportation, economic development and digital inclusion.
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