Starting from this May, public transport users in Wroclaw, Bydgoszcz, Gdansk and Lodz can pay for their tickets with ‘contactless BLIK’. This instant mobile payment option is now available in mobile validators operated under the Mint of Poland’s Open Payment System (OPS) and in traditional ticket vending machines (TVMs). In Warsaw, thanks to the Mint of Poland’s new solution, contactless BLIK payments can now be made in stationary and mobile TVMs installed in buses and trams. What’s more, in all these cities Diners and Discover card payments are also now accepted.

New payment method for public transport tickets

The Mint of Poland’s new implementation enables public transport users to pay for tickets with ‘contactless BLIK’. This option is now available in Wrocław, Bydgoszcz, Gdansk and Lodz. Also in these cities, passengers can use this payment method in OPS mobile validators and in traditional TVMs, too. Soon, OPS validators will offer ‘contactless BLIK’ as payment method also in Wloclawek and Jaworzno.

In Warsaw, passengers will be able to use the new contactless payment method for public transport tickets in mobile TVMs installed in buses and trams, as well as in stationary ones.

Intuitive service and convenience for passengers

To pay for the public transport ticket with ‘contactless BLIK’, this payment option just needs to be activated in the banking app on the passenger’s phone. The only technical requirement for the phone is to use the NFC or HCE technology, which is now standard in all modern phones available on the market.

– Paying for the public transport ticket with ‘contactless BLIK’ in the Mint of Poland’s machines is as simple as using a contactless card. After selecting the required ticket and proceeding to payment, the passenger needs to touch the unlocked phone to the reader in the mobile or stationary machine. The transaction will be automatically approved, without the need to log into the banking app or enter a one-time code, as is the case with ‘traditional BLIK’. Like with all other types of contactless payment made with a phone, the security of the payment is ensured by the password or PIN code entered to unlock the smartphone, or the use of biometric authenticating options such as fingerprint or facial recognition – explains Adrian Frąckiewicz, Head of the Electronic Payments Project Implementation Department, Mennica Polska S.A.

If another payment system, such as Google Pay or Apple Pay, is used simultaneously on the phone, the default payment method needs to be changed in the settings to ‘contactless BLIK’.

Convenient payment for Diners/Discover card holders

Payment for public transport tickets with ‘contactless BLIK’ is not the only one of the Mint of Poland’s new implementations. From this May, in addition to the currently accepted Visa and Mastercard cards, Diners/Discovery cards will also be accepted to pay for the ticket. This is to accommodate the needs of both local passengers as well as foreign tourists.