Mobile ticketing and data insights provider Corethree and FirstGroup have announced they have teamed up with ITSO Transit Hub, Google Pay and Ticketer to deliver Near Field Communication (NFC) ITSO-on-Mobile ticketing with Google Pay.
The solution is currently being trialled under a pilot scheme in Glasgow and will be subsequently rolled out across the FirstGroup network, consisting of more than 1.6 million passengers.
Host Card Emulation (HCE) technology allows for the digitisation of tickets and smart cards into the customer’s Android phone and conveyance via NFC, allowing for a more convenient way to travel. The joint venture will allow First Bus tickets to be created and fulfilled by ITSO Transit Hub’s cloud-based ticketing service and then stored in Google Pay, allowing passengers to validate their journey by simply tapping on NFC-compatible readers – such as the existing on-board Ticketer ETMs – or ticket gates. The solution leverages Corethree’s Core Engine platform to provide a modern, frictionless mobile ticketing experience.
“This is a monumental step for our company and a clear validation of our commitment to provide the best customer experience through technology innovation,” said Dave Lynch, CIO of First Group.
“This collaboration marks the dawn of a new way to travel as it will enable our passengers to simply tap their Android smartphone on any contactless reader to validate their journey, through Google Pay they regularly use for their other digital cards.”
