Transit Network

Promote a culture that financially supports and values using mass transit by developing an electronic transit network for:

      • Consumers
      • Transit Merchants (Public and Private)
      • Non-Transit Merchants: Stores, Municipalities, non-profits, etc.

1.    Concept

Provide a cloud based “non-financial” transit network for transit merchants to setup pricing rules based on rides, distance, transfer (routes), etc. that integrates with standard fare box payment methods such as: cash, optical (e.g., QR code) readers, electronic EMV terminals for passenger boarding transit vehicles.

Provide the capability for public and private transit merchants to partner to manage pricing when the same non-financial private identifier is used to ride across multiple merchants.

Provide for non-transit-merchants to partner with transit merchants to offer transit and/or shopping incentives when riding and shopping using the same non-financial private identifier.

1.1. Use Case

    • A transaction enters the “Transit Network” when there is a promise of payment with amount paid/promised, private user identifier, transit merchant attribution, ride attribution.
    • A request is made to the “Transit Network” for verification including (a) fare paid to continue transfer, (b) trip made (c) incremental fare required, (d) this list needs to be expanded.
    • Payment True-up based on rules in the “Transit Network” is sent to and received from all participating merchants at the end of the day. Note: Merchants should be able to allow release and sending of funds into and out of their accounts.
    • Non-Functional: The “Transit Network” neither contains nor maintains any private information about riders except for the non-financial private identifier the merchant maintains to identify the ride.

2.   Scenarios

Cash Payment

      1. Rider Boards – pays cash
      2. Fare Box prints transfer perhaps with QR Code, Private ID, date/time
      3. Ride Ends – Rider transfers – shows transfer to driver who takes appropriate verification measures (transfer is good or asks for additional payment)
          • Alternate Flow – Transfer presented to fare box optical reader, request for verification sent to “Transit Network” which returns response
      4. Rider boards and continues on their way

Credit Card Payment Network

    1. Rider Boards – Taps Credit card to EMV reader on fare box (transit merchant accepts credit card payment) which sends account non-financial private ID to “Transit Network” with ride attributes
    2. Ride Ends – Rider Transfers – taps Credit on EMV fare box reader. Transit merchant sends verification request to “Transit Network” which responds with OK to ride, need additional payment (responsibility of transit merchant to collect payment).
    3. Rider boards and continues on their way