NFC TIMES Exclusive – The developer of Visa’s new transit secure-access module, or SAM, said the technology could potentially help turn even a low-end, closed-loop transit-ticketing system, such as Mifare Classic, into an EMV-enabled payments system–although that could still require transit operators to install new acceptance terminals, and they would still need to set up a back-end system to support it.
Visa with Brazil-based technology supplier Planeta Informatica announced the transit technology last week, which the companies said could enable transit operators or authorities to accept EMV cards or credentials on smartphones and wearables without the need to replace turnstiles and acceptance terminals. Planeta’s CEO, Artur Costa told NFC Times that the transit SAM could be inserted into closed-loop terminals at metro gates or on board buses to enable riders to pay with EMV debit or credit.