Open Payment rolled out in Lyon

This innovative, connected solution was developed in partnership with the Caisse d’Epargne Rhône Alpes, BPCE Payments Services (the new name of Natixis Payment Solutions) and Worldline.  

The three entities pooled their expertise in payment acceptance & acquisition services and Open Payment to provide a comprehensive solution covering both validation and control equipment, a central system, and a fully secure payment chain certified by CB, Visa, and MasterCard. 

After Dijon in 2018 and Aix en Provence in 2020, this new initiative in Lyon confirms the Group's innovation and development capacity in the area of payment solutions. This initiative is also fully aligned with the drive to make Open Payment more widely accessible in public transport networks in general and to serve the growing demand for contactless payment solutions in France, up by more than 50% in 2021*. 

Simplifying the journey 

With 4,000 validators installed on more than 100 bus routes, 7 tramway lines, 4 metro lines, and 2 funicular lines in addition to the park-and-ride service in the Lyon metropolitan area, this public transport system is currently the largest network in France offering Open Payment. How does it work? Passengers tap their contactless bank card – which may be a physical card or a virtual one stored on a smartphone or connected watch – on one of the validators without having to sign up to the system or install a mobile app. The system consolidates all the different trips made throughout the day before calculating the best fare. At the end of the day, a direct debit transaction is performed on the bank account linked to the card used. 

TCL is the 2^nd largest public transportation network in France. It serves 73 municipalities, including 59 in the Lyon metropolitan area, and provides daily services to 1.3 million people.

* Source: GIE Carte bancaires (bank card economic interest grouping)