Skip to main content

Cubic’s Ventra system achieves one billion transactions in Chicago

Cubic Transportation Systems’ (CTS) Ventra, the account-based open payment system launched in 2013 for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and suburban bus operator Pace, has processed more than one billion account-based journeys. CTA, with daily ridership of 1.6 million journeys, is the first major transit system in North America to implement account-based open payment and is Cubic’s first large-scale deployment of its NextAccount technology. Ventra supports both account-based processing through an a
May 19, 2016 Read time: 1 min
378 Cubic Transportation Systems’ (CTS) Ventra, the account-based open payment system launched in 2013 for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and suburban bus operator Pace, has processed more than one billion account-based journeys.

CTA, with daily ridership of 1.6 million journeys, is the first major transit system in North America to implement account-based open payment and is Cubic’s first large-scale deployment of its NextAccount technology.

Ventra supports both account-based processing through an agency-issued smart card, as well as open payment which enables customers to ‘pay as you go’ with bank cards they already have or through mobile payment platforms.

Ventra moves passenger data and stored value from the card to the back office, along with fare policy, products and pricing, making it easier for agencies to manage changes and creating greater security and convenience for customers.

Related Content

  • December 16, 2013
    Smart phones offer smarter way to pay for travel
    David Crawford reviews developments in near field communications for mass transit payments. ‘A carefully-designed and well-implemented mobile near field communications (NFC) solutions can give passengers a compelling experience that will encourage them to make greater use of public transport.’ That was the confident conclusion of a recent joint White Paper drawn up by the International Association of Public Transport and the global mobile operators’ representative group GSMA.
  • October 25, 2022
    UITP highlights mass transit changes
    Increasingly, public transport passengers will no longer need to carry a dedicated smartcard ticket to travel, as technology enables virtually any type of contactless payment system to take over the role.
  • July 4, 2012
    Meeting the challenges of smartcard fare payment
    David Crawford monitors a growing trend in contactless smartcard ticketing The north east United States has become a hive of activity in the smart fare payment arena. In October 2011, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) published, as a preliminary to an imminent procurement process, the detailed concept of its New Fare Payment System (NFPS). Based on open payment industry standards, this is designed to be implemented on all MTA bus and subway services operated by New York City Transit (
  • February 2, 2012
    Developments in smarter multi-modal fare paynment
    This section pulls together all the multi-modal topics in each issue. Subject matter will include smartcards; ticketing and payment systems; passenger information systems; fleet management for buses, trains and light rail; park and ride systems; on-line access to real-time information via Internet portals