Paying for a ferry ride is now as easy as tap-and-go, as Mastercard and Transport for NSW bring contactless ticketing payment to Sydney Ferries on the F1 Manly to Circular Quay service.
In an Australian first, commuters can use their Mastercard contactless card or mobile wallets that have enabled Mastercard cards to tap on. Supporting domestic and international Mastercard cards, the trial will demonstrate how contactless ticketing can make travel in Sydney more convenient, easy and efficient for both residents and tourists.
“Australians are continuously embracing digital payment technology, with 82 percent using tap-and-go to make payments every week[1]. This indicates that many recognise the benefits of faster and more convenient payment methods, so it makes good sense to extend this option to transport,” said Doug Howe, Vice President of Travel and Transit Development, Mastercard.
This launch to Australia builds on the success of Mastercard working with over 100 cities across the globe to enable contactless or mobile payments on public transport services. Most recently, Mastercard worked with Singapore’s Land Transport Authority to implement the first contactless ticketing payment program for transit agencies in the Asia Pacific region. The Transport for NSW trial brings the contactless technology solution to public transport in Australia for the first time.
Transport for NSW’s contactless payment trial demonstrates how Mastercard insights, innovation and gateway solutions can improve the experience of traveling around cities by making public transport more accessible and seamless for citizens and tourists. With this convenient new option to pay for a transport fare, tourists and residents can now just turn up at the wharf and tap their contactless Mastercard card to get onto the F1 Manly to Circular Quay ferry service. This saves time for commuters and money for government.
“Mastercard is committed to providing innovative technology to make cities more inclusive and sustainable, as seen in the success of contactless rollouts on other transport networks in global cities such as London, Milan and Singapore. We are excited to bring these smart cities solutions to Australia. This is starting initially with the introduction of contactless ticketing payments trial on Manly ferries, but has huge potential to be extended to other cities,” Howe added.
Australians and visitors alike can use Mastercard contactless cards or mobile wallets that have enabled Mastercard cards to travel on the F1 Manly to Circular Quay ferry service from 6 July, 2017.
Through 1Q 2017, Mastercard contactless cards and devices are accepted at over 6 million active contactless locations and in about 96 countries globally.
[1] Refers to 82% of respondents of Mastercard Digital Purchasing Survey, 2016