Dive Brief:

• Mastercard has announced a partnership with mobility data platform Kisio to streamline transit ticketing by embedding Mastercard payment and security technology into Kisio’s trip planner.
• Kisio, a subsidiary of public transport operator Keolis, joined Mastercard’s City Possible initiative, which seeks collaboration around smart city projects. According to an announcement from both companies, cities from the network will be invited to join a Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) platform that integrates payment and local transit information in the coming months.
• Separately, Visa said it would support India’s National Common Mobility Card, an all-in-one payment card that works on public transportation, railways, parking and retail, according to a report in LiveMint.

Dive Insight:

Transit agencies around the world have tried to modernize their payment and ticketing platforms to make it easier for riders to adopt them as a mobility option. Mastercard has already been a leader in that space, working with regions like Dallas and Miami-Dade County to roll out a contactless transit fare payment system, which will also come to New York City soon. The new partnership with Kisio will bring those payment options into a MaaS platform, making it possible for users to plan out trips, get directions and make payments all in one space.

Visa’s government-backed payment card also fits into a broader trend of cities trying to help unbanked citizens. Oakland, CA and New York City are among those that have put finance information on their ID cards, which could be used for transit fares and other services, while cities like London have introduced bundled payment cards that can be used for multiple mobility services.

In a bid to reverse declining ridership, transit agencies have sought out new platforms, apps and especially payment options to demystify the process. Apple, for example, has partnered with three cities to institute contactless payment. Others have embraced apps like Transit, which can plan multi-modal trips that include ride-sharing and driving, or simply built their own bundled mobility apps.