The Future of Contactless Payment for Open-Loop Transit to Be Discussed at CARTES America in Las Vegas, April 23-25, 2013

LAS VEGAS -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- With major U.S. cities Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, DC planning on introducing open fare payment systems for transit, officials are betting that new open-loop systems will make fare collection easier, cheaper and more flexible. In Open-Loop in U.S. Transportation Systems, a new white paper now exclusively available on the CARTES America web site, Smart Insights’ Analyst Thierry Spanjaard discusses the status of pilot programs, the advantages and disadvantages of open-loop systems, and the various smart technologies, such as contactless, mag-stripe and Near-Field Communication (NFC), being deployed.

“Transit systems in the U.S. are moving towards more cost-effective and efficient open- loop payment systems, which will allow new payment mechanisms for consumers to use bank-issued contactless credit and debit cards from the major payment brands MasterCard, Visa and American Express,” said Spanjaard. “Many transit authorities also have NFC on their roadmaps and so will eventually accept payment applications stored on NFC phones.”

One of the transit-related highlights of the CARTES America conference in Las Vegas, Nev., April 23-25, 2013, is a presentation by Platinum sponsor ABnote on TSM and NFC Services for Transport Ticketing in the Securing Mobile Payments and Services track on Tuesday, April 23. CARTES America participants will address transit, as well as a number of other high-growth markets for a range of smart technologies including EMV, NFC, contactless, etc. in five additional tracks: The Wallet War, EMV Implementation & Financial Services, Electronic ID for a Secure Identity, Commerce Convergence: Going Mobile and EMV and Security.

“Transit is an example of just one of the markets that is moving toward larger-scale adoption of contactless technology, and with the U.S. on the path to EMV adoption, other markets will tap into an increasing number of consumers with contactless cards in their hands,” said Isabelle Alfano, event director of CARTES America.

The second CARTES America exhibition and conference will bring smart technologies, mobile commerce and digital security authorities and leading technology providers to Las Vegas, Nev. for 80 educational sessions with more than 100 presenters. The event will focus on the topics, trends and technologies to facilitate new business in the large and dynamic American market for innovative smart technologies. The CARTES America conference program includes a number of sessions addressing three broad themes: EMV and NFC deployments, mobile & advanced payments and security. The event will feature technology and application demonstrations by a sold-out roster of 130 exhibitors.

CARTES America is produced by Comexposium. Sponsors and exhibitors include ABnote, Bell ID, Bowe Systec, CPI Card Group, Datacard, Gemalto, GET Group, HID, Mastercard, Morpho, Oberthur, STmicroelectronics and Underwriters Laboratories. Event partners include ABRID, ACT Canada, BayPay Forum, Eurosmart, Global Platform, Inc., Global Prepaid Exchange, Homeland Security Research, SIMalliance and Smart Payment Association.

Register to attend CARTES America and for more information, visit www.cartes-america.com. Accredited members of the media are invited to register for free.

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About CARTES
The CARTES Network encompasses the leading international and regional exhibitions and conferences devoted to smart technologies. From its beginnings in Paris in 1985, CARTES has grown to become the world’s number one event of secure solutions for payment, identification and mobility, gathering 450 exhibitors and 20,000 visitors from 142 countries. CARTES exhibitions and conferences also take place in Asia and North America. CARTES events are organized by COMEXPOSIUM, the leading French professional trade fairs organizer, offering a high level of service and premium quality standards for exhibitors and visitors.