Traditionally, users of public transport were issued with a physical ticket as proof of payment, issued for either a single journey, a return trip, or for a fixed period of time. It is a simple and effective way for transport networks to validate a passenger’s
right to ride.
However, new data demonstrates that disruptive travel patterns and evolving ticketing form factors are leading a once in a generation transformation in customer payment behaviours across transport networks worldwide.
Accelerated demand for mobile activations
The almost universal penetration of smartphones has created a market for solutions that are natively integrated into a digital wallet. Already proven to be seamless and secure in the payments space, it is no surprise that user demand for such solutions in
the transit space is strong: mobile ticketing using the Calypso Open Standard accelerated rapidly in 2025, with activations increasing by 265% year-on-year, reaching nearly 15 million.
As well as providing unparallelled user convenience, mobile ticketing is also offering an easy way for authorities and operators to roll out new ticketing offers across multiple modes of transport. Digitisation means that many of the complex challenges associated
with integrating multiple transport operators – such as revenue sharing, tariffs, and scalability – can be managed centrally, enhancing visibility and trust between operators. This creates an environment that can support the innovative fare structures required
to make multimodal travel seamless.
However, it is imperative that operators do not risk excluding anyone from travel. Not everyone is willing or able to use a smartphone for their ticket. Physical ticketing media continues to underpin large-scale, interoperable operations globally, evidenced
through nearly 70 million Calypso transport smartcards shipped in 2025, as networks continue to provide an inclusive physical offer alongside mobile.
Cryptography, compliance and confidence
The move to digital-first solutions brings unquestionable benefits, however it also brings a host of new threats. At the forefront of this in 2026 is Artificial Intelligence (AI). The fledgling technology will continue its rise as a scalable attack vector,
providing bad actors with a simple way to automate brute force attacks and reverse engineer digital ticketing solutions at scale. And looking ahead, cybersecurity experts recognise that quantum computing will revolutionise cryptography as we know it. Getting
ahead of ‘harvest now, decrypt later’ tactics is essential.
Organisations that are adopting digital solutions must therefore take a far more proactive approach to their security. Emerging regulatory frameworks such as the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), and the Network and
Information Systems Directive 2 (NIS2) are exploring how to mandate secure-by-design approaches, enforcing compliance through routine testing and real-time fraud monitoring. The transport ticketing community must work as one to meet this threat, pooling expertise
and resources to help create a resilient, unified front against the rapidly shifting threat landscape.
Ticketing infrastructure for financial services and access control
A strong and seamless ticketing network is built on interoperability. When built on open standards, this allows different stakeholders to participate knowing their systems are all speaking the same language and can adapt with ease. But this language doesn’t
need to be limited to just transport. Fully integrated platforms built on open standards can connect different verticals into cohesive ecosystems that improve the user experience.
The readers, cards, smartphone activations and back end infrastructure used to support transport ticketing can also be used to support prepaid digital wallets. This unlocks digital payments for those otherwise unable to access them, bringing democratised
financial inclusion to regions without established fixed-line infrastructure. Likewise, the same infrastructure can also provision digital keys for access control, delivering accessible, affordable and easy-to-use solutions, without compromising on security.
Opening up travel with open standards
While networks must react to evolving passenger behaviours and preferences, operators and authorities must never forget that one size does not fit all. Passengers may use different modes of transport to reach their destination, the regularity with
which different passengers use public transport can vary massively, and they may have their own personal preferences on how they pay and store the tickets they use. These are all factors that must be accounted for when designing a ticketing network that is
sustainable long into the future, capable of evolving with network needs without being dictated to by proprietary vendors or card schemes.
Digital ticketing allows networks to create flexible, pragmatic, value-add ticketing solutions built by networks specifically for passengers. This is the key strategic differentiator that can make public transport a more attractive option than private vehicle
use, but it must sit alongside secure card and paper tickets to ensure that no-one is excluded.
Open standards can enable a future-proof, resilient and sovereign system, delivering a range of contactless use cases, including transport ticketing, mobility, EV charging and access control. Networks must be empowered to own and evolve their systems to
best serve their customers. Digital and physical fare media can coexist as part of a pragmatic fare structure that provides all passengers with a flexible, reliable and affordable alternative to private vehicle usage regardless of how often or when they travel.
