De Lijn Taps Conduent For Fare Collection; Network International Rolls Out Google Pay

Welcome to The Axis, your late look at payments news from around the world. Coverage includes Network International’s rollout of Google Pay acceptance in the United Arab Emirates. In addition, De Lijn has chosen Conduent Transportation for a new fare collection system in Belgium, and U.K. company Home Leisure Direct has created a pool table that takes contactless payments.

Network International is bringing Google Pay acceptance to retailers in the UAE, allowing shoppers to tap into Android payments at merchants that use near-field communication (NFC) technology, according to reports. The offering takes away the need for chip and pin authorization by tapping into NFC after consumers connect their credit or debit cards to the service. “Digital mobile wallets are increasingly becoming one of the most rapidly growing payment methods across the world, and as a market leader in end-to-end payment solutions, we are delighted to enable acceptance of Google Pay in the UAE,” said Network International Group Head of Product & Innovation Paul Clarke, according to reports.

In Belgium, transportation operator De Lijn has tapped Conduent Transportation to deploy a new fare collection system in the Flanders region, the company said in a press release. In the system’s first phase, riders will be able to use bank and payment cards through cEMV (contactless Europay, Mastercard and Visa). The system’s second phase will include the rollout of an account-based ticketing (ABT) implementation that will store tickets on the cloud. As a result, many different types of “devices or media” can be connected to a rider’s account.

“By the time both phases are implemented, Flanders will have one of the most advanced fare collection systems in the world to benefit the millions of passengers that use our services each year,” De Lijn Director-General Roger Kesteloot said in the announcement.

And in the U.K., Home Leisure Direct is rolling out a pool dining table that accepts contactless payments, iNTERGAME reported. The pool table, which was created over a two-year period, allows gamers to pay with credit card, debit card or mobile payment offerings like Samsung Pay, Google Pay and Apple Pay. To process transactions, the system uses a rechargeable battery. Home Leisure Direct Managing Director Andy Beresford said, according to the outlet, “Given the fact that more and more of us are turning away from cash altogether, it made perfect sense to develop a table that allowed for the use of contactless cards.”