SOURCE: Cubic Corporation
April 04, 2012 07:00 ET
PATCO Wave & Pay Card Pilot Program Introduces Ride Free for 100 Days Contest
CAMDEN, NJ--(Marketwire - Apr 4, 2012) - Cubic Transportation Systems, Inc., a business segment of Cubic Corporation (
Riders will simply tap their cards and go, paying their PATCO fares with a quick flick of the wrist.
Officials from Cubic said the PATCO pilot program is designed not only to speed riders through PATCO's stations, but also to gain valuable technical information on the best practices for deploying and operating future contactless payment systems in other transit systems. This will include Chicago where Cubic is under contract to deliver open payment.
"Cubic is excited about Phase Two of the PATCO pilot," said Steve Shewmaker, president, Cubic Transportation Systems Worldwide. "This is all about making wallets slimmer and life for the transit agency and their customers even more convenient."
In 2011, PATCO partnered with Cubic Transportation Systems to create the first transit-agency branded, all contactless Visa prepaid card in the world. This was one of the first times that consumers had been able to use the same transit payment card for both transit and retail purchases. That prepaid payment card, the Wave & Pay ANYWHERE Card, debuted on September 26, 2011, as Phase One of the PATCO pilot program.
"We are pleased to continue our partnership with Cubic and Visa on this groundbreaking pilot," said Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) CEO and PATCO President John J. Matheussen. "Open payment -- combining a transit payment card with a full-service retail payment card -- is the future of transit fare collection. The PATCO Wave & Pay ANYWHERE Visa Prepaid Card ensures that all of our riders have access to a new level of payment convenience and security."
During Phase One, PATCO riders could pay all of their PATCO fees with the PATCO branded Wave & Pay card, and then use the same card to pick up a gallon of milk or a loaf of bread on the way home. There has never been an enrollment fee to acquire a Wave & Pay card and take part in the pilot program. Wave & Pay cards are still available for PATCO riders online at www.patcopilot.com/. Phase Two of the pilot program comes at the same time as Cubic's Ride Free for 100 Days Contest, open to all PATCO riders.
"We want to reward PATCO riders for participating in this pilot, and a contest with several winners is a fun way to do it," says Cubic's Steve Brunner, vice president and regional director for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. "Everyone with a registered Wave & Pay card is eligible to win, and the more times a PATCO rider taps his or her card at the PATCO gates, the more chances they have to win."
Three lucky PATCO riders will win $600, loaded directly on to their Wave & Pay cards. Prize winners will be selected at the end of March, April and May.
PATCO riders who do not yet have a Wave & Pay card can visit www.patcopilot.com/contest and complete the form to get a new card. There is no charge to get a Wave & Pay card, and no credit check is required. Once the new card is registered online, the cardholder is entered into the contest. Customers get a new chance to win every time they use their Wave & Pay cards.
PATCO riders who already have a registered Wave & Pay card can enter the contest at the same website, www.patcopilot.com/contest.
After the pilot ends, the PATCO Wave & Pay ANYWHERE Visa Prepaid Card will continue to be accepted everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted until the expiration date on the card. To follow the latest news and participate in the discussion, visit blog.PATCOpilot.com, follow the pilot on Twitter@waveNpayPATCO and Facebook.com/waveNpay. The PATCO Card is issued by The Bancorp Bank pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. The Bancorp Bank; Member FDIC.
