• Subscribe
  • Magazine
  • 40 Under 40
  • Supplier's Directory
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
    1. Technology
    2. Fare Collection

    State of California, INIT sign agreement for open loop fare payment technologies

    March 31, 2022
    INIT’s validator, PROXmobile3 and back-office software, MOBILEvario, will now be available to California’s small to mid-size transit agencies.
    Related To: INIT Innovations In Transportation, Inc.

    INIT has signed a Master Service Agreement with the California Department of General Services (DGS), the procuring agency for the California Integrated Travel Project (Cal-ITP), as an open loop fare system provider. 

    The Cal-ITP project aims to “make the transition to contactless fare collection and GTFS Realtime compliance as easy and cost-effective as possible.” The agreements mean that INIT’s validator, PROXmobile3 and back-office software, MOBILEvario, will now be available to help the state’s more than 300 small to mid-size transit agencies modernize their fare collection and trip planning systems. 

    Of the six vendors awarded, INIT says it was the only company awarded for both the payment acceptance devices and fare processing software. 

    PROXmobile3, INIT’s fare validator, is EMV-capable and awarded with the Information Technology for Public Transport (ITxPT) Label. A rider simply taps the validator using a credit or debit card, mobile wallet or smart wearable. Contactless payments make fare payments faster and more convenient, helping riders feel more confident about taking public transit. 

    INIT’s back-office software, MOBILEvario, is certified Visa ready for transit, which means it delivers the passenger experience that Visa has defined for open payments in public transit. It also serves as the core intelligence of a Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) structure. 

    Cal-ITP plans 

    Further objectives by Cal-ITP include expanding the contactless payments technologies and travel planning to other states including Oregon and Washington. INIT has previously implemented open loop payments, including rider benefits of best-price fares and virtual transit cards used in riders' mobile wallets in both these states. 

    The agreements signed by INIT and DGS on behalf of Cal-ITP prove INIT’s strengths not only as a contactless, open loop payments and back-office system provider, but also an experienced system integrator.