Omnichannel Payment Solutions Transforming Public Transport: Insights from Transport Ticketing Global 2025

Post-event, we secured an exclusive interview with Wido Beekman, Chief Commercial Officer at XPP’s Vayapay, a specialised payment service provider delivering frictionless payments throughout the mobility sector. Since 2024, Vayapay has been part of XPP, a leading omnichannel payment service provider and an umbrella organisation for specialised payment solutions.

Wido contributed valuable insights during a high-profile panel looking into how strategic partnerships are driving payment innovation in public transport and offering a forward-looking perspective. Key takeaways from the industry discussion:

Card-Not-Present Functionality Finds Its Place

The roundtable initially centred on opportunities that card-not-present (CNP) capabilities might deliver to the transport sector. However, the discussion quickly evolved as participants recognised CNP represents merely one component within the broader sales channel ecosystem rather than a replacement for established ticket vending machines or tap-to-go implementations. Notably, the panel highlighted concerns that app-exclusive ticketing approaches create unnecessary barriers and compromise inclusive access.

Dismantling Channel Silos

Conversation pivoted towards addressing the persistent barriers between disparate sales channels. Wido Beekman showcased how Vayapay’s omnichannel payment service effectively eliminates these silos, enabling transport operators to deploy optimal sales channels tailored to customer context and requirements. This catalysed robust dialogue regarding channel-specific challenges and solutions.

Payment Integration as Service Foundation

The session included participation from major operators including Transport for London, Transport for Greater Manchester, Land Transport Authority (Singapore), BKK (Budapest) and ZTM Gdansk. A significant observation emerged that, with the exception of the more mature TfL operation, many transport authorities have yet to fully recognise that service delivery fundamentally begins with payment, and that frictionless payment architecture serves as the critical foundation for reducing service adoption barriers.

Transaction Recovery Mechanisms

Operators highlighted the business impact of failed transactions creating negative passenger experiences. The discussion revealed how sophisticated payment service providers can substantially improve transaction completion rates by intelligently rerouting failed payments across alternative sales channels. For instance, when a Mass Transit Transaction (MTT) or Pay-As-You-Go attempt fails, the system can rapidly reissue it as a CNP transaction,

preserving revenue. Passengers simply tap again after the initial attempt, while operators maintain revenue integrity.

Cross-Platform Entitlement Recognition

The panel examined how travel entitlements purchased online or via applications can be seamlessly recognised within MTT or PAYG environments without duplicate charging when utilising payment service providers capable of tracking passenger journeys across platforms. This architecture builds passenger confidence and ensures optimal fare application.

Targeted Fraud Mitigation

The discussion highlighted how fraud involving prepaid instruments can be addressed through account-level controls rather than broad-brush BIN range restrictions when payment service providers establish robust linkages between digital payment credentials and underlying payment references or funding accounts. This approach simultaneously reduces fraud exposure while improving transaction acceptance rates.

Financial Technology Transfer

The roundtable concluded that established technologies from the financial services sector offer significant potential to enhance passenger experience throughout public transport networks, demonstrating the value proposition of cross-industry technology transfer.