Rio de Janeiro will be the first city in Brazil to launch a pilot program enabling mobile NFC ticketing for public transportation. This initiative is a partnership between RioCard Tecnologia da Informação, Gemalto, Motorola Mobility and the country’s four leading
Rio launches NFC smartphone ticketing
mobile operators, supported by the GSMA. 200 users of buses, trains and ferries have been selected to collaborate with these companies in this three-month pilot.
To pay for the transportation, the user needs to place the smartphone Motorola RAZR D3 – which has been exclusively selected for the pilot – within a few inches of the RioCard reader terminal. An app allows users to check balances on the screen at any time. Soon, RioCard will also offer prepaid charges on the device itself. “It is a practical and fast system that brings freedom to the customer,” says Homero Quintaes, Director of RioCard TI.
“The momentum we’ve seen in mobile NFC services continues to grow at a rapid pace,” comments Pierre Combelles, Head of Mobile Commerce, GSMA. “This pilot in Latin America shows mobile NFC digitizing ticketing, but this is just a starting point, as mobile commerce will drive demand for new services such as payment, vouchers, loyalty programs and access, among others. It’s an exciting time in the region.”
The post Rio launches NFC ticketing with smartphones appeared first on Payments Cards & Mobile.
