The Changing Landscape: Legacy Build-to-Own Systems 1.0 to 2.0
As SaaS platforms like Masabi’s gain more traction in the market, many legacy fare collection providers are attempting to adapt by rebranding their bespoke solutions as cloud-based or modular.
However, these offerings often involve moving existing legacy systems from being hosted by the agency to being hosted in the cloud—without fundamentally changing the architecture. While marketed as modern, these systems remain costly to implement and maintain, and lack the agility and cost-effectiveness of true SaaS solutions.
What we’re increasingly seeing in the market is a split approach by some vendors: offering multi-tenant SaaS solutions for smaller agencies, while continuing to push bespoke, build-to-own systems for larger networks. This approach may seem pragmatic on the surface, but it effectively locks larger agencies into complex, one-off systems—trapping them in the very legacy model the industry is trying to move away from. Rather than benefiting from economies of scale and continuous upgrades, these agencies are left managing custom solutions that are expensive and inflexible.
The next generation of legacy build-to-own systems—sometimes referred to as “platforms”—can come with elements of a shared code base (depending on the vendor), but make no mistake: the solution is still bespoke. Once it’s customized and deployed, it becomes a standalone system requiring its own maintenance, upgrades, and management.
To truly realize the benefits of a SaaS approach, transit agencies and transport authorities/operators should look for platforms built from the ground up to be cloud-native and multi-tenant. These systems support multiple agencies simultaneously while allowing for local fare policy configuration, delivering the cost, innovation, and agility benefits that only SaaS platforms can provide.
Off-the-Shelf SaaS Solutions vs. Enterprise SaaS for Public Transit
Public transit agencies today are facing a range of complex challenges—from reducing costs to improving rider experiences and keeping pace with technology. One of the most impactful decisions an agency can make is selecting a fare payment solution that aligns with its needs and goals. For many transit agencies and transport authorities/operators, a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution offers an ideal mix of affordability, flexibility, and continuous innovation. However, the right type of SaaS—off-the-shelf or enterprise—depends largely on the agency's or authority's size, complexity, and needs.
In this blog, we’ll explore the differences between off-the-shelf SaaS and enterprise-ready SaaS solutions and highlight how Masabi’s offerings cater to agencies of all sizes, ensuring they have the right tools to drive success, ridership, and innovation in public transit.
Off-the-Shelf SaaS: Fast, Cost-Effective, and Innovative Solutions for Smaller Agencies and Operators
For small to mid-sized transit agencies and transport operators, an off-the-shelf SaaS solution is often the best choice. These pre-configured solutions offer robust functionality, allowing smaller agencies and authorities to access modern, reliable fare payment technology quickly and cost-effectively, without the need for complex customizations.
Justride Express: A Pre-configured Platform for Agencies and Operators with Less Complex Requirements
Masabi’s Express solutions are a perfect example of an off-the-shelf SaaS offering designed to meet the needs of transit agencies and transport operators looking to innovate without heavy investments or needing complex integrations. These solutions support mobile ticketing, open payments, and account-based ticketing (ABT), all in a user-friendly, agency-branded platform.
Masabi’s Express Solutions provide small to medium-sized agencies and operators with a level of enterprise readiness usually reserved for larger systems, empowering them with a high-quality, scalable fare payment system. The solutions come pre-integrated with everything needed to launch easily and deliver seamless rider experiences.
- Quick and Easy to Launch: With pre-integration, Express Solutions is ready to go out of the box. Agencies can deploy it quickly and start seeing results without long, complex setups.
- Easy to Operate: With a centralized management portal, administrators have an accessible, streamlined interface for managing operations, offering efficiency for smaller teams.
- Supporting All Riders: Features like fare capping, comprehensive entitlement support, and cash payment support ensure that the system remains inclusive, meeting the needs of all riders.
- Cost-Effective: By avoiding the costs of bespoke solutions, Express Solutions provides high-end features at a fraction of the cost, making it accessible for agencies with limited budgets.
Express Solutions provides agencies and networks with a world-class fare payment platform that enhances brand identity, drives ridership, and supports continuous innovation—all while staying affordable. This approach lets smaller cities keep pace with evolving fare technology without locking themselves into restrictive, high-cost contracts.
Enterprise SaaS Fare Collection Platforms: Scalable, Modular Solutions for Large Cities and Regions
For large cities, managing public transit systems effectively is both a challenge and a necessity. As urban centers continue to grow and evolve, the demand for scalable, flexible, and cost-efficient fare collection solutions becomes increasingly critical. Masabi’s Enterprise SaaS platform provides a comprehensive solution for larger cities and regions, combining the benefits of a SaaS model with the flexibility of an open platform and an extensive partner ecosystem. This approach allows cities to optimize their transit systems, ensure adaptability, customization, and leverage innovation—all while maintaining control over their fare collection processes.
The Benefits of Enterprise SaaS Platforms for Large Agencies and Authorities
- Scalability and Flexibility: Enterprise SaaS platforms like Masabi’s are inherently scalable because they are cloud-native and designed to support the vast and dynamic needs of large metropolitan transit agencies. Unlike traditional bespoke systems, which are rigid and costly to maintain, a SaaS platform grows with the city, enabling agencies to add new functionalities, expand service coverage, and scale up operations without the need for significant capital investments or lengthy deployment times.
- Open Platform: Enterprise SaaS platforms are built on an open, modular architecture that encourages interoperability and vendor collaboration. The open platform model allows transit agencies and authorities to select the best solutions from a broad ecosystem of pre-integrated solutions. If the solution is not already pre-integrated, then it can be integrated using APIs and SDKs. This flexibility ensures that agencies are not locked into a single vendor.
- Continuous Innovation Without Obsolescence: Traditional fare collection systems often face the risk of obsolescence due to their proprietary nature and limited adaptability. In contrast, Enterprise SaaS platforms continually update with new features and improvements. This means that large cities can stay at the cutting edge of technology, comply with the latest security updates, and receive system improvements without the need for costly overhauls or "build and burn" projects. Updates and improvements are deployed seamlessly, ensuring that the system evolves with the needs of the city and its riders.
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Cost-Efficiency and Reduced Operational Burden: By adopting an Enterprise SaaS platform, cities can significantly reduce both capital and operational expenditures. For example, the Denver RTD saved at least $25 million by choosing Masabi’s solution over a traditional fare collection system. Cost savings can be redirected to other critical areas, such as service expansion, infrastructure improvements, and rider engagement initiatives. Furthermore, the SaaS model alleviates the operational burden, enabling agencies to focus on delivering a superior rider experience.
Through its open architecture, Masabi’s Justride Enterprise Solutions empowers larger transit systems to offer industry-leading features, maximize ROI, and stay at the cutting edge of public transit technology. By partnering with a systems integrator, agencies benefit from customized setups while enjoying the ongoing flexibility and cost-efficiency of a SaaS model.
The Role of Systems Integrators (SIs) and Partners
While the SaaS model offers immense flexibility and scalability, larger cities often benefit from the support of a Systems Integrator (SI). An SI can be crucial in managing complex projects, developing custom integrations, providing solutions, and ongoing operational and service support. This partnership allows cities to leverage the best of both worlds: the agility and cost-efficiency of a SaaS platform, combined with the tailored, hands-on support, services, and bespoke customization of an experienced SI. A consortium of best-in-class partners can also be brought together to meet the needs of cities and their transit systems to advance rider journeys and increase ridership and efficiency.
Enterprise SaaS: Masabi’s Open Enterprise Platform
Masabi's open platform leverages a modular, API-driven approach that allows transit agencies and transport authorities/operators to easily integrate new technologies and partner solutions into their existing infrastructure. This means that agencies and authorities can choose the best-in-class tools and services to suit their specific needs, without being locked into a single vendor or proprietary system.
Key Features of Masabi’s Enterprise SaaS Platform
- Open Platform Back-Office Excellence: At the heart of Masabi’s solution is a powerful Account-Based Ticketing back-office that supports the entire fare collection process, from payments and fare calculation to customer management and data analytics. The platform’s service-oriented architecture ensures seamless integration with existing systems, simplifying migrations and minimizing disruptions.
- Open Platform Integration Suite: Masabi’s award-winning suite of APIs and SDKs enables large cities to build customized solutions and connect with other systems effortlessly. For example, the Mobility Provider Payments API supports integrated payments across different transport modes, while the Mobile Ticketing API allows for easy issuance and management of digital tickets.
- Modular and Vendor-Agnostic: Masabi’s platform promotes an open ecosystem, allowing cities to select the best partners and technologies to meet their needs. This vendor-agnostic approach prevents lock-in and encourages innovation, ensuring that agencies can adapt to evolving market conditions and technological advances.
- Data-Driven Insights: The platform provides comprehensive data analytics tools that help agencies understand rider behavior, optimize routes, and improve service delivery. This data-driven approach enables cities to make informed decisions that enhance the overall quality and efficiency of their transit systems.
- Enterprise-Grade Security and Reliability: Masabi’s platform is built to handle the scale and complexity of large cities, with enterprise-grade security features, robust fraud prevention mechanisms, and a proven track record of reliability.
The ‘Justride Ready’ Partner Network
Masabi’s solution also includes the Justride Ready Partner Network, an open ecosystem of validated and pre-integrated partners that offer a range of hardware, software, and service options to transit agencies and transport operators.
Key Benefits of the Justride Ready Partner Network:
- Flexibility: Agencies can select from a wide range of partners and solutions to fit their specific needs, from fare collection hardware to mobile app development.
- Reduced Vendor Lock-In: By partnering with multiple vendors, agencies are not locked into a single solution or provider, enabling them to adapt to future changes in technology and customer needs.
- Speed to Market: Pre-integrated solutions mean that new services and features can be deployed faster, reducing time to market and improving service delivery.
- Scalability: The open platform allows agencies to scale their operations easily by adding new partners or upgrading components without disrupting the entire system.
Masabi’s Experience and Expertise
Masabi is the global leader in delivering fare payments-as-a-service, with a deep track record of powering complex, large-scale deployments for some of the world’s most demanding transit agencies and authorities. From major metropolitan networks like New York (MTA), Boston (MBTA), and Los Angeles (LA Metro & Metrolink) to deployments in cities such as Melbourne, Valencia, Calgary, Birmingham, Denver, and Las Vegas, Masabi has proven its ability to support transport systems requiring enterprise-grade solutions at scale.
Unlike vendors that reserve modern SaaS solutions for smaller agencies, Masabi’s multi-tenant, cloud-native platform is built to serve agencies, authorities, and operators of all sizes through the same modern architecture, bringing enterprise functionality, continuous innovation, and shared best practices to everyone.
Our platform (Justride) supports millions of riders, has scaled to support rush hour at some of the biggest transport networks in the world, processes billions in fare revenue annually, and integrates with leading validators, mobile apps, partner systems, and retail networks—all while maintaining world-class security, uptime, and flexibility.
Whether launching account-based ticketing, enabling open payments, or delivering across complex multi-operator networks, Masabi’s experience and technology prove that SaaS isn’t just for small agencies—it’s built for the world’s biggest.
Conclusion: Empowering Large Cities with SaaS Fare Collection Platforms
For larger cities, regions, and transport networks, adopting an Enterprise SaaS platform like Masabi’s offers a path to modernization that combines flexibility, scalability, and cost efficiency. The open platform and partner ecosystem provide the tools and partnerships needed to create a modular, future-proof transit system. By leveraging the expertise of Systems Integrators where necessary, cities can ensure they have the support required for successful implementation and ongoing management.
In this way, Masabi’s platform helps cities transition towards a public transportation-first future, where seamless, integrated, and efficient transit systems become the backbone of urban mobility.
