Account Based Ticketing: Evolution of Transit Ticketing Systems

Transport authorities (TA) continue to evaluate next-generation ticketing technologies as a platform from which they can streamline operations. This evaluation is occurring whether they are already running a well-established ticketing system or are implementing a new system to expand and extend network visibility in order to gather valuable user data points and offer new innovative services.

Account Based Ticketing (ABT) is a system that can open up new opportunities and business models, provide access to new markets that were previously out of reach, and provide a platform to address the reduction in the ongoing costs associated with card issuance, as well as system management and maintenance.

This report provides a detailed analysis of what defines an ABT system, how ABT works, why it merits significant attention, and how, if at all, ABT may impact the market and leading ecosystem players. The report will also shed light on the current status of the ABT market and the technologies used; it will provide comparisons to current ticketing systems, highlighting the added value an ABT system can offer and other verticals in which ABT may be implemented.