A multi-currency first for Ticketer

Hungerford company's ticketing technology processes its first euro contactless payment

Hungerford-based Ticketer has processed its first contactless euro and sterling transaction, for First Aircoach in Dublin. The new multi-currency electronic ticket machines (ETMs) were installed for the two million passengers travelling between Dublin city, Belfast and Dublin Airport each year.

Four of the services are based in the Republic of Ireland and only use the euro, but one crosses the border between Belfast city centre and Dublin Airport, so Ticketer – with offices in Charnham Lane – had to tailor the solution for the ETMs to accept payments in both euros and sterling.

First Aircoach is the first customer that Ticketer has enabled euro payments for and the ETMs will switch between currencies as required, showing the ticket price in both.

As well as the onboard ETMs, Ticketer is also supplying machines for the travel shop in Belfast and mobile retailers based at Dublin Airport. Both of the airport terminals are served by mobile ticket machines for passengers to buy tickets before they board the bus.

Ticketer managing director John Clarfelt said: “Things have certainly moved on since we developed our first web-based solution eight years ago. We are consistently evolving and developing new, tailored solutions for our customers.

“It’s down to the innovative work that our deeply passionate and committed team continues to develop that we are able to deliver more and more benefits for our customers and, of course, for their passengers.”

First Aircoach managing director Dervla McKay said: “The team at Ticketer have come up with a solution that fits our cross-border operation perfectly and our customers are seeing the benefits with over 6,000 contactless transactions taking place within two weeks of launching.”