First in Brazil, MetrôRIO starts to operate with digital payment in turnstiles, thanks to Digicon’s technology.
Users will no longer need to purchase or reload a specific subway ticket.
MetrôRIO began to accept, in all its 41 stations, the payment of tickets through credit card, mobile, wristband and watch with NFC technology (Near Field Communication). The operator will be the first in the world to use the new global solution: Visa Secure Access Module (SAM), which allows the acceptance of any card, mobile, phone or device with the proximity payment technology, without the need to exchange its current validator infrastructure.
The initiative was developed by Visa in partnership with Digicon for MetrôRIO, aiming to provide more agility to system users, especially tourists. To use, the user needs to have a contactless credit card or the mobile device with NFC technology and just go straight to the turnstiles and present it directly in the validator. The fare will be charged directly to the invoice, without additional cost or fees, at the end of each day of use, respecting the rules of use of the transport system, such as discounts and integrations. This payment system has its security guaranteed by VSAM (Visa Security Acces Module), specially developed for this application. Digicon has developed the integration of this device into its validators and the ticketing system in operation in MetrôRIO since 2007.
The companies worked together just over a year, including the period of development and deployment of the payment system. In December last year, usability tests were conducted with a small group of users. The system was installed at the end of April and since then the payment with credit cards and mobile devices has been growing month by month, benefiting thousands of users daily. “Remember that this system has already been implemented in London for more than 3 years and that the use of credit cards and mobile devices already exceeds 50% of the transactions there.” System Manager at Digicon, Sergio Queiroz, says that the company has developed and supplied the MetrôRIO electronic ticketing system, which facilitated the partnership with Visa. Digicon adapted the concessionaire’s software to meet the needs of the project and interface between the subway and card company systems. Queiroz explains that when the user approaches the credit card or device with NFC in the validator, a virtual card is generated with the information, which is sent to the acquirer and then to Visa, so that it is then posted on the passenger card invoice. “Unlike commercial establishments, this concept exempts the typing of passwords because they are transactions with reduced values and with other means of validation to combat fraud, mitigates the risks of the operation and calculates the amount to be charged to the passenger at the end of the day”, says Queiroz.
“We want to offer convenience and practicality. We believe that urban mobility should be increasingly integrated and user-friendly. We are excited to offer this innovation in a pioneering way to residents and tourists who visit our city”, says the president of MetrôRIO, Guilherme Ramalho.
