The Smart Card Alliance announced transit agencies across the United States are in the beginning stages of upgrading fare collection systems. The Transportation Council, made up of representatives including ACS, A Xerox Company, Booz Allen Hamilton, Cubic, The Garback Group, Giesecke & Devrient, INSIDE Contactless, JPMorgan Chase and Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, has produced white papers to instruct transit agencies how to effectively make changes.

The first white paper illustrates the planning, cost analysis, and implementation of a new fare payment system or the upgrading an existing system.

Additionally, it provides a Microsoft Excel-based cost model that presents a cost comparison between prior payment and collection and proposed payment and collection with the new system. The second white paper presents the benefits of using prepaid cards as one element of a fare collection system.

The Smart Card Alliance Transportation Council is made up of more than 130 individuals from 59 organizations, including transit agencies, payment brands, financial services providers and technology and service providers.

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