ConnectSmart’s Mobility Wallet: Simplifying Payments

It wasn’t too long ago that you had to use cash or a credit card at a kiosk to buy a paper ticket before you could ride the bus, take the subway, or any other public transportation mode.

That’s all changed. With the advent of Mobility Wallets, it’s easier than ever to hop on public transportation, rent a bike or scooter, pay for parking, and even pay a carpool driver.

ITS America defines a mobility wallet as:

An electronic or card-based payment tool or system, applicable to both public and private shared transportation services, that helps to facilitate multimodal mobility.

Successful Implementation

ConnectSmart’s successful design and implementation meet the core goals of a Mobility Wallet as defined by ITS America:

• Provide users with a single integrated payment option for mobility services. ConnectSmart Mobility Wallet meets this goal by accepting various types of payment, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, debit, and credit cards for Coin purchases. Additional options are currently under consideration that will also enable users and those without access to credit or debit cards, increasing accessibility.

• Apply the best fare, taking advantage of available discounts, even when using multiple modes of travel for a single trip. ConnectSmart’s Mobility Wallet meets this goal by offering the user the available fares and any promotional discounts on all travel modes for each trip.

• Promote transportation equity, accepting subsidies from both government and private sources. ConnectSmart’s Mobility Wallet meets this goal by including the ability of governments, private companies, and other entities to add funds to an account. For example, an employer who partners with ConnectSmart to promote transit or carpooling among their employees may add funds to a user’s Mobility Wallet.

The primary characteristics of ConnectSmart's Mobility Wallet are:

• Security. ConnectSmart’s Mobility Wallet is PCI compliant and hosted on a secure platform.

• Coverage. The Mobility Wallet allows for payment options all in one place.  Whether the user is purchasing tickets for transit or paying a carpool driver, they can use Mobility Wallet.  

• Ease of use. It is quick and easy for users to set up an account, make their purchase, and use the tickets safely stored in their wallet. ConnectSmart also has customer service representatives available to assist users when necessary.

Collaborations Matter

Partnerships are key to ConnectSmart’s Mobility Wallet's successful deployment in the Houston and Austin metropolitan regions. As a result, ConnectSmart is currently working on enabling payment for other features in the Mobility Wallet.

ConnectSmart hosts campaigns and participates in community events, where we encourage new app downloads and ConnectSmart users. This system can be re-enacted if a service provider wishes to provide funding for free ticketing again.

In addition, ConnectSmart collaborates with employers to encourage their employees to use ConnectSmart and the Mobility Wallet.

Making An Impact

Today, ConnectSmart has more than 20,000 users and expects continued growth. The ConnectSmart app is the nation’s largest MaaS app, which transcends the traditional MaaS concept by introducing a robust travel behavior engine as well as features and functionalities pertaining to safety and advanced traveler informatics. ConnectSmart’s launch of the Mobility Wallet in the app is a reflection of the program's values and commitment to providing a pathway for users to take multiple modes of transportation, along with the intention to increase transportation equity.