Skip to main content

MasterCard and Cubic join forces on smart city payment solutions

MasterCard today is to partner with Cubic Transportation Systems, combining MasterCard’s everyday payments and loyalty management expertise with Cubic’s NextCity platform to develop solutions that: Enable transportation operators to offer flexible pricing based on system demand; Provide individual travellers with real-time guidance on their mobile devices on the smartest way to travel, offering fare incentives if the system becomes congested or overcrowded; Offer retailers at and around transportation hu
March 4, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
RSS1756 MasterCard today is to partner with 378 Cubic Transportation Systems, combining MasterCard’s everyday payments and loyalty management expertise with Cubic’s NextCity platform  to develop solutions that: Enable transportation operators to offer flexible pricing based on system demand;  Provide individual travellers with real-time guidance on their mobile devices on the smartest way to travel, offering fare incentives if the system becomes congested or overcrowded;  Offer retailers at and around transportation hubs ways to alert travellers to personalised offers and rewards on the go.

With more than half of the world’s population already living in cities, the partners feel many transportation systems have reached capacity. They say transportation authorities are looking for ways to better manage existing demand and create investments in new infrastructure. The penetration of smart devices is opening up new opportunities for service operators to connect with transportation users before, during and after a journey and in turn provide a more tailored and efficient experience.

The partnership will help accelerate the conversion of the currently US$200 billion cash payments into digital payments, saving operators cost for cash-handling and speeding up through-put. By introducing globally interoperable payment solutions for urban transportation systems, traveling between cities will become much easier, with no need to carry multiple tickets.

“MasterCard and Cubic, both lead members in the Smart Cities Council, share a vision to improve quality of life for everyday citizens in cities and help authorities to better manage population growth and urban development,” said Will Judge, head of Urban Mobility, MasterCard Enterprise Partnerships. “Combining our expertise and reach allows us to ultimately drive greater value and make consumers’ lives easier and more enjoyable as they travel around and between connected cities.”

Matt Cole, executive vice president, strategy and business development of Cubic Transportation Systems, said: “Partnering with MasterCard elevates the offerings within our NextWave mobile solution to a new level, and strengthens our NextCity story to demonstrate to urban centres everywhere how serious we are about addressing their transportation challenges.”

Related Content

  • November 4, 2014
    Cubic adds NFC capability to smartphones
    Cubic Transportation Systems is to integrate On Track Innovations’ (oti) Wave near field communication (NFC) device into its NextWave mobile mass transit platform, adding NFC capability to virtually any smartphone or tablet through the audio jack. Launched in September 2013, Cubic’s NextWave platform simplifies the complexities of deploying mobile services by providing a cloud-based solution that integrates closed- and open-loop contactless fare systems, payment processors, mobile networks, NFC platforms
  • January 25, 2012
    Anywhere card delivers prepaid contactless ticketing
    David Crawford investigates a far reaching initiative in integrated travel. The Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO), an operator of high speed commuter rail in the north eastern US, is not one of the world's best known transit providers. Its 13 stations along a single east-west route (three of them interchanges with other regional commuter lines) handle 40,000 passengers a day, travelling to and from Philadelphia, the US' fifth most populous city.
  • November 22, 2017
    MBTA chooses Cubic to deliver next-generation fare payment system
    Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) has been selected by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to install a fare payment system for the region’s multi-modal transit system to allow payment flexibility for customers. The base contract award includes an approximate $575 million (£433 million) for implementation with ten years of operations and maintenance as well two five-year extension options. The agreement also involves a public-private partnership, in which Cubic and John Laing will
  • January 25, 2013
    Cubic adds NextBus to solutions portfolio
    Cubic Transportation Systems has broadened its portfolio of transportation solutions with the acquisition of NextBus from Webtech Wireless. The US-based integrator of payment and information technology and services for intelligent travel solutions says the acquisition also positions NextBus to accelerate its growth by leveraging Cubic's global presence and customer base. NextBus is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution that accurate, real-time arrival information for buses, subways and trains. The system