The Mint of Poland’s proprietary Open Payment System (OPS) has for the fourth time won the top prize for the best fare collection system during the International Fair of Public Transport TRANSEXPO. This year, the jury of industry experts awarded the company’s innovation which allows the passenger to clear their “debt” from their previous journey either online or directly via the OPS mobile validator onboard the vehicle. This is the first solution of this kind in Poland.

Open Payment System wins for the fourth time

The medal awarded to the Mint of Poland during the International Fair TRANSEXPO 2022 is the highest industry accolade for a public transport fare collection system. The Open Payment System (OPS), for the fourth time, outdid all competitors. This year, the jury recognized an innovation developed by the Mint of Poland that enables public transport users to unblock their cards hassle-free, by simply paying back the outstanding fare(s) from a previous journey either online via the website or directly via the OPS mobile validator onboard the vehicle during their next journey.

In practice, this facility means that the passenger whose card was blacklisted after their bank declined authorization (due to e.g. insufficient funds, system failure, etc.) is able to unblock it “there and then” by clearing the debt without having to wait for the system to de-blacklist it. This not only saves time but also allows the passenger to continue their journey immediately after any outstanding fares have been repaid and a new ticket has been purchased via the OPS validator. The project was implemented in partnership with the Urban Transport Authority in Poznan, Mastercard and Fiserv Polska S.A.

Another facility from the Mint of Poland for public transport users

Open Payments System (OPS) is a fare collection system for public transport vehicles that allows the passenger to pay the fare with a contactless bank card or a mobile phone with NFC or HCE technology. Essentially, it eliminates the need for the passenger to hold a traditional paper ticket during their journey.

With OPS, payment of the fare is done in a quick and intuitive way. First, the passenger selects the type of fare and the number of tickets they want to purchase, Then, they pay for their ticket(s) by simply “tapping” their card or smartphone to the terminal installed on the OPS mobile ticket validator onboard the public transport vehicle without having to wait for the authorization. The information about the purchased ticket is instantly saved in the central ticket system (in the cloud) and is available online, e.g. during inspection.

However, if the authorization of the transaction is subsequently declined by the bank, the card token is blacklisted, i.e. the card is automatically placed on a list of restricted cards. In effect, the passenger is then unable to purchase any more tickets via OPS. The innovation, for which the Mint of Poland was awarded during TRANSEXPO 2022, allows the public transport user to repay the debt “on-the-spot” so that they can continue to enjoy fast and convenient payments on public transport.