Beginning of the end?
Research from MasterCard has revealed that every commuter wastes an entire day every year queuing to buy their tickets either as they board a bus or prior to travel.
Research shows that one in ten passengers have missed a bus because they were queuing to buy a ticket or didn’t have the right change. In addition, approximately 36,000 people per day board a bus and find they have insufficient Oyster PAYG balance for their journey.
The above is no longer an issue for MasterCard customers with PayPass. With 30 per cent of London bus journeys still made with cash or a paper ticket the scope for effect is significant.
From today, bus passengers will be able to pay for their journey with a contactless MasterCard or Maestro card. This presents an upgrade when compared to requiring the right change, or balance for Oyster. Commuters paying for their journey using PayPass will be charged the same fare as Oyster for pay-as-you-go tickets, rather than the cash fare which is more expensive .
Marion King who heads up MasterCard’s UK & Ireland operation said, “Today many commuters lose valuable time as they queue up to buy tickets or top up their Oyster balance. Now that TfL accepts MasterCard® PayPass TM you can skip this step altogether. This is another milestone towards a world beyond cash as people have even more opportunities to use contactless payments.”
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