LONDON (15 March 2023) – Global payments provider Elavon has announced it will partner with Conduent Transportation and Visa to provide an EMV (Europay, Mastercard, Visa) payment solution across the entire public transport network in the iconic Italian city of Venice. This will allow passengers to pay with contactless credit and debit cards, and digital wallets for the first time.
The solution will be implemented on more than 150 wharfs, servicing a fleet of 149 vessels – including water buses, speedboats, motorboats and ferries – 540 buses, 20 trams on two lines, and two people movers. Approximately 100-120 million passengers travel on the Venice public transport network each year.
Hemlata Narasimhan, Elavon Merchant Services President in Europe, says, “Venice is an iconic city, and soon millions of passengers each year will be able to navigate its public transport network at the tap of a contactless card or digital wallet. It’s a very exciting project for us to be involved in, and further illustrates Elavon is a leading enabler of mass transit payments.”
Elavon, along with Conduent Transportation and Visa, were selected by Azienda Veneziana della Mobilità (AVM), the Municipality of Venice’s public mobility company. AVM provides the local public transport service in the metropolitan area of Venice and the integrated mobility services in the urban area.
Using the new solution, fares will be calculated and optimised to be the cheapest fare for passengers. Implementation of the solution will begin later this year.
Pari Sawant, Global Head of Product at Elavon, says, “Contactless payments on public transport networks have transformed the passenger experience, with faster onboarding and optimised fares making journeys simple. We’re pleased to offer cashless tickets to millions of future passengers on the roads, rails and famous Venetian waterways.”
It’s the second mass transit project undertaken by the Elavon, Conduent Transportation and Visa partnership in the past year, with contactless payments allowing for speedier payments and boarding times, and cost savings for passengers with capped daily fares.
Elavon has been responsible for similar projects across Europe and North America, including California’s first contactless payments on public transport in Monterey-Salinas, USA last year.
Transport operators using contactless systems are seeing an improved customer experience, a reduction in cost of ticket issuing and fare collection, and a full insight into customer movements across payment touch points, among other benefits.
Giovanni Seno, Managing Director at AVM, says, “The AVM mobility and public transport network is essential to our area, so we want to be sure that our system is accessible and convenient for residents and tourists. AVM has taken a unique approach by facilitating a joint venture of leading providers in order to improve the transportation system in Venice. Bringing these leading companies together from the beginning allows us to meet the needs of our customers efficiently and in a timely manner.”
Find out more about how Elavon and our partners can help with your transport payment needs.
About Elavon
Elavon is a leading global payments company with more than 4,300 employees and operations in 10 countries. A subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB), Elavon provides businesses with the technology needed to accept payments from customers, whether they are shopping in stores, at home or on the go.
Its platform is distinctive in that it is common across countries, making it easier for businesses to get their payment system up and running quickly and securely.
Elavon Financial Services DAC, trading as Elavon Merchant Services, is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.
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