Following this partnership, riders are expected to benefit from a convenient way to pay for their transit fares using their Visa cards. The program utilizes an Open Payments solution provided by Masabi and integrates with Velocia’s rewards platform to enhance rider convenience and offer incentives for frequent tap-to-ride activity.
Participation in the rideRTC Rewards Program is limited to a select number of riders within the RTC contactless payment ecosystem, on a first-come, first-served basis. Once enrolled, riders can earn points by tapping their Visa card or other compatible payment methods each time they make an RTC fare payment. These earned points can be redeemed for free rides.
Additional bonuses are available for riders who maintain weekly tap-to-ride streaks of at least four taps per week, with increasing rewards for those who continue their streaks for up to four consecutive weeks.
Details on the rideRTC Rewards Program launch
The program was developed as part of RTC’s partnership with Masabi, which rolled out its Open Payments fare collection system in December 2023. This system enables riders to use contactless bank cards, mobile wallets, and smart devices for convenient transit payments. The Account Linking feature within the Open Payments system allows users to link their payment card to a single transit account, facilitating streamlined rewards assignments and access to trip history.
To participate in the program, customers need to download the rideRTC app, create an account, and sign up for the program. Each participant will receive 200 points as a sign-up bonus, equivalent to one free ride. The program is set to run for an initial six-month period, during which RTC aims to gather insights into ridership trends through collected trip data and survey responses from participants.
By doing so, RTC intends not only to improve transit services but also to stay compliant and meet the evolving needs of its customers.