New York’s MTA to Launch Mobile Ticketing with Masabi

May 1, 2014

Masabi to Launch Mobile Ticketing with New York’s MTA

Riders will be able to use their phones as tickets on both Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road

NEW YORK – April 30th, 2014 – Masabi, the leader in mobile ticketing and payments for transit, today announced that New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has selected the company to provide mobile ticketing for both the Metro-North Railroad (MNR) and Long Island Rail Road (LIRR). Masabi’s mobile ticketing technology will allow riders to buy train tickets using their smartphones, anytime and anywhere, eliminating the need to ever carry a paper ticket again.

Customers will be able to quickly and securely buy and use electronic tickets for both Railroads using a mobile ticketing application or website. This technology means that customers no longer have to wait in line at ticket machines, or fumble for cash to pay onboard, revolutionizing the process of buying tickets on the two largest commuter railroads in the United States.

The MTA will be using Masabi’s JustRide platform, a deployment proven, end-to-end mobile ticketing and fare collection system. The award-winning product includes features such as ticket purchase, user display and easy validation together with sophisticated back-end infrastructure for secure payments, ticket management, customer service, reporting and real-time analytics.

“This is a step forward as we look to use the latest technologies available to make fare payment at all our agencies easier, faster, and more convenient,” said Thomas F. Prendergast, Chairman and CEO of the MTA.

“Mobile ticketing is all about making life easier for transit riders,” said Ben Whitaker, CEO of Masabi. “By transforming smartphones into vending machines, we are making waiting in line a thing of the past. We are excited to be working with Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road to bring our award-winning technology to New York’s commuters.”

Through the app, all ticket types will be available for purchase including one-way, round-trip, ten-trip, weekly passes, and monthly passes: from any origin or destination with payment being made via either debit or credit card. Tickets are sent to users’ phones in the form of an electronic ticket that can be validated visually by conductors, or as an encrypted barcode that can be scanned by a conductor’s handheld device to verify that the barcode is valid.

“As a lifelong Metro-North rider, it is exciting to be bringing our technology to New York’s commuter rail roads,” said Josh Robin VP of North America, Masabi. “With our technology, the MTA will be able to deliver industry-leading innovation to its riders at a fraction of the cost of traditional fare payment technology.”

About Masabi

Masabi is the leader in transit mobile ticketing and payments, delivering end-to-end fare payment systems that deliver significant cost savings while revolutionizing the customer experience. Masabi’s JustRide system signals the end of ticket lines, lost tickets and fumbling for cash by allowing passengers to quickly and securely buy and display tickets on their mobile phones. Masabi enables transit agencies to move away from traditional, capital intensive “locked-in” systems, such as smartcards and costly customized ticket machines, to a flexible, open system that transforms passengers’ travel experience today, with a roadmap to NFC and open payments in the future. Masabi is backed by Fontinalis Partners, m8 Capital and MMC Ventures.

The company’s scalable cloud-based technology already processes more than 90 million dollars per year, handles millions of connections per day, and is in use by 18 global transit agencies and retail brands, including: Thames Clippers, Virgin Trains, First Group, Boston’s MBTA, NICE Bus, San Diego MTS and CrossCountry Trains. Masabi has offices in New York, Boston, and London. More information about Mobile Ticketing and JustRide is available at www.masabi.com.