IBA Group Launches Contactless Fare Collection System on Azerbaijan Trains

The launch of contactless payments is an important step towards meeting world standards of railway transport. Now railway commuters can enjoy the ease of contactless payments by tapping a bankcard or an NFC device at a validator.

Today, with passenger traffic starting to grow but still not reaching pre-pandemic levels, cities and transport operators around the world are striving to provide safe, reliable, and efficient transport services. Globally, the use of contactless payments in transport has grown by 187%, and Visa is working to introduce and expand these services in more than 500 cities around the world. We are proud that Azerbaijan is among the countries that understand the importance of developing contactless payments in transport and we are confident that this important project will bring contactless payments in the country to a new level.

For the Central Bank of Azerbaijan, the main strategic goal of digitalization of payment services is the global transformation of the cashless economy in Azerbaijan through creating simpler, faster, and consumer-friendly payment solutions. Today we are opening a new stage in the development of the country’s transport system in the hope that this trend will cover the entire transport ecosystem of the country.

The introduction of contactless payments using bankcards at all passenger stations of the Azerbaijan Railways located on the Absheron Peninsula is another success that has become possible thanks to advanced technologies. We are confident that contactless payments will provide convenience for passengers and significantly save travel time.