Stockholm deployed Open Payment validators to modernize its public transport network
An urgent need to modernize public transit with Open payment
In 2014, London introduced the Open Payment solution in its transport network. Open payment consists of using a bank card to validate entrances and exists in public transports. This system allows passengers to have a fair bill adapted to their use of public transportation.
Open payment had such great success that in only one week over 1 million Londoners used their credit cards to validate their transit fare. In one year, the number of validations with a credit card increased by 50%. In 2018 contactless card payment exceeded the number of validations with the Oyster Card (London transport pass).
Following this success story, many global cities across the world adopted Open Payment in their transport networks. We can count Shanghai, New-York, Toronto (with Metrolinx), and also Stockholm (with SL – Storstockholms Lokaltrafik) who deployed this fare validation in its county.
Region Stockholm is responsible for public transport in Stockholm County in Sweden, where the public transport operator AB Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (Stockholm Public Transport, SL) operates all public transports of the region: trains, metro, streetcars, buses, and boats. In an urgent need of modernity, SL wanted to deploy an Open Payment system to stay on the cutting-edge in the transport industry and to improve their passengers’ experience. With such a technology, Stockholmers can seamlessly travel between different stations of the network with only a check-in.
For SL, it was essential to deploy Open Payment on its transportation network, but the operator had to acquire specific equipment to reach its objective.
Open Payment requires future-proof validators
Standard validators usually accept transport passes, QR codes, or magstripe tickets, but they are not suited for an Open Payment solution that requires validation with a credit card. To deploy this technology, a public transport operator must invest in future-proof validators allowing EMV payments. Nowadays, the means of payment have diversified. Users no longer only use cash or contact payment cards, transport operators have had to offer new payment methods for their customers’ fare.
To offer a versatile and modern solution, SL wanted a validator that could accept either contactless credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, etc.) and digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc.).
Moreover, Open Payment validators must come with a specific system to calculate a passenger journey and to generate a bill at the end of it.
To deploy their validator equipment, SL also needed an MDM platform allowing the management of hundreds of them at the same time.
The answer of Famoco, Worldline & Modulsystem
Famoco, Worldline, and Modulsystem joined hands to meet SL’s needs on Open Payment validators deployment in Stockholm. Famoco provided SL with FX925 Pay&Pass, a future-proof validator designed for Open Payment. The FX925 has the intelligence of a mobile device and can scan all types of payments: mobile payments, mobile & paper barcodes, smartcards, and above all, credit cards. Thanks to Ingenico’s EMV modules (A Worldline Company), this validator was one of the first ready for an Open Payment solution.
The FX925 is equipped with an FX205 removable device so the transport authority can then deploy new services and features without the need of recalling the validators for maintenance. In case of malfunction of a validator, SL just has to remove the device from the FX925’s casing and replace it with a new one.
Based on Famoco OS, the Android OS made for businesses, the FX925 offered Modulsystem a future-proof platform where they can make their infrastructure and transport application evolve seamlessly.
Linked to the Famoco OS, the Famoco MDM allowed SL to quickly deploy validators on the field. The transport operator could then remotely control and synchronize hundreds of devices and update them over-the-air in a blink of an eye.
