Deployment began in April with the first 1,000 handheld devices that are planned to number 12,000 over three months and handle an estimated 1,650,000 million payment transactions annually across the SNCF-managed rail systems including the high-speed TGV trains.

PAYware Wynid is a managed services platform that delivers all-in-one payment acceptance on mobile handheld devices used by conductors to accept domestic and international EMV card payments and process other functions such as ticket sales and exchange, invoices and information services for passengers.

"VeriFone's unique managed payment solution makes it possible for SNCF to further improve efficiency and productivity on our trains by adding on-board payment to our mobile solution," said Carole Morere, department director for Trains Information Systems with SNCF. "Mobile payment further enhances passenger convenience and is a natural complement to existing capabilities of access to real-time information such as train schedules and seating availability."

PAYware Wynid is a modular, flexible solution designed to meet the highest standards in security while offering the most convenience during the payment transaction. VeriFone's gateway service consolidates and routes all types of electronic payment transactions and accommodates all forms of card payment, including contactless, mobile and online.

"SNCF is at the forefront of transformation of the passenger experience and has undertaken the largest project in Europe to provide an all-in-one mobile payment and information service that accommodates payment systems from multiple vendors," said Olivier Guiot, country manager, VeriFone France. "We look forward to completing the full-scale implementation as SNCF brings these new services to its passengers."