At the end of February, Dessauer Verkehrs GmbH launched ticket sales at three new cashless customer terminals. With this, the small transport company is setting an example for the future of ticket machines. The new machines are simple in design and operated via a large touchscreen. They sell single tickets as well as day, weekly, and monthly passes. Passengers can conveniently pay contactless with their debit or credit card or by entering a PIN and receive a printed ticket. “We deliberately decided to rely on cashless machines. Cash mechanisms require more maintenance and are more prone to malfunctions, whether due to the need to provide change or blockages caused by objects or chewing gum in the money slots,” says René Hentschel, Head of Planning and Operations at Dessauer Verkehrs GmbH. According to a representative study by Deutsche Zahlungssysteme e. V. from 2018, 94% of the population in Germany use a debit or credit card, and many generally prefer to pay by card rather than cash. “Investing in new customer terminals for ticket sales is worthwhile for transport companies in several ways, as it will reduce procurement and operating costs in the long term. Costs for cash handling are eliminated, and the motivation for theft and the resulting damage to machines should also decrease,” says Darius Rauert, CEO of AMCON.
Cashless and contactless payment - unique in the German public transport landscape?
“It’s not new that you can pay at ticket machines with debit or credit cards, but it is still uncommon for machines to accept only card payments. We are very pleased to have been able to implement this project in Dessau and are curious to see how the passengers will respond,” says Sebastian Hoth, project manager at AMCON. The cashless machines were custom-built by Pyramid Computer in Freiburg and combined with AMCON’s UFHO system to create a flagship project in the German transport sector. Great importance was placed on making the machines intuitive to use, ensuring passengers don’t have to make unnecessary clicks that slow down the purchase process. Those who want to try out the machines can find them at the stops Hauptbahnhof / Tram / Bus Platform, Bauhaus Museum, and Dessau Center.