The contactless-enabled ticket machines came into operation in June and were quickly put to use when hundreds of thousands of soccer fans visited Warsaw for the 'Euro 2012' European Football Championships and used public transportation to reach the stadium and fan zones throughout the city. The devices, which have been installed on both buses and trams, accept contactless payments worth up to PLN50 (around US$15). Customers can also pay with cash.

"For several years now we have been expanding our ticket sales network," said Leszek Ruta, director of Warsaw Transport Authority. "In 2010 we began installing ticket machines on public transport. Now passengers can also take advantage of these new types of ticket machines, where they can pay by card, including the innovative contactless cards. The new machines are helping to make the sales of tickets faster and more efficient and are especially appreciated by commuters in the rush hour."

"Contactless payments in Poland continue to grow rapidly," said Janusz Diemko, managing director of First Data's business in Poland. "We believe that customer-friendly initiatives such as this, which demonstrate the benefits of contactless functionality, will contribute to the further development of electronic payments in Poland."

As of the end of July, 112 contactless-enabled ticket vending machines had been installed on Warsaw's buses and trams and this number is set to increase to 580 by the end of this year.

First Data continues to play a key role in bringing the speed and convenience of electronic payments to public transport providers and their customers in Poland. In May 2012, First Data announced the introduction of Poland's first parking meters equipped with contactless payments functionality, which were installed in the city of Krakow in cooperation with the Krakow Transportation and Infrastructure Authority and City Parking Group.