HID’s recently published State of Mass Transit Ticketing Hardware Report 2025 provides data that highlights five key priorities that transit companies should consider investigating.

Based on a survey of 102 mass transit providers worldwide, the report focuses on the shift to touch-free transactions and the adoption of contactless payment systems.

Reducing Reliance on Cash Payments

The first priority highlighted by the report is the reduction of reliance on cash payments and the streamlining of fare collection and operations.

Among agencies surveyed, 46% of them plan to deploy new ticketing and fare collection hardware, of those planning on these deployments, 88% of them are looking at doing so within the next 12-24 months.

Enhancing Passenger Experience

When looking at new fare collection hardware, nearly two-thirds of agencies rank user-friendly interfaces as the most important feature. By prioritizing convenience and faster ticketing transactions, companies are hoping to enhance the passenger experience.

Expanding Contactless and Mobile Payment

Magnetic stripe ticketing is currently on the way out, while contactless and mobile payment systems are rising in demand.

Currently, 43% of agencies are planning on deploying contactless systems within the next five years. European companies currently lead in mobile ticketing adoption, with 86% using app-based solutions compared to 58% globally.

Collecting Ridership Data to Inform Decisions

More than half of respondents said they would prioritize single ticketing interfaces that can read multiple ticket types and provide data. This is in addition to being user-friendly.

Reducing Dependency on Proprietary Ticketing Systems

The final priority highlighted was the trend of moving away from proprietary systems for ticketing. With 40% of respondents stating that open architecture solutions are a high priority, indicating the need for solutions to evolve as the industry’s needs change.

Proprietary tech remains a significant hurdle for companies, especially in Latin America and the Asia-Pacific.

Other Takeaways

While only five priorities were highlighted, there are some other interesting data points in the report.

According to the survey, 24% of respondents stated that the biggest obstacle to upgrading ticketing hardware is the lack of funding. The second largest obstacle is the use of proprietary technology or legacy fare systems.

Most agencies reported that they have fare collection hardware onboard vehicles at 85%, while approximately half also deploy hardware at stations and interchanges.

Mass transit fare collection and ticketing processes are undergoing a passenger-centric revolution driven by technology. Agencies will need to select the right partner and hardware solutions that can evolve alongside industry demands.

You can find the full report here.