European first – contactless mobile phone payments for public transport are now available, and it’s happening in Nice!

Paris, 20 May 2010 – Veolia transport has chosen to integrate PayByPhone into its ticketing, traveller information and entertainment solution, BPass lignes d’Azur.

PayByPhone simplifies the purchase of transport tickets using NFC/Cityzi mobile payments within the wider rollout of contactless mobile services in Nice Cote d’Azur.

After selecting their ticket, BPass users are automatically redirected to the PayByPhone service for purchases above €10. With the phone number used as an identifier, the user is then securely charged the relevant amount on his credit card. Tickets are then downloaded onto the mobile itself. All the user needs to do is swipe his NFC phone on the pad in the bus or tram, as he would do with a contactless card.

Simple and easy to use, with no need to enter card details for each purchase, the PayByPhone service was developed in partnership with Credit Mutuel Arkea for the French market and can be used for other purposes. For example, people in Nice are already using the system to pay for the shared bicycle scheme, Velobleu.

PayByPhone also offers mobile payments for parking in many areas such as Issy, Washington, London and Miami.

According to Dominique Descolas, mobile services and ticketing director at Veolia transport: “PayByPhone offers a universal, reliable and easy to use payment solutions for customers”.

The benefits of using NFC mobile payment for transport with PayByPhone are:

• Ease of use – no need to go to a cashier as payments can be made anywhere without the need for card details
• Less stress – pay at any time, even at the last minute while waiting for the bus
• More services, including summary emails and online purchase history
• More flexibility, suitable for paying transport tickets as well as other services such as bicycle rental or parking.

How to subscribe
The service is free; all users need to do is register their card details the first time they use the system.
Customers can subscribe on the mobile app BPass Lignes d’Azur, online on www.lignesdazur.com or www.paybyphone.fr and also in Nice by contacting the local velobleu service on 04 3000 3001

Advantages of PayByPhone

PayByPhone works with all mobiles and operators.

With a single subscription, customers can easily, quickly and securely shop with their mobile phone for a range of services such as parking, bicycle rental, transport tickets at all retail points and cities offering the service.

In order to avoid carrying coins or cards, all purchases can be completed securely from the same card after the initial setup. For parking, PayByPhone enables customers to pay, extend or stop a ticket remotely so they pay only for the actual time they were parked.

ENDS….

Press contact:

Philippe Lerouge
Téléphone : 01 46 10 47 20
contact@paybyphone.fr
www.paybyphone.fr

About PayByPhone :

PayByPhone is part of the PayPoint group, www.paypoint.com 

Verrus is a leading international provider of services to parking authorities allowing consumers to use their mobile phones to pay for their parking by credit or debit card.  It operates under the Verrus and PayByPhone brands and has contracts in the UK, France, Canada and the USA and has more than two million users every day.