Rio de Janeiro launches Gemalto contactless transport ticketing wristband

Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO), the world leader in digital security, announces a partnership with RioCard, Rio de Janeiro’s public transportation ticketing operator, to implement contactless transport ticket wristbands. When fully implemented, the solution will simplify secure payments and improve convenience ensuring smoother travel in any mode of transportation (bus, ferry, subway and train) for more than 10 million residents and visitors to Brazil’s second largest city.   

With Brazil and Rio de Janeiro preparing to host the most important sport events in the world, the RioCard contactless transport wristbands are one of the major innovations being introduced to improve the infrastructure in preparation for 500,000 expected foreign visitors. With a simple wave of their wristband near the contactless readers already deployed throughout the city, the solution is expected to increase use of public transportation, transactions speed and simplify travel logistics, building a foundation for simple and secure contactless payments long after the event fanfare concludes. 

Gemalto is supplying RioCard with its waterproof Celego Contactless MiniTag wristband and its Celego Contactless MiniTag Sticker both embedded with a contactless chip from Gemalto and certified by Visa and MasterCard enabling all the secure functionalities of traditional contactless EMV cards. Contactless transit cards were first adopted by RioCard in Rio de Janeiro in 2003 and they are now a part of daily life for millions of users.

“The new RioCard wristbands support our goal to create a more convenient and secure travel experience for all residents and visitors to Rio de Janeiro,” said Eric Claudel, President of Africa and Middle East at Gemalto. “The success of recent contactless projects with Gemalto, like the Lille project in France and Visa’s wearable wristband in Brazil have motivated this solution which builds a technological legacy enabling streamlined transportation and improved peace of mind for travelers.”  

“Gemalto’s expertise in implementing contactless payment systems has allowed us to stay ahead of the curve in delivering successful wearable and sticker solutions,” said Claudel. “Gemalto has worked with RioCard implementing a pilot program in 2013 that leveraged its NFC SIM card technology, allowing people to use their mobile phones as RioCard contactless transit cards. Together, RioCard and Gemalto are at the forefront of the wearable payment trend which is expected to grow more than six-fold reaching 126 million devices by 2019.”