--- title: "External Orders API: National Express & Masabi Win Transport Ticketing Award 2018" description: 40% stated that they are now travelling more frequently by bus because they are using the app. In the first two months alone the External Orders API increased revenues processed through the app by over 100% image: https://blog.masabi.com/hubfs/NationalExpressAPI.png --- [![](https://blog.masabi.com/hs-fs/hubfs/masabi%20186.png?width=150&name=masabi%20186.png "masabi 186.png")](http://www.masabi.com/) ![NationalExpressAPI.png](https://blog.masabi.com/hs-fs/hubfs/NationalExpressAPI.png?width=1692&name=NationalExpressAPI.png "NationalExpressAPI.png") 31-Jan-2018 09:00:00 by [James Gooch](https://blog.masabi.com/blog/author/james-gooch) # External Orders API: National Express & Masabi Win Transport Ticketing Award 2018 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) National Express West Midlands and Masabi have been recognised with a prestigious [Transport Ticketing Global 2018 Award](https://www.transport-ticketing.com/awards-categories). In this blog post we shed light on the award winning project and the work National Express and Masabi have been doing across the region to unlock access to education and reduce deprivation.   The award for ‘Most innovative customer serving operator’ was decided by a panel of distinguished [transport and payments experts](https://www.transport-ticketing.com/awards-categories/judges) in a hotly contested category, with entries from; Go-Ahead Group PLC, Parkeon, TfL and Cubic, Verkéiersverbond Communauté des Transports, Greater Anglia and Scheidt & Bachmann, NYC Ferry & TriMet.          National Express West Midlands operates in areas with high levels of deprivation and with large student populations. In a recent survey conducted in the area, 70% of students said they would not be able to afford to attend college if they were not able to access a discounted student fare. To unlock access to education and the skills potential to tackle deprivation in the region, National Express introduced an innovative UK bus first. This is a great demonstration of two commercial enterprises working with the public sector to make a real difference.   National Express partnered with Masabi to connect their existing web portal to their new mobile ticketing app ([powered by Justride](http://www.masabi.com/justride-mobile-ticketing/)) for entitlement fulfilment via an API interface (External Orders API). This allows students to order their student passes online and get them sent directly to their mobile ticketing app for activation and use. This was not only more environmentally friendly, but also saved college's admin costs and was more convenient for students as it gave them flexible passes sent straight to their phone in a format they desired.   National Express surveyed their passengers to get feedback on the new service. 55**% stated that they are now travelling more frequently **by bus because they are using the app. In the first two months alone the **External Orders API increased revenues processed through the app by over 100%** and tens of thousands of passes have been issued, helping unlock access to education for students in deprived areas across the West Midlands. ![IMG-7409.jpg](https://blog.masabi.com/hs-fs/hubfs/IMG-7409.jpg?width=801&height=601&name=IMG-7409.jpg) Masabi and National Express will be working together to increase adoption further and get more young people using this highly convenient ticketing solution. There will be continued expansion of the product range via External Orders APIs and the number of colleges and universities involved in the project will also be expanded (there is now a waiting list!). The solution will also enable the West Midlands Mayor’s Fare’s Fair scheme and provide half price travel for 16-18-year-old apprentices and trainees. ### Written by [James Gooch](https://blog.masabi.com/blog/author/james-gooch) ![](https://blog.masabi.com/hubfs/james%20gooch.png) Head of Marketing at Masabi. Find me on: [LinkedIn](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/james-gooch-3b9949b) [ ### San Joaquin Regional Transit District Launches Open Payments with Masabi, Delivering “A Faster, Easy Way to Pay” Across Stockton and the Central Valley Jul 2, 2026 ](https://blog.masabi.com/blog/san-joaquin-regional-transit-district-launches-open-payments-with-masabi-delivering-a-faster-easy-way-to-pay-across-stockton-and-the-central-valley) [ ### How SaaS Fare Collection Keeps Getting Faster at Scale Jun 30, 2026 ](https://blog.masabi.com/blog/how-saas-fare-collection-keeps-getting-faster-at-scale) [ ### Tap, Ride, Repeat: How Masabi Is Scaling Open Payments Across North America Jun 30, 2026 ](https://blog.masabi.com/blog/tap-ride-repeat-how-masabi-is-scaling-open-payments-across-north-america) ### Menu [Fare Payments as a Service](http://www.masabi.com/fare-payments-as-a-service/) [Justride Platform](http://www.masabi.com/justride-mobile-ticketing/) [Account Based Ticketing ](http://www.masabi.com/account-based-ticketing/) [Mobility as a Service](http://www.masabi.com/mobility-as-a-service/) [Mobile Ticketing ](http://www.masabi.com/mobile-ticketing/) [Contactless EMV](http://www.masabi.com/contactless-emv-ticketing/) [Blog](https://blog.masabi.com/blog) [Content ](http://www.masabi.com/resources/) [Careers ](http://www.masabi.com/we-are-hiring/) [Contact Us ](https://www.masabi.com/about/) [Request a Demo ](https://info.masabi.com/justridedemo) ### About Justride Masabi’s Justride is the leading Fare Payments platform for public transport. Transit agencies and operators can sign up to mobile ticketing services, enable Mobility as a Service (MaaS) and deploy an account-based system allowing passengers to simply tap a contactless bank card, mobile device and smartcard to travel, without needing to buy a ticket or understand fares. With over seventy agencies of all sizes across ten countries signed up, Justride is leading the movement away from bespoke and expensive ticket systems to Fare Payments as a Service. ### About Masabi At Masabi we believe a new Fare Payments system allowing passengers to just tap and ride, without needing to buy a ticket or understand fares, should be available to every passenger and every transit agency around the globe, without prohibitive costs or taking years to deliver. By providing a Fare Payments platform which is constantly improving and connected with leading mobility applications (for full first-last mile journeys) Masabi is helping passengers move seamlessly from A to B, attracting more people to conveniently ride public transit. ### Masabi Newsletter © Masabi Services - All Right Reserved. **