Contactless Smart Cards, RFID, Payment, Transit and Security

Payment cards coming to Chicago public transit

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

The Chicago Transit Authority is planning to pilot an array of credit card acceptance technologies on city buses, including contactless payment, according to cardratings.com.

The CTA is planning the switch in order to save time and tighten up efficiency. Research shows that a typical cash transaction takes 25 seconds, as opposed to a credit card swipe, which takes only 2. Cash transactions can therefore lead to delayed routes and missed connections.


CTA officials are now accepting proposals from competing companies to launch the pilot payment program, which they hope will help get Chicagoans to work on time more frequently and make the city more tourist-friendly.

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Chicago is set to roll out the first phase of its new bicycle sharing program, according to NBC Chicago.

The new system, Chicago B-cycle, allows residents to rent bikes by the hour at various stations throughout the city using a credit card or contactless membership card. According to NBC, similar systems are already operating in Denver and Minneapolis.

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Taiwan’s Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) has announced that the country’s new integrated transit card system is expected to be fully operational by the end of the year, according to squidcard.com.

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Spectators attending the first ever Youth Olympic Games in Singapore this month are being issued Visa pre-paid cards that act as tickets, transport passes and payment cards, according to finextra.com.

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China’s GYRFID has announced the release of its new ISO14443A Mifare 1K/ Mifare 4K/ Mifare Ultralight multi-function contactless card.

The 13.56Mhz, 512bit contactless card is suitable for public transportation, payment systems, logistics, e-ticketing and more, according to GYRFID, and measures 86mm by 54mm, with a thickness of 0.84mm.  

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The Toronto Board of Trade (TBT) is urging the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to stick with its plan of implementing Presto’s smart cards instead of an open payment system for The Greater Toronto Area’s public transit, according to thestar.com.

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The Smart Card Alliance Transportation Council is holding a meeting on open standards payment for public transportation in New York City on September 22 - 23.

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