Cashless on the bus: Uckermark starts contactless payment from July!

Cashless on the bus: Uckermark starts contactless payment from July!

From July 1, everyday life will be much easier for the passengers of the Uckermärkische Verkehrsgesellschaft (UVG). Thanks to a cooperation between Sparkasse Uckermark and UVG, bus travelers can pay cashlessly in the future. This means not only a relief for the locals, but also for tourists who no longer have to laboriously search for change.

The idea for this modernization came about in 2023 when the increasing interest of passengers was recognized in contactless payment options. With the installation of a total of 160 new local authorities in all regular buses in the region, the transition to cashless payment is finally becoming a reality. Passengers can easily pay their bus ride with a card, smartphone or smartwatch. Those responsible, the CEO of Sparkasse Uckermark and the managing director of the UVG, agree: This new system is a real progress for all users.

The advantages of the new system

Cashless paying is not only a step into the modern future of local public transport, but also significantly increases comfort for passengers. At a time when 88 percent of passengers want contactless payment, as can be seen from a study by Visa, it is high time for changes (riverty).

A flawless and modern payment system can sustainably improve the user experience. Public transport is faced with the challenge that only 15 percent of ticket sales in municipal local transport will be digitally, while industries such as air traffic have double digital ticket volume. It is all the more gratifying that innovative payment options are now available in the Uckermark buses.

The future of payment processing in public transport

The changeover to cashless payment could be a pioneering step for the entire industry. While many cities in Germany already offer digital payment methods for administrative services, mobile payment options in local public transport are only available in five percent of cities. This impressively shows that there is still a lot of room for improvement.

According to a current analysis, there are still four central weaknesses in German public transport: inadequate payment options, unusual payment systems at peak times, insufficient support for payment problems and the lack of options in the payment method. The new method of the UVG starts at these points and could help strengthen the trust of passengers and increase the use of local public transport.

The Uckermärkische Verkehrsgesellschaft has made the first step into a hopefully golden future of cashless travel with the Sparkasse Uckermark, which will enable passengers to explore the beauty of the region even more relaxed.