New Zealand contactless payments service provider Snapper said use of its NFC mobile application is matching that of its cards for transit fare collection and is higher for retail purchases, though transaction figures were not available.
Snapper launched the Touch2Pay NFC service in early May with New Zealand mobile operator 2degrees on one Android phone and has since added four others, including the Samsung Galaxy S III. Users can tap to pay for fares on 1,000 buses, 3,000 taxis and at more than 500 merchant locations, though the number of buses will be reduced with the decision by Auckland Transport to terminate Snapper's contract to provide fare collection on Auckland area buses.
UPDATE: But Auckland Transport, which manages train, bus and ferry service in New Zealand's largest metropolitan area, announced late last month it will end acceptance of Snapper on its buses as it introduces an “integrated” contactless transit card for the various modes of transport provided by France-based Thales. Auckland Transport said Snapper was not ready in time to make its equipment compliant with the Thales system and negotiations between the parties had failed.
