INIT introduces Open Payments in Tampa, Florida

Passengers can now tap and go with their credit and debit cards or digital wallet-enabled smart devices

Image: Passengers can now simply tap with their credit and debit cards, digital wallet-enabled smart devices, as well as the Flamingo Fares card or mobile app on one of the passenger terminals to ride across the Tampa Bay region. (© HART)

Karlsruhe / Chesapeake, VA. / Tampa, Fla. – February 23, 2023

As a component of the Flamingo Fares account-based fare system from INIT, the regional working group comprised of the transport companies Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART), Hernando County (The Bus), and Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) have implemented open payments. Passengers can now simply tap with their credit and debit cards, digital wallet-enabled smart devices, as well as the Flamingo Fares card or mobile app on one of the passenger terminals to ride across the Tampa Bay region.

"We are excited to offer our customers another way to pay their fare,” said Adelee Le Grand, Chief Executive Officer, HART. “Contactless payments on Flamingo Fares not only provides our customers with greater ease of access, removing another barrier from riding transit, but also assists in speeding up the boarding process, improving travel times.”

The transit agencies are the first in Florida to implement contactless payments using Visa’s global urban mobility framework, allowing riders to pay their fare using any digital payment credential – whether it be a contactless card, mobile device, or wearable – with the same trust and security as any other payment processed on Visa’s global payment network.

“We are excited to see INIT work with HART, The Bus, and PSTA to make paying for transit as easy as buying other everyday essentials,” said Julie Scharff, Head of Contactless Payments, North America, Visa. “Contactless payments combined with fare capping means riders have access to the best possible fares, leading to an equitable and convenient transit experience.”

Strongly increasing use of open payments

“The adoption rate of open payment media in public transit has skyrocketed over the last few years, and that number will continue to rise as more and more people acclimate to using what's in their wallets to pay for travel,” states Andy Singh, INIT COO.

Following the introduction of open payments in Tampa, more INIT open payment projects, including those in Grand Rapids, Spokane, and Nashville, will be launched in 2023. Other cities with INIT fare projects are still finalizing their launch dates to leverage the INIT open payment platform.

Andrea Mohr-Braun

Head of Department Corporate Marketing
INIT worldwide
Phone: +49 721 6100 113
Fax: +49 721 6100 399

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