Open Payment? Mais oui.

How did Worldline become involved in the Mobil’in Pulse working group – and what was the motivation for joining?

Worldline has traditionally been committed to promoting seamless and inclusive payment solutions in the transport and mobility sector. As a business we contribute to various MaaS (Mobility as a Service) working groups with Cerema, a French public institution working on environmental, mobility and development issues.

Joining Mobil'in Pulse (a French association working for the development of transport, environment and traffic working group) is a natural step because it brings together key players from the transport sector, public authorities, banking and technology providers. It’s the first time in France that the specialists in Open Payment have been brought together in a single working group. The white paper, written by this group, set out to turn collective experience into clear, actionable guidance for accelerating the adoption of Open Payment across France, aimed at supporting decision-makers and public transport authorities.

By participating in Mobil'in Pulse, Worldline aims to share its expertise in secure digital payments and be a catalyst for the adoption of Open Payment in France to generate more accessible, sustainable and efficient public transport.

Who were the key partners involved in the collaboration, and how did their perspectives influence the final white paper?

The working group brought together a rich ecosystem of stakeholders. Transport operators such as Transdev, public transit  authorities Région Grand Est and Nouvelle-Aquitaine Mobilités, consultancy firms like Setec-ITS and banking and payment players including MasterCard, Visa, BPCE, CB and of course, Worldline.

Each perspective was essential. Authorities highlighted policy and inclusivity challenges, operators shared customer experience insights and the financial sector led on effective security and business models. That diversity ensured that the final whitepaper offered balanced recommendations reflecting governance, economics and customer experience.

What specific value or expertise did Worldline bring to the table during the working group discussions?

We contributed our expertise in large-scale payment processing and transport ticketing and clarified how Open Payment can be deployed reliably while ensuring compliance with EMV standards and regulatory requirements. We also brought operational experience from deployments in France, helping the group assess both the technical feasibility around latency, multi-validation and capped fares as well as sharing a wealth of knowledge around the economic sustainability of Open Payment systems.

Beyond the technical dimension, we emphasised the importance of customer trust and simplicity to show that validating a journey really should be as easy for customers as buying a baguette.

About the Whitepaper & Conference

The whitepaper sets out some key challenges and opportunities around Open Payment – what were your main takeaways?

From Worldline’s perspective, the whitepaper confirms three main priorities around Open Payment which:

1. encourages the modal shift from cars to public transport.
2. improves cost efficiency and helps boost revenue.
3. enables inter-modality, creating seamless journeys across transport modes.

In a nutshell, Open Payment is not just a technical innovation – it’s a critical strategic enabler for sustainable mobility.

How do you see the findings of the whitepaper supporting the wider adoption of Open Payment across varied transport networks – not just large cities?

The findings show that Open Payment is a scalable and adaptable solution, suitable for networks of all sizes – from major metropolitan areas to mid-sized towns and even rural regions. The success stories in the whitepaper show that adoption doesn’t depend on network size, but on the simplicity and trust the system brings to customers.

For public authorities, the paper provides reassurance that the technology is economically viable, robust and well accepted by customers.

For operators, it can be introduced progressively, starting with occasional users and evolving toward capped or account-based models, and provides flexibility with fare structures to provide greater value to customers.

Ultimately, the whitepaper gives decision-makers a practical roadmap and confidence that Open Payment can and will support a necessary shift toward more inclusive, sustainable and connected mobility.

On-the-Ground Insight: Lyon Case Study

The Lyon network recently integrated an additional mobility service provider. What does this tell us about the reality of collaborative delivery – and what role did Worldline play?

The integration of Lyon’s river shuttle service into the Transports en Commun Lyonnais (TCL) network this summer is a working case study that Open Payment is a living and evolving system.

We provided the modular Tap 2 Use platform, which features an open architecture and multi-operator capabilities that allow new services to be added without disruption. For customers, tapping a card or mobile works across all modes, with revenues automatically and seamlessly shared between operators.

How does the Lyon project show the transition from working group discussions to actual deployment?

The Lyon case demonstrates how the ideas explored in forums like Mobil’in Pulse can easily become real-world difference-making results. Principles such as user simplicity, the technical robustness supporting 4,000 certified validators and capped fares were put into action as part of a frictionless upgrade. The deployment relies on close collaboration with the acquiring bank and card schemes, not only during rollout but also in its ongoing operation. This joint effort ensures continuous compliance, security, and reliability in day-to-day usage.

Within a year, there were over 10 million taps and 51% of single ticket sales via Open Payment – proof, if any were needed, that strong collaboration leads to smooth deployment and reliable service. After three years there were more than 40 million taps and Open Payment now accounts for nearly 70% of single ticket sales, with a 99.8% revenue recovery rate. Those statistics speak volumes for customer acceptance.

Wider Impact and Reflections

How do you see Open Payment contributing to wider societal goals, such as accessibility, decarbonisation and equity in transport?

Open Payment makes public transport more accessible, sustainable and inclusive. These are indisputable facts.

Reducing friction at the point of access encourages more customers, including occasional travellers, tourists and people unfamiliar with ticketing systems, to choose public transport instead of the car, supporting decarbonisation objectives. It also promotes equity, with capped fares and no need for registration or paper tickets, so everyone can travel easily, fairly and know they’re getting the best value ticket.

In the whitepaper and Lyon, did anything surprise you? What do you think transport stakeholders in the UK might be pleased with in the process or outcomes?

The speed of user adoption surprised us most.

In under a year, Open Payment became the main single-ticket channel in Lyon, representing more than 50% of sales. That was beyond initial expectations and showed that customers are more than ready to embrace change when the solution is simple and trustworthy.

Another thing UK stakeholders might not expect is the scale of deployment underway in France, where a quarter of the 200 multi-modal urban networks now use Open Payment. While the front-end solution appears very simple to customers, behind the scenes success depends on continuous collaboration between authorities, operators, banks and schemes to ensure security and reliability.

The simplicity of fares across Urban Networks in France has been a huge factor in the speed of the roll out, with most networks adopting a flat fare or simple zonal fare structure without needing more complex Origin and Destination fares dependent on a touch-in touch-out capability.

Moving forward, what is the most important factor for successful collaboration in mobility innovation – and where does Worldline go next?

The key has to be long-term collaboration among all stakeholders, built on the shared vision of simplicity for customers, sustainability and compliance. Our vision is to see Open Payment extended across regions, and intercity networks, to create a truly integrated, multimodal ecosystem. This future would see a world which is more connected, more inclusive and equally more sustainable.