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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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:
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.
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.