The Société de transport de Laval (STL) and Desjardins Group, in the presence of the Mayor of Laval, Mr. Marc Demers, announced the implementation of a new pilot project to accept credit card payments by Visa or MasterCard onboard Laval buses. These two leading Quebec companies have joined forces to bring this innovative project to life as of Friday April 21 on six of the STL’s bus routes: 20, 39, 48, 60, 63 and 73. The STL is the first public transit company in Canada to test onboard fare payment by credit card (single fares).
The technology used is a contactless payment terminal similar to those found in most retailers across Canada. This Monetico payment solution, developed by Desjardins, allows for instant payment by simply tapping your card on the terminal. No swiping, inserting or personal identification numbers are required. This new credit card payment option is available for single fares, in addition to the traditional cash payment and the advance purchase of fares. This convenient solution will allow occasional riders of public transit to save time, not having to plan for exact change or to purchase fares in advance.
“For the STL, innovation is a core principle. It is deeply rooted in the way they conduct business” says Marc Demers, Mayor of Laval. “Public transportation is a major vector for the development of Laval and we are proud to support this type of experiment at the STL. It improves the public transit offer for Laval residents and everyone who comes to visit us.”
“Simple, safe and fast, this new payment option fills the needs of our riders who don’t always have the exact change or time to purchase fares. We hope this new initiative will attract new clients and convince our occasional riders to take public transportation more often and make it a part of their daily travel routine”, adds David De Cotis, President of the STL’s Board of Directors. “Contactless payment is a growing trend in public transportation around the world. We are proud of this partnership with Desjardins, who share our desire to actively contribute to the advancement of technology and at the same time, our respective industries.” concludes De Cotis.
“We are happy to be partnering with the STL to provide its clients with a payment experience that meets modern expectations and that contributes to broadening the payment offer for the public transportation industry,” says André Chatelain, Executive Vice-President, Personal Services, Payments and Desjardins Group Marketing. “As one of the global leaders in payment systems, Desjardins is expecting this innovation, a first in Canada, to mark a major milestone in the integration of contactless payment into the various modes of transportation in this country.”
The results of this trial will be shared with the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) and with Quebec’s other public transportation companies.
