Meep and LISNR Partner on Contactless Authentications for Transit Operators

Meep and LISNR have partnered on contactless authentications for bus, train and transit operators.

This collaboration adds LISNR’s proximity verification technology to Meep’s mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) mobile app and platform capabilities, the companies said in a Monday (March 6) press release.

“LISNR’s technology enhances the mobility ecosystems that Meep creates, making them more widely usable, and therefore, this partnership unlocks tremendous opportunities for American cities,” Meep CEO Guillermo Campoamor said in the release.

PYMNTS research has found that workers and students expect their payment preferences to carry over to their daily commutes.

Nearly 90% of transit users now expect contactless fare options for their travels, according to the “Transit Payments Report,” a PYMNTS and American Express collaboration.

With the new partnership, Meep will be able to leverage LISNR’s ultrasonic proximity verification solution for mobile payments and mobile ticketing, handle both online and offline passengers with one solution and eliminate the need for QR code scanners and NFC readers, according to the press release.

The LISNR solutions use non-captive near-field association to provide proof-present authentication enabled through proximity tokens, enabling entry validation, payments and fulfillment, the release said.

“Mobility is a key and critical market vertical for LISNR and Meep is a great partner for us to service this massively growing industry,” LISNR CEO Eric Allen said in the release. “The Meep team communicated to us that LISNR’s ability to over perform current modalities, QR code and NFC, with a more secure, cost-efficient modality, with flexible range will enable operators and end riders to create a frictionless and seamless journey, all while gaining loyalty from entry to exit, with a complete and easy-to-use platform.”

The announcement comes about six weeks after Mastercard and Ubirider partnered to leverage the latter’s MaaS platform Pick to create more efficient and sustainable digital payment and ticketing for transport operators.

“The management of public transport systems varies from country to country, from city to city, and even between operators,” the companies said Jan. 17. “However, there is one common thread between almost all public transport operators: All of them struggle to manage and integrate several technological platforms into their operation.”

With the solution offered by Mastercard and Ubirider, one platform handles management of schedules, communicating information to the public, issuing tickets, accepting payments and issuing receipts and invoices.