More than a year after contactless payments were enabled in the Panama Metro, not only is there great acceptance by local users of the mass transportation system, but the number of travelers from international countries has also increased. who use Visa digital credentials to pay for the Metro in an easy, convenient and secure way. We can see that, as of March 30 of this year, international travelers from 108 countries have paid for the transportation system with Visa credentials.
According to recent data from Visanet*, in the last year, the months of November 2023 and January and February 2024 were the months that recorded the highest number of international users who paid for the Metro with contactless devices. In November, travelers from 72 countries were registered, in January 75, and in February 77.
To date, international travelers from the 10 countries with the greatest use of the Metro have been the United States, Costa Rica, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Germany, Ecuador, Brazil, Guatemala and Argentina.
Thanks to the fact that this urban mobility effort was developed under a global interoperable model, Panama metro passengers, coming from anywhere in the world, can use Visa credit, debit and prepaid cards, issued by any international bank or authorized financial entity. , in addition to other digital payment instruments such as cards, mobile devices, wearable objects (also known as wearables) or mobile wallets enabled with contactless technology.
“In line with the government's objective of promoting the modernization of the mass transportation system in the country, Visa works in collaboration with multiple stakeholders in the ecosystem so that the payment system used in the Metro creates a type of universal benefit not only for the local population, but also for those users who are passing through so that they can use international Visa credentials without any friction,” said Liz Marie Pareja, General Manager of Visa in Panama.
“With the idea of helping to boost growing communities and economies, Visa seeks to support the expansion of contactless technology in public transportation in Panama,” said Andrés Polo, Urban Mobility Leader for Visa in Latin America and the Caribbean. "From experience in other countries in Latin America and the world, having contactless payments to pay for tickets on trains, buses and even cable cars, more than an innovation effort, is a great benefit for citizens who can count on multiple forms of Pay your daily fares with the security and convenience of Visa contactless payments. By improving public transportation systems, we seek to contribute to a future in which urban mobility is multimodal, seeking to provide door-to-door travel experiences that are efficient and sustainable through secure, easy-to-use and connected digital payment solutions. “