Open payments promise a smoother, more convenient rider experience - allowing passengers to simply tap a contactless bank card or mobile wallet to travel. But behind that tap is a complex set of systems, integrations, and policy decisions that can either empower your agency or lock you into costly limitations.
Choosing the right partner goes beyond ticking the “EMV” box. It’s about selecting a future-ready fare payments platform that supports equity, integration, and operational simplicity.
Here are seven key questions every transit agency, authority, or operator should ask when evaluating open payments solutions - and why the answers matter.
1. Can your open payments solution support concessions and reduced fares?
Why it matters:
Equity is a core value for public transport - and that must extend to your fare payment system. Some open payment implementations only offer standard adult fares, excluding those eligible for youth, senior, or low-income discounts.
What to look for:
A system that supports account linking and eligibility-based fares - so discounts can be automatically applied at the point of tap, even with contactless bank cards.
2. Are you limited to Open Payments only, or can the platform support all fare media - from one back office?
Why it matters:
Open payments shouldn’t come at the cost of complexity. If your cEMV solution can’t coexist with mobile tickets, barcodes, smart cards, or cash - you may find yourself running parallel systems and back offices, adding cost and complexity.
What to look for:
A single platform that supports all fare media and customer groups - from tourists using mobile to unbanked riders paying with cash - all managed through one central back office.
3. How inclusive is your contactless solution for the unbanked?
Why it matters:
Not every rider has access to a credit or debit card. A solution that only supports traditional bank-issued EMV cards risks excluding unbanked or underbanked populations from the simplicity of tap-and-go.
What to look for:
Support for alternative payment options like Cash App’s Cash Card or agency-branded reloadable cards - enabling everyone to benefit from contactless travel.
4. Can your team - and your passengers - access data when and how they need it?
Why it matters:
Fare systems should empower both operations and customers. Agencies need granular data for reporting, refunds, and service planning. Riders need access to receipts, journey history, and tools.
What to look for:
Real-time access to trip - and passenger-level data, rider-friendly portals, and open APIs that integrate seamlessly into your existing systems and workflows.
5. Is your open payments EMV certification portable across agencies?
Why it matters:
Level 3 (L3) certification is required to launch a contactless EMV (Open Payments) solution, but some certifications are locked to specific vendors or processors - creating a risk of re-certification delays.
What to look for:
Portable certifications that can be reused across deployments, reducing your time-to-market and future-proofing your investment.
6. Can you choose how payments are acquired - and who acts as the Merchant of Record?
Why it matters:
Merchant of Record (MOR) flexibility allows North American agencies to remove the burden of acting as MOR. Some vendors lock you into a particular acquiring partner or force you to become your own MOR.
What to look for:
The ability to choose whether the vendor, or your agency, acts as the MOR - giving you flexibility in how open payments are launched and managed. Also, look to see if your potential vendor can offer discounts with certain PSP and Acquiring partners, or has integrated (or the ability to easily integrate) into the Acquirer you are looking to use.
7. How experienced is your vendor in delivering successful open payments solutions?
Why it matters:
Open payments projects are complex. Experience matters - especially in integrating with validators, managing EMV requirements, navigating certification, and designing inclusive, scalable fare systems.
What to look for:
A proven track record of real-world deployments across geographies, fare media, and agency types - with references to back it up.
Don’t buy an Open Payments product - invest in a flexible, future-ready platform
Open Payments (EMV) is just one piece of the fare collection puzzle. The real goal is to deliver a modern rider experience that works for everyone, or as many riders as possible - while giving your agency or authority the flexibility to adapt, integrate, and grow without unnecessary cost or complexity.
Too often, agencies and authorities invest in open payments solutions that are limited in scope: supporting only cEMV, requiring separate systems for other fare media, or locking away valuable rider data. That approach adds cost, creates silos, and risks leaving riders behind.
At Masabi, we believe agencies deserve more.
Our Open Payments solution is part of a broader Justride platform that brings all fare media together - bank cards and mobile wallets, smart cards, mobile, barcodes, and cash - within a single back office. It’s a proven, scalable solution that helps agencies move beyond pilots and into full production quickly and cost-effectively.
> Supports all fare media through one platform - no need for duplicate back offices
> Enables concession fares through account linking - delivering equity from day one
> Extends access with Cash App Card support for unbanked riders
> Empowers riders with receipt access and trip history
> Gives agencies full data access via secure APIs - no vendor lock-in
> Offers flexible MOR options - Masabi can act as MOR or integrate with your existing Acquirer
> Includes portable L3 certification with certain payment and validation configurations - reducing time and cost of EMV deployment
> Proven across more than six Open Payments launches on three continents - from the US to Europe and Australia
By asking the right questions, you’ll avoid the trap of inflexible, bolt-on EMV solutions and instead invest in a platform that’s built for long-term success - for you and your riders.
Masabi is helping agencies of all sizes deliver modern, inclusive, and efficient fare payments - and we’d love to help you next.
