Contactless payments are being rolled out on KTEL buses, replacing using cash or waiting in line for paper tickets when traveling in 33 cities and islands.
Visa, NBG Pay and KTEL offer for the first time the possibility of contactless payments in Public Transport in our country, with national and international credit, debit and prepaid cards with the possibility of contactless transactions.
Larissa is the first city to host the new ticket payment system on its buses, with other cities to follow soon. By allowing card acceptance on buses in many cities in Greece, Visa, NBG Pay and KTEL are improving the experience for millions of passengers, helping them save time, reducing congestion and allowing them not to carry cash all the time.
With the activation of contactless payments in Public Transport, residents and visitors will be able to pay for their ticket simply by ‘swiping’ their card, mobile phone or watch (portable devices) at the ticket validation machines. This means they don’t have to worry about having cash, and there’s also no need to wait in line to buy tickets or find where to get them.
The implemented Visa solution is powered by Cybersource. It is part of an open payment processing platform that enables transportation organizations and payment acceptance solution providers to rapidly develop reliable, scalable, and secure digital payment solutions across card-present, contactless, and cardless (CNPCard) channels. not present), such as in-app payments. . This includes accepting and processing payments with cards from different companies, digital wallets, and alternative payments, along with value-added services such as fraud management, digital security tools, and data and analytics capabilities.
The objective
“Public transport is vital to the economy of cities. Passengers and visitors, from Greece and abroad, trust them to go to work, go to local businesses to buy basic necessities or for sightseeing and entertainment. In 2022, the Visa network processed more than 1 billion contactless payments worldwide in Mass Transit. By activating contactless payment systems on KTEL city buses, we aim to make the lives of millions of passengers easier, more convenient and safer. As tourism recovers, this technology is expected to further enhance the travel experience for those visiting Greek cities. With more than 550 cities internationally already in the programme, we are delighted to offer our global expertise in Greece as well. We look forward to the implementation of this innovative system in the Athens MMM very soon. I would like to thank our partners in this project, NBG Pay, KTEL and AMCO, as well as the Visa and Cybersource teams for this important service that is being rolled out in 33 cities in Greece,” said General Manager of Visa for Greece, Cyprus. , Malta and Israel, Sevi Vassileva.
Improvement
“In many countries now, more and more cities are improving their Public Transport by replacing the usual modes of operation with innovative solutions for making payments. At NBG Pay we respond to the needs of the passenger public, offering through this collaboration with KTEL and Visa improved contactless payment services, to make urban transport easier and more accessible. This is a critical step that contributes to increasing efficiency and, in a simple and safe way, significantly improves the daily experience of citizens and tourists. With the completion of the project in 33 cities in Greece, we aim to further expand and implement the new system throughout the country’s public transport,” said Christoforos Hatzopoulos, General Manager of NBG Pay.
The program
“The adoption of the contactless payment program is an update and modernization of KTEL’s urban services for passengers and adds value to the final product, as it simplifies the ticketing process. With the activation of contactless payments in In Public Transport, passengers will be able to buy their ticket in real time, simply by ‘swiping’ their card, mobile phone or watch (wearable devices) in the ticket validation machines.Therefore, the need to use cash for ticketing will be a thing of the past in the near future, while the sense of security in the transactions of the passengers who will make use of the service will be reinforced.This innovative contactless payment program within the urban buses is being implemented with the cooperation of NBG Pay and Visa, who by providing their technology and knowledge contributed in a catalytic way, under the auspices and guidance of the Panhellenic Federation of Urban Transport (POAS)”, said the president of the Municipal Bus Service of Larisa and president of POAS , Michalis Sakellariou.