Digiday, 3/1/17:
Riding the rails: Chicago’s route to a cardless transit payment system
The commuter of the future will hold out a smartphone to get on a train or bus without worrying about losing a transit card or lining up to reload. Goodbye tickets, passes and balance inquiries — everything will reside in an app.
The U.S. isn’t quite there yet, but South Korean commuters have been able to use Samsung Pay to board buses and trains for over a year. While most mass transit payment systems in the U.S. still use older technology to collect fares, Chicago is getting closer to cardless payments. Chicago’s experience shows how a phased transition lets customers adapt while allowing the transit system to absorb technical changes.
Continue here.