Background

The transit payments ecosystem across North America is entering a new era of innovation. Transit agencies are increasingly leveraging contactless payments, account-based ticketing, open-loop fare collection, mobile wallets, fare capping, and integrated mobility platforms to create faster, more convenient, and more inclusive passenger experiences.

Across cities and regions, agencies are investing in technologies that enable passengers to travel seamlessly using contactless bank cards, smartphones, wearable devices, digital accounts, and next-generation fare media. These developments are helping transit providers simplify fare collection, improve operational efficiency, enhance accessibility, and gain valuable insights through real-time data and analytics.

At the same time, transit payments are becoming increasingly connected with broader mobility ecosystems, including parking, micromobility, ridesharing, and multimodal journey planning. Technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud-based back offices, digital identity management, and advanced fare validation are creating new opportunities for agencies to improve customer experience while strengthening revenue protection and system performance.

As agencies continue to explore innovative approaches to fare collection and passenger engagement, Transit Payments US 2026 will provide a platform for transit leaders, fare collection specialists, payment providers, technology companies, and mobility innovators to share insights, showcase new solutions, and discuss the future of transit payments. The conference will be held on October 21-22, 2026 at San Francisco Bay Area.

Mission

The mission of the conference is to discuss experience so far in the deployment of contactless payments for transit, opportunities in open loop payments and ABT, key emerging trends, best practices, and key challenges. The conference will also discuss integration of transit payments with retail, EV charging and on-demand mobility, and showcase innovations and new technologies.

The conference will bring together experts from leading transit agencies and operators, state/local governments, system integrators, technology and service provider firms, smartcard companies, technology and equipment manufacturers, mobile ticketing vendors, credit card companies, data architecture and IT firms, fare collection system suppliers, dynamic multiservice journey planners, taxi fleet operators, ride-hailing and ride-sharing service providers, micro-mobility providers, ticketing infrastructure providers, industry consultants, research and development organisations, financiers, technical institutes, etc.

Key topics to be discussed

• Cashless, seamless transit in the US through contactless and open loop payments
• Market size, emerging trends and future outlook
• Account-based ticketing (ABT): lessons learned and what's next
• Open-loop payments and EMV adoption
• Contactless bank card acceptance across transit networks
• Mobile wallets: Apple Pay, Google Pay and beyond
• Fare capping and best-fare guarantees
• Regional interoperability and multi-agency fare systems
• Mobility integration (parking, Uber, bikeshare, MaaS)
• Transit payments for mega events and tourism, world Cup and major-event readiness
• Electronic toll collection (ETC): digitalising toll payments
• EV charging payments integrated with mobility payments
• Driving in-car payments forward with mobility payments solutions
• Digital identity and concession management
• Customer accounts, loyalty and rewards programs
• Data-driven fare policy and planning
• AI and analytics for fare collection
• Cybersecurity and payment security
• Cloud-based back offices and fare collection platforms
• Open APIs and mobility commerce
• Customer adoption and change management
• Digital inclusion for unbanked riders
• Revenue protection and modern fare gates

DAYS TO GO

When and Where

October 21-22, 2026
Marines' Memorial Club & Hotel, San Francisco

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