Ubirider and Mastercard partner to provide mobility-as-a-service solutions for transit operators globally

Collaboration will focus on creating more efficient and sustainable digital payment and ticketing solutions for transport operators.

Mastercard and Ubirider, Portugal-based makers of the mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) platform Pick, designed to serve riders, transport operators and cities, have entered into an agreement to jointly offer innovative digital solutions that combine operational, payment and ticketing resources and data for public transport agencies and operators.

Through the partnership, Mastercard and Ubirider will look to expand on the early success of the products in Portugal to simplify access and payments for mobility services. The MaaS platform Pick, which comprises mobile applications, cloud software and web portals, incorporates state-of-the-art payment technologies that benefit users in terms of convenience, and increase efficiency for operators.

“Mastercard works with partners around the world to help people move around urban environments seamlessly. In that spirit, we partnered with Ubirider both because their digital and multi-modal solutions align closely with our vision, and because the Ubirider platform directly addresses rapidly evolving user and transit operator needs," said Chapin Flynn, Senior Vice President, Transit and Mobility of Mastercard. “We look forward to continuing to drive meaningful innovations across the urban mobility space alongside the Ubirider team.”

The management of public transport systems varies from country to country, from city to city and even between operators. However, there is a common thread between almost all public transport operators - all of them struggle to manage and integrate several technological platforms into their operation:

• Management of schedules, drivers, services offered, communicating information to the public;
• Issuing tickets through different channels (ticket offices, vending machines, apps, website);
• Accepting payments (credit/debit cards, digital wallets);
• Issuance of invoices and receipts.
  
  

This complex and intricate structure creates numerous inefficiencies and lost revenue for operators which often results in a frustrating experience for passengers as well. The platform Pick by Ubirider combines all these functions in an integrated digital environment, saving time and costs, but also improving efficiency, as it integrates, relates and manages all operation data in a single application. Pick also includes a powerful payment management system, which allows passengers to buy trips involving different mobility services (multi-modal), by aggregated payment that is immediately distributed by the operators involved, reducing payment friction and time for passengers, as well as administrative costs and burdens for operators.

In addition, Pick offers transport operators and agencies advanced contactless payment technologies, such as Tap-on-Phone, a PCI-certified and secure software technology that transforms a smartphone into a simple payment terminal;  more powerful, affordable, and faster than traditional systems which are based on heavy and expensive hardware.

In July, in partnership with Mastercard, Ubirider implemented in the city of Évora, Pick Driver, the first Tap-on-Phone traffic application incorporated into its app for bus drivers. This immediately allowed the acceptance of contactless payments on-board buses operated by Trevo, the city’s main transport operator. A quick and easy way to provide users with greater comfort and convenience through a state-of-the-art payment experience.

Also, thanks to Mastercard's partnership with Ubirider, Fertagus, operator of suburban trains in the Lisbon metropolitan area which handles more than 2.8 million passengers per month, also adopted the Pick platform, through which more than 30% of ticket sales were transacted in the first 10 months in a clear demonstration of adoption by users who consider the application useful and easy to navigate.

“We have been working with Mastercard for some time in Portugal and this agreement is the result of successful cases that we have achieved together, but also of the conviction that our digital mobility-as-a-service platform, Pick, is ready to compete successfully around the world,” said Paulo Ferreira dos Santos, CEO and Founder of Ubirider.

“The relationship with Mastercard allows Ubirider to continue to incorporate the most advanced technologies of payments and allows us a global reach in terms of market opportunities. Our focus is on improving everything that involves the offer of transport, which includes significantly improving the user experience, making it more integrated and simpler for individuals; enabling cities, municipalities and public transport operators to obtain valuable information about travel trends and streamline the decision-making process to adjust the network’s service offerings to meet the real needs of citizens and companies, while operations become more efficient and sustainable.”

Ubirider's Pick Hub app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play, allows users to plan their door-to-door trips, pay for their tickets and travel to any destination, anywhere, using the best combination.