Back
Mobility payments are transforming transportation into an integrated, invisible layer of commerce, turning every journey into a payment opportunity. From tap-to-ride transit and EV charging to in-car, biometric-authenticated purchases, they are reshaping how people and businesses move, pay, and manage costs. This evolution is redefining expectations across the mobility ecosystem and raising the bar for both payment providers and mobility platforms.
Mobility payments encompass any transaction related to transportation. Examples of mobility payments cover the obvious, like public transit and ride sharing, but also extend to tolls, parking, EV-charging, fuel, and in-car purchases. Because yes, you can actually buy things from the driver’s seat these days.
Mobility payments are often powered by digital wallets, applications, or embedded vehicle systems that allow users to complete secure, frictionless, and contactless transactions on the spot. While digital wallets have primarily been used in a B2C context, they’ve now extended to B2B to facilitate the same ease of transactions, especially for mobile payments.
Since the mobility payment ecosystem is evolving rapidly, understanding its impact on daily life, B2B transactions, and the overall payment industry is essential for thriving in a modern, digitally connected economy.
This article explores the rise of mobility payments, innovations in mobility payment solutions, and their implications for the payment industry.
The rise of mobility payments
At the core of mobility payments is convenience, which aptly explains the rise in this phenomenon, especially as payment technology evolves alongside consumer and business expectations.
When you view mobility payments through the lens of contactless, real-time transactions, coupled with digital wallet dominance and mobility-as-a-service (MaaS), it makes perfect sense why mobility payments are expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 39.65% by 2030. Mobility payments are only getting started – here’s what’s fueling their expansion and adoption:
Contactless & real-time transactions
Consumer expectations for tap-to-pay and contactless transactions extend beyond simple in-store shopping or online purchases. People expect to tap their phones or cards to enter the subway, instantly unlock shared bikes on the street, and pay for transportation-related services with the same ease and speed as buying a coffee. In other words, thanks to contactless transactions enabled by near field communication (NFC), customers expect every interaction to be instant and frictionless, including mobility-related purchases. This is even more prevalent in post-COVID years, when consumers have become accustomed to conducting transactions at a distance with limited human interaction.
Beyond simple consumer mobility payments, this expectation of quick and convenient payments extends to B2B scenarios as well. Consider common instances in which a business might need to pay for EV charging at scale, or a logistics operator that needs to reimburse an entire fleet for fuel and toll expenses. Even delivery drivers need a quick way to purchase petrol or settle invoices while on the road, rather than spending an hour pulled over at a truck stop. All of this is facilitated by contactless, real-time mobility payments that enable businesses to manage transportation-related costs through a single, seamless payment infrastructure.
In both B2C and B2B contexts, speed and convenience are basic requirements for any type of purchase. Much of this leads payments to happen in the background, embedded directly into the mobility experience with real-time configuration. Think instant access to metro turnstiles or filling up a truck without leaving the cab. As a result, instant contactless mobility payments are far surpassing consumer expectations and ultimately redefining what payments look like while on the move.
IoT, biometrics, & in-car purchases
The Internet of Things (IoT) plays a large role in the rise of mobility payments, fueling in-car transactions by connecting vehicles to payment networks. The IoT allows users (and businesses) to make purchases directly from their dashboard, covering everything from filling up the tank to ordering food at a drive-thru or reserving and paying for parking.
Beyond individual consumers, B2B applications are far-reaching, with fleet operators, logistics companies, and shared mobility providers integrating payment systems for fuel, tools, and EV charging directly into their vehicle networks. This means no more issuing physical fuel cards to employees or dealing with complex reimbursements. IoT enables automated, real-time payments tied to vehicle usage, saving businesses time, money, and headaches.
Meanwhile, in the luxury vehicle sector, automakers are creating premium in-car experiences like voice-activated purchases and even digital marketplaces embedded directly into the car’s system. Electric vehicle manufacturers are also spearheading mobility payments through smart-charging integrations that enable vehicles to automatically locate and pay for charging services without driver input. In fact, card networks have partnered directly with car manufacturers to integrate payment processing into vehicles.
When these types of mobility payments are paired with biometric authentication, as opposed to traditional PIN numbers or passwords, they’re protected by an added layer of security, without hampering the payment’s efficiency. Now, instead of entering a personal code at a gas pump or confirming purchases manually, drivers can simply glance at their camera or tap their finger to further the illusion of a practically invisible payment process.
The combination of IoT with biometrics is reshaping how customers and businesses pay on the move, especially for in-car purchases. According to a TechInsider report, in-vehicle transactions are expected to exceed $530 billion by 2030. If you really think about it, vehicles themselves are becoming secure, intelligent, and autonomous commerce platforms, thanks in large part to the Internet of Things.
Mobility as a service (MaaS)
As someone who splits their time between NYC and Paris, I’ve seen firsthand the immense impact mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) has on urban environments, driven by accessibility, affordability, and, of course, convenience.
MaaS lies at the crossroads of transportation, technology, and digital payments, offering a solution for modern movement. Public transit, ride-hailing, shared bikes, scooters, and even some car rentals all fall under the MaaS umbrella, which is rapidly reshaping how people move around cities, significantly empowered by mobility payments.
Companies like Uber are increasingly viewed as MaaS platforms given their multi-modal model. Through a single app, users can book private or shared rides, order food delivery, and even rent electric bikes and scooters, thanks to Uber’s majority ownership of Lime.
What makes this model so powerful is its payment simplicity. Regardless of what services users choose, transactions are made through a single, unified payment system, removing the need to juggle multiple apps, cards, or logins. MaaS streamlines the user experience, but more importantly, it showcases the true potential of mobility payments to simplify everyday life.
How mobility payments are changing the industry
Mobility payments have caused a ripple effect across the industry, driving changes in customer expectations, shifts in traditional payment methods, and new opportunities for businesses. These are some of the main ways that mobility payments are changing the industry and what we can expect in the coming years:
Shift in consumer behaviour and expectations
Mobility payments have triggered a shift in consumer behaviour where customers expect a seamless payment experience every time. Instead of traditional chip-and-PIN transactions, mobility payments have enabled customers to speed up purchases and eliminate the need for a physical card through secure digital payments.
One of my favourite examples of this is the OMNY tap-to-ride subway system in New York City, where riders can use Apple Pay to enter without needing a physical ticket or even a digital MetroCard. This shift has changed rider behaviour, allowing them to skip the extra time spent buying a ticket at a machine and walk straight through the turnstile with no lines, no friction, and no need to fumble with a credit card.
Beyond public transit use cases, this customer behaviour shift extends further than convenience. Users tend to gravitate towards platforms that offer multiple mobility services like planning, booking, and payment, all in one centralised place. Back to the Uber example, mobility payments have created an environment where a user can unlock a shared bike, book a ride, or order food all from a single, frictionless app via a one-click transaction. In return, this has pushed payment providers and card networks to support real-time interactions with multi-modal platforms.
Impact on traditional payment methods
With the rise in mobility payments comes the decline of cash and even physical cards. Contactless payments, especially mobile wallets with tokenised credentials, reign supreme these days. Beyond in-store shopping, they’re also the norm for transit scenarios and in-car purchases, which will be commonplace as soon as 2030. As payment methods continue to be embedded directly in apps and vehicles, we’ll see less need for visible, front-end payment tools like card machines and POS terminals.
Due to this change, issuers and acquirers may need to reconsider their role in the payment ecosystem, especially as an increasing number of transactions take place in the background. The biggest shift in this context is a move away from authorising payments alone and towards biometric security and real-time tools that facilitate invisible, frictionless transactions.
Opportunities for new business models and partnerships
A significant impact of mobility payments on the industry is the creation of entirely new revenue streams and business models. Consider mobility payments via subscription services, pay-per-mile packages, and loyalty programs embedded directly in transportation, such as OMNY’s weekly fare cap in New York City or Lime’s Ride Passes.
Additionally, digital wallets integrated with MaaS can hold transit passes, rewards, and even insurance coverage for riders, blurring the lines between fintech, transportation, and classic retail.
More than anything, this opens the door to new strategic partnerships between payment service providers, card networks, transit authorities, and mobility apps. For example, Visa has invested globally in MaaS through partnerships with cities, mobility operators, digital apps, and more to enable digital payments across the MaaS industry.
A more concrete example is Mastercard’s partnerships with Kisio and CityMapper, which embed payment and security tech within trip-planning platforms. Through this alliance, users gain access to MaaS platforms that integrate local transit information with payment capabilities, creating a more convenient way to navigate urban mobility.
Regulatory considerations and challenges
As mobility payments continue to evolve, so do the regulations that surround them. Data privacy, user consent, biometric authentication, and, especially, location tracking are significant concerns for mobility payments, given the amount of contextual information tied to each transaction.
Regulations like PCI DSS, PSD2, and local transit authorities all work together to shape how payments can be integrated, authorised, and settled directly within mobility apps. But beyond traditional compliance concerns, payment providers in the mobility space are also tasked with navigating cross-border regulations, especially in regions where MaaS platforms cover multiple transport providers or jurisdictions.
On the business side, operators in the mobility space must adapt to changing regulations, often requiring upgrades to legacy infrastructure at scale. Overhauling internal systems means implementing new infrastructure to support Tokenization, biometric authentication, and API-based payment architecture. This shift is costly, complex, and requires high coordination, especially across multiple jurisdictions or cross-border environments.
Finally, as open banking standards continue to evolve, their impact on mobility payments is clear, as they enable third-party actors in the space to access financial data via APIs. There’s a strong emphasis on fair access to payment infrastructure, helping to prevent monopolies while introducing stronger fraud protections and greater transparency around data usage. This really highlights the growing intersection of mobility, finance, and data, while underscoring the crucial need for thoughtful regulation to protect consumers and foster healthy competition as the industry becomes more digitised and interconnected.
Thinking about the future of mobility payments
Mobility payments are already redefining how people and businesses move, pay for, and interact with transportation. From tap-and-go subway rides to in-car purchases authenticated by biometrics, the boundaries between commerce and mobility are increasingly blurred. What was once a distinct step in the transit process – making a payment to access a mobility service – is now becoming invisible, directly embedded in each journey.
This shift is considerably more convenient in terms of user experience, but also unlocks new opportunities for B2B automation, urban mobility, and digital infrastructure.
When looking to the future, it’s clear that the payment industry will play a central role in the next era of mobility. As MaaS continues to develop alongside smart city innovations, payments need to follow suit with highly contextual, real-time verification, along with features such as dynamic pricing, fraud detection, and infrastructure that supports mobility transactions.
At the same time, payment providers are likely to see growing pressure to support open ecosystems and deliver enterprise solutions at scale to align with the mobility economy.
For financial institutions, mobility platforms, and city planners, there’s a clear message: it’s time to invest in mobility-first strategies. This means integrating modular, API-driven, hyper-secure systems with a strong emphasis on user experience and accessibility.
It also means leaning into strategic partnerships across industries, sectors, and borders to create a future-proofed ecosystem in the mobility space. Those who are prepared to adapt to new innovations will be well-positioned to lead the mobility revolution.
Overall, the key takeaway is that mobility payments aren’t a passing trend. They’re a significant infrastructure advancement that has changed the future of movement. The industry will continue to shift based on how we design, regulate, and scale mobility payments today.
Go further with Planet’s mobility payment solutions
At Planet, we empower businesses across mobility ecosystems to deliver integrated, real-time payment experiences applicable to transit authorities, fuel providers, vehicle manufacturers, MaaS platforms, and beyond.
With Planet’s global acquiring capabilities, embedded payment technology, and strong expertise in cross-border commerce, businesses can meet evolving customer expectations while simplifying complex payment operations.
Whether you’re enabling tap-to-pay on public transport, streamlining in-car purchases, or unifying mobility expenses for your entire fleet, Planet provides:
- End-to-end payment solutions tailored to mobility
- Real-time, multi-channel payment processing
- Tokenization and security-first infrastructure
- Omnichannel integration across devices and modes
- Cross-border support for multi-region operations
- Data and analytics tools to optimise performance
As the lines between movement and money continue to meld together, future-focused businesses need a payment partner built for agility and scale. With Planet, you can build smarter, faster, and more connected mobility experiences today and for years to come.
Stay in English