Contactless payment period begins with credit cards, debit cards and prepaid cards in public transportation in Izmir. With the cooperation of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality and Visa, Izmir residents get contactless payment service at international standards in public transportation.
The system, in which domestic and international contactless credit, debit and prepaid cards can be used as well as İzmirim Cards, was first put into use on Adnan Menderes Airport bus lines with the card acceptance infrastructure provided by İşbank.
Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Tunç Soyerannounced that the new system, which allows domestic and foreign tourists to use their contactless payment cards in their pockets, by eliminating the necessity of owning and loading Izmirim Card, will be valid in all public transportation vehicles from the summer months.
Izmir Metropolitan Municipality and Visa signed a cooperation protocol for boarding all public transportation vehicles in Izmir with contactless credit cards, debit cards and prepaid cards. In the project, the card acceptance infrastructure was provided by İşbank. The system first went into operation on the Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport bus lines. Thanks to the open circuit contactless pass option, passengers will be able to board the vehicles with contactless domestic and foreign credit cards, debit cards and prepaid cards.
World-class tourist friendly smart city
Pilot implementation of the project, firstly; Karşıyaka Mavişehir started on ESHOT lines 200, 202, 204 and 206 operating between Alsancak Cumhuriyet Square, Bornova Metro and Buca Şirinyer transfer centers and Adnan Menderes Airport. The new application will be used on other lines gradually, and starting from the summer months, in all public transportation vehicles throughout the city and within the 120 Minute Transfer System. The smooth use of domestic contactless cards as well as international credit and debit cards and prepaid cards in all aspects of public transportation and within the transfer system will be a first in Turkey. Thus, İzmir, which was visited by many domestic and foreign tourists annually before the pandemic period and was a transit point for transportation to other touristic points, will turn into a world-class tourist-friendly smart city.
The obligation to carry money and load cards ends
When the application spreads throughout the city, residents of İzmir will be able to get on all public transportation vehicles easily by having their contactless credit, debit or prepaid cards read by turnstiles and card readers, without having to carry money or fill their cards. In addition, the tourist-friendly system will provide a hassle-free customer experience, as tourists visiting the city will not need to purchase an additional card for transportation.
The user's HES code will also be defined.
Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Tunç Soyer, emphasized that this convenience, which is used in many world cities, is also available in Izmir. Noting that tariff information including the user will be uploaded to debit and credit cards and prepaid cards, and HEPP Code definitions will be made, Chairman Soyer said, “The system will recognize the user. Starting from the summer months, is it at full tariff, is it a student, teacher, disabled or veteran, discounted or free boarding; will have all this information and will work within the scope of tariffs as in İzmirim Cards”.
President Tunç Soyer: “We are launching a hundred percent contactless public transportation service in Izmir”
Stating that the system will also work with mobile wallet applications where cards are loaded, President Soyer said, “We are launching a 100 percent contactless public transportation service in Izmir at international standards. Thanks to its extremely healthy and easy use, the necessity of owning and loading İzmirim Card will be eliminated. Domestic and foreign guests coming to our city will also be able to easily benefit from public transportation services with their contactless cards. Starting from the summer months, it will be used in all our public transportation vehicles throughout the city.” he said.
It will further increase the value of Izmir
Visa Turkey General Manager Merve Tezel stated that contactless payments, which have become one of the most preferred payment methods by consumers with the pandemic period, are becoming more common in public transportation, and said, “Contactless card passes, which improve the urban travel experience, also bring a tourist-friendly identity to cities. As Visa, we have brought public transportation together with contactless payments in more than 450 cities around the world, including metropolitan cities such as London, New York and Madrid, by taking an active role in every stage of the process. We are very happy to have contributed to this innovation that we started today as a result of our harmonious cooperation with the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality and that will soon expand to the whole city and increase the value of the city even more. I congratulate all the teams, especially the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, who contributed to the project, and wish that the contactless transits in public transportation will be beneficial to the people of Izmir.”
Simple, fast, distinctive and secure experiences for instant needs
In a statement on the subject, İşbank Deputy General Manager Sezgin Lüle said; “As İşbank, we attach importance to providing simple, fast, distinctive and secure experiences for instant needs with our pioneering and innovative solutions in the payment systems ecosystem. We are very happy to enable, for the first time in Turkey, to use all contactless cards in public transportation, regardless of domestic and international credit, debit or prepaid cards, through our work with Izmir Metropolitan Municipality and Visa. We have implemented the contactless pass with the card in city transportation, which is an important experience of daily life and where speed is needed most, on pilot lines in Izmir, one of the 3 big cities. We continue our efforts to rapidly expand the contactless payment experience with cards in urban transportation, which will facilitate the daily life of individuals, to the whole of İzmir and to other provinces of our country.”
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