Airport bus service SkyBus, operating in Melbourne and Hobart, has launched an Open Payments solution allowing passengers to simply tap their contactless bank card or mobile device when boarding.
The new contactless EMV (cEMV) payment system, powered by Masabi’s account-based ticketing platform Justride, the world’s most advanced open platform for public transport fare payments, and is currently being piloted on SkyBus’ Hobart Airport-City route.
It allows passengers to board without the need to pre-purchase a ticket or select a fare, significantly increasing the convenience for passengers who can simply tap and ride using their physical credit or debit card or a digitally stored card on their mobile device.
“This is another example of how we’re continually innovating in how we can improve the ease and convenience of our services for passengers,” SkyBus co-CEO Michael Sewards says.
“It adds to other easy ways people can purchase SkyBus tickets, including via our website, the SkyBus app and our e-kiosks at departure points.”
Masabi CEO Brian Zanghi says airport transfers are an essential tool in safely and conveniently conveying passengers to their flights, reducing unnecessary car journeys and minimising disruptive congestion around often busy airport road networks.
“But no-one wants an additional complication on their way to the airport and by introducing cEMV, SkyBus is making journeys as easy as they can be,” Zanghi says.
“We’re proud to be continuing our excellent work with SkyBus, using our best-in-class modular solution, open platform and open partnership approach to bring a world class transport ticketing and payments experience to people travelling to and from airports across Australia.”
Commonwealth Bank (CBA) was appointed as the merchant acquirer for the Open Payments solution.
The solution is built on Masabi’s open platform and its expansive partner ecosystem. SkyBus’ partnership with Masabi, which was first announced in 2022 alongside Fujitsu, leverages the Justride open platform which uses predefined integration points to connect with LittlePay (Payment Service Provider), Mastercard Gateway and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.