Rio’s commuters welcome contactless Visa application

Transit authorities could soon be seeing the benefits of contactless payments – without having to replace expensive turnstiles or terminals. That, at least, is what Visa is suggesting as the company launches its own secure access model (SAM), which is set to be put into service in Brazil. Metro Rio will be the first transit operator to launch contactless payments using the Visa SAM in late April. Visa and Planeta Informatica say the new technology “makes it easy for transit organisations and operators to
March 6, 2019 Read time: 2 mins
Transit authorities could soon be seeing the benefits of contactless payments – without having to replace expensive turnstiles or terminals.


That, at least, is what Visa is suggesting as the company launches its own secure access model (SAM), which is set to be put into service in Brazil.

Metro Rio will be the first transit operator to launch contactless payments using the Visa SAM in late April.

Visa and Planeta Informatica say the new technology “makes it easy for transit organisations and operators to begin offering riders the ability to tap to pay with a contactless card, phone or wearable device, without the expense and technical requirements of replacing current turnstiles or terminal hardware”.

Rather than having to buy new hardware, operators can install the Visa SAM directly into existing systems. Visa called it a “transformational development”.

“Through our work with Planeta Informatica, we have pioneered a way to accelerate the shift to contactless transit that is scalable and highly secure, while generating time and cost savings for transit operators by removing the hurdles of replacing potentially thousands of transit readers across the transport system,” says Nick Mackie, global head of urban mobility for Visa.

Visa launched its mass transit payment framework in 2017. “We worked diligently with Visa to build the best technological solution for adding EMV contactless acceptance on top of any existing closed-loop payment system without necessarily replacing the entire electronic ticketing infrastructure,” said Artur Costa, CEO of Planeta Informática.

The two companies have partnered with 7849 Ingenico Group to implement the Visa SAM in Rio de Janeiro.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Half of passengers ‘would pay for better technology’
    August 2, 2013
    David Crawford considers the finding of a passenger attitude survey in nine cities worldwide. Three quarters of regular users of public transport in nine capital and other major cities worldwide believe that electronic ticketing would make travel easier; while an overwhelming 92% would welcome paperless travel in any form, according to a recent consumer survey from global management consultants Accenture. Of the 4,500 urban travellers aged over-18 who were quizzed, some 90% routinely used public transport.
    Read More
  • LA launches own ‘Green New Deal’
    August 15, 2019
    Los Angeles, once a temple to the automobile, has followed the Democrats in launching its own Green New Deal – and the city has made big pledges on urban mobility investment The Democratic Party has started something. The Green New Deal, one of whose most high-profile supporters is new congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, intends to persuade the public that swift action is necessary to combat climate change. Now the city of Los Angeles has followed suit, releasing what it calls ‘LA’s Green New Deal’.
    Read More
  • Hamburg’s on-demand alternative to commuting by car
    December 5, 2017
    As Hamburg is confirmed as the host for the 2021 ITS World Congress, David Crawford looks at the city’s moves towards enabling MaaS-type operations. Germany’s second-largest city, Hamburg, is pinning its civic reputation on having its promised all-electric, on-demand, shuttle bus ridesharing service up and running by 2018. Partners in the three-year project are regional metro and bus service provider Hamburger Hochbahn and Volkswagen Group’s Berlinbased mobility innovation subsidiary Moia, which was set
    Read More
  • Littlepay helps French transit go contactless 
    March 8, 2022
    Ginko and Kuba used Littlepay’s APIs to develop an inspection app for city of Besançon
    Read More

Highlighted Content